This blog has been inspired by some of the lovely students who come to Active Languages’ French classes at the Unity Hub in Rawtenstall and are learning the language before they relocated across the Channel later this year.
If you take a look at any Reddit posts or Facebook groups asking for guidance about moving to another country, at some point you’re bound to see queries about sworn or certified translations that their notary or lawyer has requested.
In this blog, we’re going to answer some of the questions we’ve previously been asked or have seen posted online in the hopes that when you’re asked for a sworn translation, you don’t go into panic mode!
Why do notaries or lawyers ask for sworn translations?
Sworn translations are the only type of translation that will be accepted in a legal context and usually apply to documents such as driving licences, birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates and wills.
Can I just ask a regular translator to do it?
No. If you’re asked to provide a sworn translation and you get a regular translator to do it, then you’re wasting your time and money as the translation will simply be rejected by the lawyer or notary. They need to see the translator’s stamp or seal on the documents and they need to have the originals to hand.
Does the translator have to live in my local area?
No. Some consulates will offer to provide the sworn translation for you and some notaries may recommend certified translators in the local area, but as long as they’re certified, you can choose whichever translator you want. The only difference may be how much you spend on having the translation posted to your chosen address depending on where in the world you and they are. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same service.
Why is a sworn translation more expensive than a regular translation?
Certified translators are fairly niche and have to pay for their certification. On top of that, you have to remember that there is postage to pay for as the lawyer or notary requires the originals. That means the translator will print out the translation, stamp it, sign and date it then take it to the post office to send out by recorded delivery.
How do I know if I need a sworn translation?
The establishment you’re dealing with will tell you if you need a sworn translation. For example, if you want to apply for a passport from another country, the consulate will state that you need a sworn translation of your birth certificate your parent’s (from that country) birth certificate.
If you’re unsure, always ask. A leading legal firm in Manchester asked us to translate a will. They checked with their counterparts in Italy if it was required for use in court and were told no. We didn’t want them or their clients to waste their time or money so we asked for confirmation of what exactly the document was to be used for to ensure they didn’t need a certified translator. The moral of the story is, always check.
Do I need to have the apostille translated?
Not usually but if you do, the best thing to do is to have it translated by a certified translator. Usually you or your lawyer can take care of getting the apostille you need for your legal document then Active Languages takes care of translating whatever you need. We’ve actually got a blog about apostilles and what they mean to you.
Can I get a cheap sworn translation?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scam artists out there and disreputable translation agencies who will quote you for a sworn translation and only send you a statement of truth signed by the director of the translation agency.
A legal firm in Blackburn sent us a panicked because they had found a cheap translation agency who agreed to provide a sworn translation into Vietnamese… Of course the court rejected it because it just had a statement of truth signed by the manager rather than even naming the translator who worked on it. At Active Languages, we work with the only Vietnamese certified translator in the world who translated the certificate, stamped and posted it out within a week. It simply isn’t worth wasting your time or money cutting corners when it comes to sworn translations.
If you have any questions about sworn translations or you’d like us to arrange one for you, please email us on info@activelanguages.co.uk with the document you need and address you need it sending to for a quote.
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