The professional translations industry in the U.K has seen an exceptionally substantial growth over the last 10 years or so. With more and more people traveling internationally and doing business abroad, certified document translation services have become an extremely important resource. As a result, the translations sector expands and the number of companies, freelance linguists and suppliers who are able to provide the service grows continuously, and even Brexit and the world-wide pandemic we lived through were not able to change that.
The range of documents which need a translation and certification can be extremely wide, and this can differ depending on your particular situation. Depending on whether you’re a private customer or work on behalf on a company. The documents can range from personal papers and certificates to official business files intended for corporate use.
In the article, we’ll take a closer look at the 7 most frequently translated and certified document types in the United Kingdom, and we will intend to explain in detail how you can go about obtaining an authorized translations provider, if at some point you find yourself in a position needing a certified translation too.
- Passports
Passports and IDs have been amongst the most popular documents to be translated for many years now. People are asked to translate their passports or ID cards for a variety of reasons, from applying for visas or the settled status to applying for a new job and needing to provide a proof of their identity. Thankfully, generally speaking, you won’t have to translate every single page within your passport and only the two main ones are required.
- Certificates
The number of certificate types that require a regular translation service is astonishing. Marriage certificates, birth/death certificates and many other types of official certificates in a foreign language need to often be translated into English. This allows the UK authorities, such as Home Office or Courts of Law to accept the translated certificates for their official purposes.
- Education papers
It is estimated that over 500,000 international students attend higher education institutions in the United Kingdom, such as for example, Universities. In order to be accepted by the institution in question, the student must present their translated and carefully transcribed papers, which are a proof of their educational achievements in their home country and show, whether they meet the specific admission criteria as described by the institution.
- Driver’s license
Translating a driver’s license is very common in the United Kingdom. Often, this needs to be done when British residents intends to travel abroad and either rent a car or drive their own car in the foreign country. Often, a driver’s license is also required to be translated in insurance claims or as a proof of identity.
- Bank statements
Official bank statements are without a shadow of a doubt some of the most frequently translated and certified documents. From purchasing a house, applying for a mortgage or even tax purposes, an official authority (e.g. the Bank) might ask you to obtain a certified translation copy of your statements before accepting your application. Fortunately, many banks and financial institutions are able to provide this service for their clients directly, as they often partner with translation and language providers.
- Criminal Records
Criminal records and police checks are definitely translated frequently enough to make our list. A person may be asked to translate their criminal or DBS records in several situations, for example, when renting a property, car or when applying for a position within a new company.
- Business documents
All of the documents mentioned above are usually required to be translated for official, albeit private purposes. As we have mentioned previously. there are however documents, which are essential when it comes to international business and being able to successfully approach international clientele. Corporate records, such as for example letters of incorporation, tax returns, plans and company proposals are only some of the papers frequently translated and certified by business owners for corporate use.
This view also seems to be reflected in what the industry leaders say. We spoke with a senior account manager, who works for a London based translation company called TS24, he told us that “Business documents are perhaps something we translate most frequently. Organisations and brands have a very wide range of documents they need converting into foreign languages. From legal documents to marketing materials and even some financial records.”
How and where to find a certified document translation provider in the UK?
The process of obtaining certified translation services for your documents or papers in the United Kingdom might seem a little puzzling at first, particularly if you haven’t had the experience of working with official translators previously. Nonetheless, the good news is – getting your documents translated and certified is not that difficult at all and if done correctly, won’t cost you too much time and money!
In general, you can approach this process in two ways: either by working with a professional freelance linguist or a registered translation agency. Each of these methods has their very own benefits and drawbacks.
A certified translation obtain with a freelance translator can generally cost a little less, however, the turnaround times might be longer, and communication can be difficult.
A translation company on the other hand can charge somewhat higher prices, however, you can expect your documents to be fully translated and officially certified even on the same day. Additionally, if your papers need to be translated into more than one language, a professional translation agency will be able to do that for you simultaneously. If you wish to translate into several different languages with freelance linguists, you will most likely have to approach a number of them individually for each of the languages required, which can be extremely time consuming.
Official Translation Authorities to Consider
An officially certified and legally recognised translation must be completed by a registered linguist or a translation company. If the linguist or agency aren’t registered members of one of the certified UK authorities, your translated documents will most likely not be accepted to support your application. If you’re not entirely sure what the term ‘certified translation’ actually means, you can visit this page.
If you’re looking for freelance translators, make sure that they are fully registered with bodies such as the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) or CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists). You can also ask them, what official language qualifications they hold prior to sending your documents over. UK Translation agencies on the other hand must be registered with the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) and only then they are permitted to translate and certify your papers for their official use.
So…
As you can see, getting your papers, certificates or documents officially converted into another language isn’t as complicated or expensive as some people might have you believe. The key to obtaining a professional translation is however to ensure that you approach just the right provider, who is not only able to cover your required languages, but who is also registered and legally recognised. Only then institutions such as the Home Office, Courts of Law, Universities or other Government bodies will be able to accept them in order to support your application.
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