Why Do We Need Certified Translation Services?

The reason is twofold; that is to say legal purposes and official use. Legal translation is normally requested to attest the accuracy and authenticity of the document. Due to various reasons; some avoidable and others not, we move from one country to another.

Do we have reasons to travel?

May be as kids, our parents migrated with us to other countries in search for greener pastures, or we fell in love online and decided to go to our new found lover’s country. Or after your high school diploma, you decided that a foreign bachelor’s degree from a developed country would do your Curriculum vitae a lot of good.

For whatever reason, people world over find themselves travelling to different countries. Now, this travel process requires particular documents as asked for by the immigration offices, embassies or the University that one wants to apply for.

Some of the many requirements asked for are certified translated documents; here, the translated copy is signed and stamped. This is to verify that the translation is accurate as per the field and language.

Travel documents that may require certified translation are

• Academic testimonials
• Marriage certificate
• Birth certificate
• Work permit

One should be very careful as they choose translators who do this, so as not to have your documents rejected or found lacking by the immigration institution after putting in a lot of money.

This can cause a lot of stress and disappointment while at the same time sabotaging one’s chance to either study, work or marry abroad.

What to look out for or demand from a certified translator?

• Testimonials of former translated works
• Credentials
• Academic proof
• Recommendation from a reputable institution for example, an embassy

Many times, one’s awaited travel or stay in a desired country is cut short due to mistakes or misinformation discovered by the concerned authorities in their certified translated documents.

This may be due to mistakes done by the translator maybe because they were not well qualified or experienced at all, or they simply are not fluent in the languages in question.

Stella Stein, a Filipino national married to a German national stay in Germany was almost annulled due to a date mistake done by her translator on her birth certificate simply. The translator was not well versed with how German dates are written in words, or did not proofread through the finished document.

Luckily for Stella, the German immigration officers affirmed that it was indeed a mistake and not a forged birth certificate like most cases they encounter with immigrants doing anything possible to stay in Germany.

What to do?

Well, others are not always as lucky as Stella and therefore, make sure you consult a reputable and recognised translation company for accurate, professional and internationally recommended certified translations. Normally translation agencies will tell you all the compelling information in writing, however, never hastate to ask for the credentials of their translators to be sure