Certified translator
Thread poster: Andy S
Andy S
Andy S
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:20
German to English
Jan 21, 2019

Can anyone please define for me what a certified translator is?

My understanding is that it is someone who has been elevated to a list by some national or local government body.

For example, I may need a certified translator who can translate English>French. Where would I find one?

Meanwhile, how would I go about becoming a certified translator for German>English? I alreday hold the DipTrans and have many years' translation experience.


 
Marissa Aguayo Gavilano
Marissa Aguayo Gavilano  Identity Verified
Peru
English to Spanish
+ ...
It depends on the country Jan 21, 2019

In the UK you can become a qualified member of the ITI which would allow you to stamp their seal in your translations. I recently got a call from a private client that needed some documents translated into Spanish for the Spanish embassy in the UK and they told her to look for a translator in the ITI directory.

If you have already passed the DipTrans, you can apply for qualified membership with the ITI without the need of doing a translation test.

[Edited at 2019-01-21 11:00
... See more
In the UK you can become a qualified member of the ITI which would allow you to stamp their seal in your translations. I recently got a call from a private client that needed some documents translated into Spanish for the Spanish embassy in the UK and they told her to look for a translator in the ITI directory.

If you have already passed the DipTrans, you can apply for qualified membership with the ITI without the need of doing a translation test.

[Edited at 2019-01-21 11:00 GMT]
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Vadim Kadyrov
 
Andy S
Andy S
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:20
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Certified translator in France? Jan 21, 2019

Thankyou Marissa.

Does anyone know the rules for France?


 
Dylan J Hartmann
Dylan J Hartmann  Identity Verified
Australia
Member (2014)
Thai to English
+ ...

MODERATOR
NAATI Jan 21, 2019

The Australian Accreditation Authority: www.naati.com.au

 
Vadim Kadyrov
Vadim Kadyrov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 00:20
English to Russian
+ ...
In some countries (former USSR states, e.g.), you have to have a degree in translation. Jan 21, 2019

You then go to a notary who verifies your identity.

So, you can have zero experience, but if you hold a degree in translation in THIS language pair, you can technically be a 'certified translator' there.


 
Paul Dixon
Paul Dixon  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 19:20
Portuguese to English
+ ...
In Brazil Jan 21, 2019

In Brazil you can become a 'tradutor certificado' which means your quality is certified by the Brazilian Association of Translators and Interpreters (ABRATES). For this, you need to be an ABRATES member and take a special exam, which involves translating three out of five texts in different fields. Certification is by pair, so if you want PT>EN and EN>PT certification then you need to take two certification exams. The exam is held once a year, and is fully computerised (in the good old days it w... See more
In Brazil you can become a 'tradutor certificado' which means your quality is certified by the Brazilian Association of Translators and Interpreters (ABRATES). For this, you need to be an ABRATES member and take a special exam, which involves translating three out of five texts in different fields. Certification is by pair, so if you want PT>EN and EN>PT certification then you need to take two certification exams. The exam is held once a year, and is fully computerised (in the good old days it was done on paper). Certification is valid for 10 years, then you must take the exam again.
It is not the same as 'tradutor juramentado' which is sworn translation, and which requires taking a test and being appointed by the Junta Comercial (Board of Trade) of the respective Brazilian state. You must also meet certain conditions, including Brazilian citizenship and residence.
If you need a certified PT>EN translator, I am available.
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Matheus Chaud
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:20
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Nutcase Jan 21, 2019

Andrew Stucken wrote:

Can anyone please define for me what a certified translator is?

My understanding is that it is someone who has been elevated to a list by some national or local government body.

For example, I may need a certified translator who can translate English>French. Where would I find one?

Meanwhile, how would I go about becoming a certified translator for German>English? I alreday hold the DipTrans and have many years' translation experience.


In my lexicon, a certified translator is a translator who has been confined to a lunatic asylum.


