When is a certified translation required?
A certified translation is always required when official documents or records need to be translated from one language into another and this translation needs to be valid in court or before authorities. Certified translations are an important requirement in many legal, administrative, and official matters to ensure the accuracy and validity of the translation. In Germany, for example, certified translations are often required to ensure that the translation meets legal requirements and is recognised in various official settings. In this introduction, we will go into more detail about the situations in which certified translations are needed and how they can contribute to documents being recognised internationally.
What is a certified translation?
Some translations are more important than others – especially of documents used in legal procedures before a court, tribunal, or notary. Most of the time, these documents need to be translated by a sworn translator in order to be accepted. Here, individuals as well as professionals can request translations.
For example, if a young bachelor wants to enrol at a university abroad, they will need a certified translation of their diplomas. In terms of a company’s international files, a certified translation of one or more documents, such as the memorandum of association, is also often requested. In order to open a branch or carry out commerce abroad, it is also not uncommon for the authorities of the country concerned to request a “certified translation” of your current Kbis extract.
Use of a sworn translator
A certified translation is a translation done by a translator who has taken an oath before a court. The sworn translator places their stamp on the document; hence a certified translation is recognised as an official document by the courts and the administration. A certified translation is required for many administrative documents, such as civil status certificates (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.), extracts from the Chamber of Commerce, court decisions, diplomas, etc.
The translation process
Certified translations must match the layout of the original document in order to be more readable. In case of a birth certificate, passport, or diploma, for example, the layout may be very different (and more complex) than for normal documents.
Have the original or a certified copy ready:
The destination country usually requests that a certified translation of a Kbis extract (or other such documents) is made from the original and not from a copy. This means in practice that the sworn translator must stamp and sign the provided original and not a paper copy of the original.*
Our advice: It is very important to know from the outset whether a sworn translation is necessary or not, as the price and delivery time are significantly different from those of a non-certified translation (more commonly known as a “free translation”).
The most common documents that require a certified translation:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Death certificates
- Divorce decrees
- Work contracts
- Statutory declarations
- Certificates of employment
- Diplomas
- Adoption papers
- Criminal records
List of common official requests, grouped by category:
Immigration and Visa:
1. Immigrant visa application
2. Work visa application
3. Student visa application
4. Permanent residence application
5. Asylum application
Citizenship:
6. Application for naturalisation
7. Certificate of citizenship
8. Passport application
9. Birth certificate for citizens born abroad
Education:
10. Academic degrees (general higher education entrance qualification, university degrees, etc.)
11. School reports
12. Transfer of course credits
13. Application for a school or university abroad
14. Scholarship application
Marriage and divorce:
15. Marriage certificate
16. Divorce decree
17. Marriage contract
Legal affairs:
18. International commercial contracts
19. Legal documents
20. Last wills and probate documents
International business:
21. Shipping and customs documents
22. Commercial contracts
23. Financial statements
Health:
24. Medical files for immigration application
25. International vaccination certificate
26. Medical prescription
Employment and Human Resources:
27. Letters of recommendation
28. Work contracts abroad
29. Vocational certificates
Social security:
30. applications for social security benefits abroad
Public services:
31. Documents related to international adoption
32. International driving licence
Land ownership:
33. Real estate purchase agreements abroad
34. Certificate of titles
35. Land registers
E-commerce and accounting:
36. Document for international online transactions
37. International accounting and tax returns
Application for asylum and international protection:
38. Asylum applications
39. Applications for refugee status
Financial services:
40. Financial statements for opening foreign bank accounts
41. International insurance contracts
International Adoption:
42. documents regarding adoption, such as adoption reports, certificates of conformity, etc.
| Category | Requirements |
| Immigration and Visa | 1. Immigrant visa application |
| 2. Work visa application | |
| 3. Student visa application | |
| 4. Permanent residence application | |
| 5. Asylum application | |
| Citizenship | 6. Application for naturalisation |
| 7. Certificate of citizenship | |
| 8. Passport application | |
| 9. Birth certificate for citizens born abroad | |
| Education | 10. Academic degrees (general higher education entrance qualification, university degrees, etc.) |
| 11. School reports | |
| 12. Transfer of course credits | |
| 13. Application for a school or university abroad | |
| 14. Scholarship application | |
| Marriage and divorce | 15. Marriage certificate |
| 16. Divorce decree | |
| 17. Marriage contract | |
| Legal affairs | 18. International commercial contracts |
| 19. Legal documents | |
| 20. Last wills and probate documents | |
| International business | 21. Shipping and customs documents |
| 22. Commercial contracts | |
| 23. Financial statements | |
| Health | 24. Medical files for immigration application |
| 25. International vaccination certificate | |
| 26. Medical prescription | |
| Employment and Human Resources | 27. Letters of recommendation |
| 28. Work contracts abroad | |
| 29. Vocational certificates | |
| Social security | 30. applications for social security benefits abroad |
| Public services | 31. Documents related to international adoption |
| 32. International driving licence | |
| Land ownership | 33. Real estate purchase agreements abroad |
| 34. Certificate of titles | |
| 35. Land registers | |
| E-commerce and accounting | 36. Document for international online transactions |
| 37. International accounting and tax returns | |
| Application for asylum and international protection | 38. Asylum applications |
| 39. Applications for refugee status | |
| Financial services | 40. Financial statements for opening foreign bank accounts |
| 41. International insurance contracts | |
| International Adoption | 42. documents regarding adoption, such as adoption reports, certificates of conformity, etc |
Please note that the requirements for certified translations may vary from country to country and from authority to authority. Hence, it is recommended that you check the specific requirements of any organisation or institution to which you are submitting translated documents to ensure that you comply with the applicable standards and regulations. A certified translation usually needs to be done by an official accredited or sworn translator to be officially accepted.