A Certified Translation is a translation accompanied by an official endorsement signed by the expert translator and the translation agency that attests to the accuracy and authenticity of the document. 001 Translations Agency will stamp your document with its professional stamp and assign it a unique reference number

A Certified Translation is a translation accompanied by an official endorsement signed by the translator and the translation agency that attests to the accuracy and authenticity of the document.

If you need to present an official document issued in France in a foreign country, the authorities involved usually ask you for a Certified Translation of the document. But a Certified Translation is not always enough. Sometimes the entity receiving the document requires additional steps to legalize the Certified Translation, i.e., so that the Certified Translation is legally valid on an international scale.

The steps to be carried out depend on the country of destination and the body requesting the translation. This is why we always advise our clients to check with the requesting body to find out what type of legalization they need:

Sometimes, the body requesting the translation requires the legalization of the translator's signature. This formality is carried out in town hall, with a notary public. It makes it possible to check the identity of the translation's signatory as a translator. The official or notary public affixes a seal indicating that the identity of the signatory has been verified and that the translator's signature is correct.

Sometimes, the entity requesting the translation requires that the state be a guarantor of the translation process. In the US, the Office of the Secretary of State provides apostille service to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on documents that will be used overseas. The Secretary of State will certify that your translation has been notarized and that the legal procedure has been respected. The official at the Secretary of State - called an apostille - with an identification number to your document.

This process first requires the translator to get their translation notarized before sending the documents to the Secretary of State. These steps take time and are dependent on the administration's workload. In general, it takes about 2-4 weeks to obtain the apostille.

The apostille is only valid for countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. If the destination country for your documents is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, you may need to take different steps, such as traveling to the appropriate consulate. It is your responsibility to check with the appropriate authorities to determine the procedure.

There is no single authority in the United Kingdom for the recognition of foreign degrees and other qualifications, as the U.S. Department of Education does not evaluate/validate academic credentials.

However, in most instances, they will request that you obtain a credential evaluation to determine how one's non-U.S. credentials compare with U.S. credentials, carried out by private, non-governmental entities for a fee.

We invite you to contact the admissions office of your university for instructions. Many institutions and schools evaluate credentials themselves, while some will refer you to a credential evaluation service.

In order to get a US degree recognized by a foreign university, we recommend you contact the university's admissions office for more information on the country's evaluation procedure..

Consider the various elements of your application, such as:

Official translators in a given language are sometimes few and far between and therefore may be unavailable when you need a document translated quickly or even urgently.

In addition, official translators charge free fees and therefore may charge you higher rates than a translation agency that may have negotiated prices.

Serious translation agencies, managed themselves by professional translators - which is of course the case for 001 Translations Agency - have developed an expertise in the field of certifying official documents.

A high price does not in any way mean that the translation will be of better quality, but the difference can also be justified by the means implemented to guarantee that the translated document will be delivered to you on time (such as shipping by registered mail, DHL, Fedex or Chronopost).

Furthermore, because of their position as intermediaries, translation agencies are in contact with many certified translators in the UK and abroad.

This can be very important if the translation has to be done expressly in 24 or 48 hours for example.

In general, as with any official act, a significantly longer period of time must be allowed for a freelance translator.

A certified translator can translate any official document: civil or criminal proceedings, intended to be produced before a court, administrative and civil status documents, bailiff's deeds, notarial deeds, but also academic documents, such as:

Generally speaking, a certified translator is authorized to officially translate any document written in a foreign language that must be presented in court or before the American (or foreign) administrative authorities. This is all the more valid for the translation of documents which enable the authorities to draw up official civil status documents (marriage certificates, residence permits, divorce decrees, notarial acts, child adoptions, birth certificates, ...). An official translation is of course required for documents requested by foreign consulates.

What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized translation?

Some end users of certified translations may request or require a translation be notarized. This may cause some confusion as a translation cannot actually be notarized in the United Kingdom. Instead, a notary public can legally acknowledge, or notarize, the identity of the individual signing the certification statement. While the terminology is inaccurate, it is helpful to know that this is commonly used. 001 Translations Agency is able to provide notarizations for your translations through our in-house notary publics. Some government entities that usually ask for notarized translations may also accept certified translations bearing the CIOL-certified translator seal without notarization.

A requesting body may also ask for an affidavit of translation, particularly in cases where translations are used in Court. For this type of document, the translator signs a document stating that they have sufficient knowledge of both languages and that the translation is true an accurate to the best of their abilities in front of a notary public.

001 Translations Agency is able to provide affidavits of translations for all your translation projects Make sure to check with the requesting entity whether you need your certified translation to be notarized. 001 Translations cannot know for sure which procedures you need.

Be sure to check when you call that the translation agency you are contacting has Civil and Professional Liability Insurance.

Upon request, a translation agency must provide you with proof that it is indeed insured against any professional risk. For official translations, this precaution is fundamental because you will be entrusting official documents to your intermediary. If it turns out that they are not trustworthy, you can lose your documents. Your contact person or their manager should send you a fax outlining their professional guarantees and can reassure you as a result.

As a general rule, the higher the insured amount, the more you can trust and be sure that the translation agency will give you satisfactory work.

In fact, an insurance company would never cover damages without being certain of the translator's or translation agency's skills.

001 Translations Agency is insured up to 800,000 Euro per translation contract per year, which is the maximum guarantee in translation services.

We offer a Certified Translation service from the following languages into English: