Using Certified Translation Services

By Sarah-Claire Jordan

Translation services in general have become almost essential for every business that is, or has the intention of, branching out into the international market. Thus, there are many different translation agencies that have realized this and decided to take it upon themselves to offer their services to businesses wanting to expand into international territory.

However, fledgling businesses especially need to be careful about which translation agency they choose to work with. An agency with more years of experience and more of a range of services to offer would be the best choice, but they should also be one that offers certified translations done by certified translators.

What exactly is a certified translation though? It simply means a translation that has been reviewed by the agency and deemed accurate and thorough, and is accompanied by a signed declaration that says the same. Sometimes, when a notarized translation is required, one more step is taken where the actual certification is notarized. This simply provides another layer of quality assurance to the final product.

A certified translator is a professional translator that has met all the requirements to receive an official certification from a national translation organization, such as American Translators Association. Good translation agencies look to hire as many certified translators as possible, as this is a good way to know that they will produce quality final translations.

Not all certified translations are translated by certified translators. Ideally, the case would be that every single translator at an agency was certified, and would be taking care of all certified translation work. This isn’t a requirement, however, for a certified translation, so make sure the agency you are thinking of working with has a high number of certified translators working for them. This will give you a better chance of having your projects translated by someone who is certified themselves.

You might need a certified translation for many different reasons. Many government entities require that any documents that need translating be certified as well, such as immigration offices, transportation departments, courts, and more. Along with those, some academic associations, law firms, and patent offices will also want certified translations. Even if a client doesn’t specifically request a certification, it really can’t hurt to provide one.

If you are planning on branching out overseas, much of the required paperwork in terms of work visas, business licenses, and more needs to be translated. In order to ensure that the information is accurate, again, a certification is generally required by the entities overseas that provide licenses, visas, and similar documentation.

Finding an agency that not only provides great translation services but also certified translations is an important part of good international marketing strategy. Once you find one, make sure they have a variety of certified translators working with them that can handle different types of translation (especially legal and financial). Then, stick with that agency for as long as you can, building a relationship that will be mutually beneficial.

For an overview of Alpha Omega Translations’ expertise, visit our financial translation page.

Tags: document translation, financial translation

Category: Translation Services