Certified Translation Services

What is a certified translation?

If you need certified translations for official purposes – in London or anywhere in the world – those translations will often need to be certified.

Sometimes, this is a requirement. For example, if the document is to be used in court or to support an immigration application.

At other times, a certified translation ensures your translated document has maximum credibility. The certification process assures all parties involved in the firm that the translation has been handled by a qualified professional. Someone with the necessary knowledge, experience, and qualifications to carry out the work to the highest standard.

What types of documents need to be certified?

The types of documents that most often require certified translation are legal documents. This includes things like marriage, birth, and death certificates.

But really, any translation can require certification when it is going to be used for official purposes.

Various certification options are available. These range from basic Certificates of Authenticity to translations that are legalised through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Trusting the right professionals with your certification

The ISO 9001 international quality standard and the ISO 17100 translation standard are key markers of reliability. Kwintessential holds both.

Plus, as a full member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) – and a corporate member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) – we are uniquely suited to providing reliable, high-quality certified translations.

Take advantage of our extensive experience in providing certified translations for all kinds of organisations and individuals in London, across the UK, and globally. Call a member of our team today at 01460 279900 to discuss your certification requirements.

What type of certified translation do you need?

Certificate of Authenticity

The most basic level of certified translation is a certificate of authenticity. This is a very common type of certification. In the UK, it is generally required by the courts and the Home Office, as well as universities, insurance companies, and any other body that requires some degree of assurance of a professional and accurate translation.

Our qualified, accredited translators will produce their translation of your document and it will go through our rigorous quality assurance checks like normal. But we will then produce a signed certificate of authenticity, attesting that the translation is true and accurate and that it has been completed by a qualified professional.

Both the certificate and a copy of the translation will then be stamped on each page with our official ATC stamp – a mark of quality known to official bodies in the UK – and then embossed and assigned an appropriate reference number.

Documents that typically require certified translation include:

• Birth certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Degree certificates
• Claim forms
• Witness statements
• Evidence bundles.

Notarised Translations

Notarised translations will often be required by some government agencies and other legal bodies.

When producing a notarised translation, the actual translation process is the same. The difference is that we will then take the translation before a notary public and swear an affidavit attesting to its accuracy.

The affidavit will then be countersigned by the notary, affixed with their official seal, and bound together with the translated document and the source document. One important thing to note is that for notarised translations, we do need to be provided with the source documents’ hard copies. These will need to be included in the sealed bundle.

Documents that typically required notarised translation include:

• Articles of association
• Deeds
• Payslips
• Bank statements

Legalised Translations

Where certified translations are being submitted to an official body outside the UK – including foreign governmental agencies – a legalised translation will usually be required.

A legalised translation goes through the same process as a notarised translation. But after the notarisation has been completed, the translated document is taken on to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The FCO will then review the affidavit and add an Apostille. The Apostille acts as an official recognition by the UK government that the affidavit has been sworn under the supervision of a registered notary public. This will give the translated document equal force in law in any jurisdiction that is a signatory to the Hague Convention.

Documents that typically require legalised translation include

• Any documents which are being translated for submission to a governmental body or agency in a jurisdiction outside the UK.

Sworn Translations

In the UK, there is no such thing as a sworn translator. However, in many other jurisdictions – including France, Spain, and much of Europe – translators can apply to be vetted by the courts.

This process gives them the right to call themselves sworn translators. This means that they are able to certify translations that they complete themselves. These sworn translations will then be acceptable to the courts and other official bodies in their country.

Kwintessential works with an international network of sworn translators. We are pleased to be able to provide sworn translations in almost any language where this is required.

Why choose Kwintessential for certified translations?

The translation industry in the UK is largely deregulated by comparison with many other countries. For example, we have no equivalent of the concept of a sworn translator – a linguist who is certified by the courts to provide official translations.

This means that where you need a certified translation, you need to make sure you use a provider which is accredited, which only works with experienced, qualified linguists, and which guarantees accurate and professional translations.

A member of leading industry bodies

Kwintessential is an active member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), the leading industry body for language service providers in the UK.

This means that we adhere to a robust code of conduct and professionalism. As such, we are entitled to mark any certified translations we produce in London with an official ATC stamp.

This stamp is known by all bodies who regularly come into contact with translations and is a recognised mark of quality.

A holder of international standard accreditation

We are proud holders of the ISO 17100 international translation standard and the ISO 9001 international quality standard.

This means that we adhere to – and in many cases exceed – the required international minimum standards for translation companies. This is both in terms of our quality assurance procedures and the experience and qualifications we require from our interpreters.

This means that you know any translation you receive from us is always going to be of the highest professional standard.

A stone’s throw from the heart of the UK government and law

We are uniquely placed to promptly and efficiently deliver notarised and legalised translations. With our head office in Central London, we are a stone’s throw from both the heart of the UK government and the legal sector.

You can have us attend the offices of a notary public and then the Foreign & Commonwealth Office all on the same day. This means that you don’t have to wait for the usual up to five working days for your legalised documents to come back to you.

Talk to an expert today

All these reasons are why thousands of companies and individuals already trust Kwintessential to provide their certified translations in London, across the UK, and around the world.

For more information or a free, no-obligation quote, please get in touch with a member of our team today.

Languages we translate