In its generic form, “Official Translation” is an exceedingly vague term.
Fact of the matter is there's no international consensus as to what exactly an “official translation” is, and neither is the translation industry itself a source of clarity in providing a unified definition. Indeed, many translation companies erroneously advertise official translation as "certified translation" and even “sworn translation”!
So, what’s the lowdown on official translation?
It is defined as translation that is sanctioned by an authority and has been authenticated (certified) with a seal or stamp. Translation for official purposes comes in four flavors:
The keyword to keep in mind here is “official purposes”.
This could mean personal legal documents, such as a birth certificate or residence certificate, submitted for an immigration application, or it could mean corporate legal documents, such as Articles of Incorporation, required by courts and banks, etc.
If you’ve followed the explanation above, then you already know more than most purported translation industry “professionals”! But, before you reach out to your translation provider, know that this can be an extremely complex issue to navigate. For example, while I’m sure you can find a provider to handle your project, cost also needs to be considered:
Bookmark this page, we’ll be fleshing out the details in due course.
And, finally, I would like to leave you with our oft repeated mantra:
Save yourself time, money and energy by getting your facts directly from the official authority (i.e. organizational level) that will be evaluating your translated documents.
Need more information on certified translation? Click here for Certified Japanese Translation FAQs
About the Author
Ivan Vandermerwe is the CEO of SAECULII YK, the owner of Japanese Certified Translation Service Visit SAECULII for the latest professional case studies, articles and news on Japanese Translation Services
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