When submitting a translation to a government body or educational institution, for example, you might be required to submit a certified translation. This article aims to answer any questions you might have when contracting certified translation services.
What is a certified translation?
A translation that accompanies a statement by the translator, attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the translation. It might also include the translator’s qualifications.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a sworn translation?
While any individual translator can provide a certified translation, in Brazil, only translators that have “public faith” can provide sworn translation services. These translators are approved in a public exam and are registered with the board of trade of their respective states.
Please be advised to verify the requirements for your translation with the body requesting it, as sometimes a sworn translation is preferred over a certified translation.
What is the ATA?
The American Translators Association or ATA is an association based in the U.S. established to advance interpreting and translation professionals.
Similar to the process of forming sworn translators, the ATA requires its members to undergo a rigorous exam to earn their own “ATA seal”. Translators approved in this exam can attach their ATA seal to any translations provided by them.
The seal works as a quality certification, attesting to the translator’s qualifications and skills.
Why should I hire an ATA Certified Translator?
Some bodies, specially those based in the U.S., might require an ATA Certified Translator, as the ATA is one of the most accredited and respected associations in the language industry.
As we mentioned previously, hiring ATA certified translators is a way to guarantee that you are hiring a qualified, knowledgeable and experienced language professional.
Certification vs. Notarization
Certification and notarization are two different but complementary processes in the translation workflow. A certification attests to the accuracy of the translation itself. That is to say, that a certified translation is an accurate reproduction of the original text. While a notarization is related to the identification of the individual signing the document, that is, a notarization attests the signature of the individual, not the actual content of the document.
In that sense, it might be necessary to certify and notarize a translation for it to have validity in a foreign country.
When do I require a certified translation?
Government bodies, judicial courts, arbitration chambers and educational institutions often require that any translated documents also accompany a certificate by a professional translator attesting to the accuracy of the translation.
Always verify such requirements directly with the body where your translation will be submitted.
The ATA Seal
As mentioned, any translations carried out by an ATA Certified Translator can include their ATA Seal on the bottom right corner of the page. Cristina Gonzales, founding partner of Aliança Traduções is an ATA Certified Translator for the Portuguese-English language pairing, and as such, you can require that her seal be affixed to your translation, if needed.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that by hiring an ATA certified translator, you have a quality guarantee for your translation projects, in addition to adding a higher level of authenticity and recognition to the documents. At Aliança Traduções, quality is a priority, which is why we work with experienced and certified translators and follow a rigorous workflow that ensures the quality of our services every step of the way.
Contact our sales team if you have any questions or if you want a quotation for a translation project. We will be happy to assist you!
