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Posted on7 February 2024

Certified Translation: Will I Get a True and Accurate Document From You?

The short answer is yes. Atlas Translations provides fast, professional, and certified translation services, giving you a true and accurate document that ticks all the boxes. Congratulations, you’re in the right place!

Certified translation services are frequently needed for official documents like UK visas, marriage certificates, and other business and personal matters. 

Let’s take a more in-depth look at why we’re the top choice for professional certified translation services.

What are certified translation services?

Certified translation is where a true and accurate representation of an original document is provided by a professional linguist or translation agency. To confirm its authenticity, the original document is signed, stamped, and dated. This makes it a true and accurate representation. This process is essential to ensure that the translated document is legally recognised and accepted by official bodies. Courts, immigration offices and businesses are typical of those that may require a legally recognised document.

An Essential Service for Official Documents

Unlike regular translations, a certified translation carries the weight of legal and official recognition, which is essential for various official purposes. Government agencies and other official organisations in the UK often require translated documents to be approved and signed by a representative of a professional translation company.

Official documents that typically require certified translation include birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic transcripts, legal contracts, and immigration records. These are crucial documents that often need to be presented to government authorities, educational institutions, or employers. In these instances, the accuracy and authenticity of the translation are vital.

Certified Translation Requirements in the UK

In order to be legally recognised in the UK, certified translations have to meet specific requirements. Self-certification by practising translators, including members of professional organisations like the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), is acceptable.

A notarised translation may be required in certain court proceedings. It involves an extra level of certification by a notary or official government representative. It is incredibly important to verify the specific translation requirements with the relevant authorities.

Equally important is checking that your translation agency of choice is an active member of an accreditation agency. These can include the CIOL, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), and the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). Accreditation agencies play a crucial role by maintaining registers of accredited translators and companies. This helps to ensure the quality and reliability of certified translations.

The Certification Process for Translated Documents

The certification process for translated documents involves creating and issuing a certificate of authenticity, signed and stamped by the translator or translation agency. These steps confirm the accuracy and completeness of the translation. It is crucial to have the translated document certified and often required for legal and official purposes.

Sworn translators, solicitors, notary publics, or a qualified translator or translation company can provide certification for translated documents. Notarisation and legalisation of translated documents may be necessary for specific purposes, for example, court proceedings or international transactions. It is essential to include a certification letter, hard copies of the original and translated documents, and written confirmation of the accuracy of the translation to meet the requirements for certified translations.

What will my certified translation look like?

Whenever you request a certified translation with Atlas Translations, you’ll receive a signed letter from us confirming that it’s a “true and accurate translation of the original document.”

Recognised by the UK government and other official organisations, this letter is crucial to the certification process. We’ll also confirm the date of the certified translation and our contact details. The final product will look similar to this example. This letter verifies your certified translation and meets all the standard requirements for translated documents in the UK.

Who will carry out my certified translation?

Our network of professional translators completes all of our translations. With years of professional experience, our translators work only in their native language, and each has their own area of expertise. To qualify as a certified translator, the translation agency they work for must be a member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and/or the Association of Translation Companies (ATC)

Atlas Translations has full membership with both the ITI and ATC, and we’ve received multiple awards from them for our best-in-class translation services!

Accreditation: Ensuring Quality and Accuracy

Professional linguists and translation agencies are vital in providing accurate and reliable certified translations. Their expertise ensures that the translated document maintains the same legal and technical meaning as the original, meeting the specific requirements of the target audience and legal or official institutions.

Atlas Translations offers accredited certification packages that cater to your specific needs, offering a range of options to meet the legal and official requirements of different documents.

We cannot overstate the importance of using qualified and registered translators or translation companies. Qualified translators working only in their native language and within their area of expertise ensure the accuracy and reliability of the translated documents.

How Much Do You Charge?

Our fixed-price certified translation package is a popular choice for English document translation. This service costs £79 + VAT and offers everything you need for a standard UK-certified translation.

Use our simple price calculator for a quick estimate or get a FREE QUOTE on our website.

That’s a Wrap!

Certified translations are indispensable for legal and official documents. A certified translation shows the integrity and authenticity of the documents presented in legal proceedings, business dealings, and immigration processes. It’s essential to seek certified translation services from a reputable and accredited translation agency. If a document is important enough to warrant translation, don’t leave it to chance.

Atlas Translations offers seamless communication and provides complete compliance with legal and official requirements.

Moving Forward with Atlas Translations

Atlas Translations has been delivering top-notch translation services for over thirty years.

From certified translation to interpreting services, we have the experience and know-how to produce material that always stands out, whatever the context.

Looking to take the next step on your translation journey? Our talented team is always on hand to help.

Give us a call at +44 (0) 1727 812 725 or send us an email at team@atlas-translations.co.uk to find out more today.

ATC – Full membership of the ATC (Association of Translation Companies).

CIEP – Corporate membership of the CIEP (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading) since 1993.

Corporate membership of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) since 1994. Corporate Member of the Year 2021.

ISO 17100 – ISO 17100:2017 for Translation Services (since this standard began, in 2008, externally audited annually).

ISO 9001 – BS EN ISO 9001:2015 (certified since 2003, externally audited annually).

Living wage employer – As a living wage employer, we believe our staff deserve a wage which meets every day needs.

Mindful employer

Mindful employer – We are a mindful employer, working toward achieving better mental health at work.

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Disability confident committed – We are Disability Confident Committed, ensuring our recruitment, communications and support are inclusive and accessible.

4-day week

4-day week employer since 2019

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Good Business Charter Member since 2022

The Slator Language Service Provider Index (LSPI) is a ranking and an index of the world’s largest translation, localization, interpreting, and language technology companies.

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The Patient Information Forum promotes access to trusted and high-quality health information for the public and healthcare professionals.

Federation of Small Businesses and the Self-Employed

Member of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Self-Employed

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Signatory of the Prompt Payment Code since 2023.

Accredited with the Fair Tax Foundation since February 2024

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Registered with the ICO since 2004.

Go to https://ico.org.uk/ for more information.