An official translation is one that a public authority will accept as a faithful version of your document. There is no single worldwide standard: each country decides who may sign it and what it must contain.
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand
The translator or translation company adds a signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate, with their name, contact details and the date. No state appointment is needed, although some countries expect membership of a professional body.
Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina
Only a translator appointed or authorised by the state or a court may sign. Their signature and stamp make the translation an official document in that country, so it has to be done by a translator sworn for that country and that language.
Requested by some universities, courts and registries
A notary confirms the identity of the translator who signs the certificate of accuracy. The notary does not check the translation itself. It is an extra layer on top of a certified translation, not a replacement for a sworn one.
The country where you will present the document decides, not the country that issued it. A Mexican birth certificate needs a certified translation for USCIS in the United States, but a sworn translation by a traductor jurado for a residence application in Spain.
Check the instructions of the office that asked for the document, or tell us which authority it is for when you order. We confirm the requirement before starting, and it is stated in your quote.
An apostille certifies the signature on a public document so that another country will accept it. It is issued in the country where the document comes from, and it does not replace the translation.
When an apostille is required, get it before the translation: the apostille is part of the document and is translated with it. Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention use consular legalisation instead.
A complete translation of everything on the document, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes, laid out to follow the original, with the certification, signature and stamp the destination country requires.
Most authorities now accept a digitally signed PDF. Where a paper original with a wet signature is required, we send it by courier.
Send your documents now and get a fixed quote by email. You only pay once you accept it.
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