Certified translation services

Do you need a certified translation?

Many of our clients are not entirely sure what the term”certified translation” actually means and don’t know how to obtain such a translation.

The definition of a certified translation can vary from one country to another.

A certified translation service usually refers to an officially recognized translation of an important document that is considered valid and official in the eyes of the law.

In some cases, legal documents have to be certified by sworn translators to be considered equivalent to the original text.

In France, you can ask for different types of certified translations:

• Standard certified translation
• Notarized translation
• Sworn translations
• Apostille

Standard certified translation
In France standard certified translations are provided by accredited translation companies, guaranteeing the quality and accuracy of the translation. The translation agency has issues a certificate that confirms that the final document corresponds to the original version.

Notarized translation
In some cases, further certification may be required. A notarized translation certificate is very similar to standard certification, but it is signed and stamped in the presence of a solicitor or a notary, who also provides a signature and an official seal to prove the translation’s legality.

Sworn translation
In many cases, a sworn translation is referred to as certified translation or official translation.
A sworn translation is a document that has been translated, signed and sealed by an official sworn translator. Official sworn translators are linguists who have been appointed by legal authorities (such as the Court of Appeal or the Public Prosecutor in France) to provide official translations. In France, they are registered on a list of legal experts, established by a special committee of the French Courts of Appeal that sits once a year.

Apostille
Apostille translations are often required to ensure that documents are recognized in another country. This type of translation is valid for all countries that abide by the Hague Treaty Convention, also known as the Apostille Convention. The Apostille Convention provides for the simplified certification of public documents, including notarized documents, that are to be used in countries that are party to the Convention. https://www.internationalapostille.com/hague-apostille-member-countries/

At Birdwell, we’ll help you understand what legal, certified, and sworn translations are and we’ll identify the right solution for your project.