When do you need a certified translation?

The process of getting official documents approved can be long and excruciating and it’s not always clear when you need a certified translation or a regular one. However, since a certified translation costs more than a ‘regular’ translation, it is worth your time and effort to doublecheck whether you actually need one.

What is a certified translation?

A certified translation, also called a sworn translation, is a translation made by a certified or sworn translator according to the correct procedures and guidelines. In this article, I tell you all about it.

When do you need it?

Simply put, a ‘normal’ translation is enough in most cases. One of the most important reasons why you would need a sworn translation is when an authority or employer explicitly asks for a certified (also called sworn) translation. In this case, you cannot get away with a regular translation.

Regular translation

The translation of your website, a marketing campaign or your latest book are all examples in which it’s unnecessary to pay significantly more for a certified translation. In these cases, all you need is a translator who is invested in the subject, context and audience of your text.

When you deal with official documents, it gets trickier. When the translation has no ‘official’ purpose and when doesn’t act as proof, a regular translation is enough.

Certified translation

In some cases, they might need to be translated by a sworn translator.

When you move to a different country for work or study, your employer or the authorities could ask for official documents to assure that you are allowed to work in that country. Or you might have to prove that your earnings or savings will cover your rent or mortgage when you want to rent or buy a house there. In these cases, the authority, company, bank or landlord can ask you to provide a certified translation of some or all of the documents. It provides security, for example about definitions of income and debts.

If you’re asked to provide a certified translation, you cannot get away with a regular translation. If it’s unclear, ask for clarification from the receiver of the documents. A normal translation will save you a considerable amount of money, but it would be a shame to have your documents translated double as well.

Examples

• Emigration / Remigration

• Studying abroad

• Requesting a visa

• (New) International employer

Costs of a sworn translation

The price you pay for a sworn translation is higher than the price you pay for a regular translation. This is because the translator needs to fulfill specific requirements, mentioned in this article.

As the contents of certified translations are varied, there is no standard rate. When you request a certified translation, I will often ask for more information to provide a range estimation. When you provide me with the actual documents for translation, I will give you a quotation with a more defined price.

Calculate the rough costs

The average word rate for certified translations is 18,5 eurocents per word excluding VAT (21%). This is based on the amount that rolls out of my word calculator and can vary depending on the amount of formatting, the subject matter and the time frame.

The minimum rate for certified translations is 57,50 euros excluding VAT and excluding shipping costs when you want the final paper document to sent to you.

What you get

When you confirm the certified translation, I will start the translation process. When I’ve finished the translation, you get an invoice that you pay as soon as possible. After receiving your payment, you can pick up your document in Leiden.

When you request a certified translation at The Apiary Language Solutions, it always includes the scanned digital version of the final product. You can use this to easily hand over you documents to the authority or company that asks for the translation.

Curious what you’ll pay for your translation?

Do you want to know what you’ll pay for your specific sworn translation at The Apiary Language Solutions? Send me a message on Whatsapp, or send me an email. I’ll send you an indication or quotation as soon as possible!

Thank you for your time and have a great day!

I hope this article was helpful to you. Do you have a question or do you want to talk to me about this article? Cool, let’s connect!

Or read more about me and the way I work in my introductory blogpost.