Jorge Payan
Tradupro17
Liviu-Lee Roth
Axelle H.
Paula Graf
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 22:20
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
It depends on the country Jan 21, 2019

Marissa Aguayo Gavilano wrote:

In the UK you can become a qualified member of the ITI which would allow you to stamp their seal in your translations. I recently got a call from a private client that needed some documents translated into Spanish for the Spanish embassy in the UK and they told her to look for a translator in the ITI directory.

If you have already passed the DipTrans, you can apply for qualified membership with the ITI without the need of doing a translation test.

[Edited at 2019-01-21 11:00 GMT]


For instance, in Portugal, unlike other countries, there are no sworn/certified translators. To certify a translation, so that a translated document is legally valid, it is necessary to make its certification at the organizations empowered to do so (namely Notary’s Offices, Chambers of Commerce, Attorneys).


Paula Graf
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 23:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Andrew Jan 21, 2019

Andrew Stucken wrote:
Can anyone please define for me what a certified translator is?


The term means different things in different countries. For example, some translator associations refer to their accredited members as "certified" members even if the accreditation is not recognised by any government body, leading to great confusion among clients and translators alike. In some countries, the term "certified" translator refers to a sworn translator. In some countries, only a sworn translator can provide a sworn translation, but in others there is no such requirement, or the requirement is that the translation must be signed and stamped by a notary public or commissioner of oaths. To make matters worse, not all government departments within a single country may have the same requirements for certified or sworn translations, so what is good for one department may not be good for another.

My understanding is that it is someone who has been elevated to a list by some national or local government body.


Some countries do have such lists, and some don't. In some countries, such translators may be referred to as "certified" translators, or not.

For example, I may need a certified translator who can translate English>French. Where would I find one?


First you have to determine WHY you need such a translator in your particular case. For example, who is it that requires it (i.e. which government department from which country)?

Meanwhile, how would I go about becoming a certified translator for German>English?


In what way would you like your translations to be special?


Jorge Payan
 
Richard Varga (X)
Richard Varga (X)
Slovakia
Local time: 23:20
English to Slovak
+ ...
Slovakia Jan 21, 2019

In Slovakia, there are several steps to this.

First you need to obtain a Master's degree in translation in the given language, let's say English.
After that, you need to have 5 years of demonstrable experience in translation.
You need to pass a "Specialised minimum course" which is all about legal stuff.
You need to pass a special state exam for future sworn translators, this is a language test in your target language (English) along with yet another legal test.... See more
In Slovakia, there are several steps to this.

First you need to obtain a Master's degree in translation in the given language, let's say English.
After that, you need to have 5 years of demonstrable experience in translation.
You need to pass a "Specialised minimum course" which is all about legal stuff.
You need to pass a special state exam for future sworn translators, this is a language test in your target language (English) along with yet another legal test.

After passing all this you may request being registered as a sworn translator with our Ministry of Justice. Then you receive your stamp and ta-da, you are a sworn translator.

Being a sworn translator or interpreter is a separate form of enterpreneurship, you are a physical person - enterpreneur. Basically a one-man company legally backed by the state.

Sworn translators translate official documents such as birth certificates, registry records, diplomas, etc. These are bound with their original counterparts and signed and stamped by the translator, giving the translated document the legal power of the original in, say, Slovak.

This is a long a tedious process and many translators choose not to undergo it, they simply translate everything else.

A sworn translator is basically a translator and a notary in one person.
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Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 23:20
Italian to English
Your lexicon is wrong in this context Jan 21, 2019

Tom in London wrote:

In my lexicon, a certified translator is a translator who has been confined to a lunatic asylum.


NAATI would disagree with you. Along with thousands of others.

https://www.naati.com.au/certification/certification-testing/certified-translator/#


 
Andy S
Andy S
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:20
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
So what are the rules around certification in the UK - if any? Jan 21, 2019

Samuel Murray wrote:

In what way would you like your translations to be special?


To answer that question I would need to first ascertain whether the UK authorities make such a big deal of a translator being certified, as. e.g. In France.

My impression is that the UK is not as stringent as other countries. Maybe it would be useful for translating documents such as birth certificates etc, for the prupose of passport applications, for example. You tell me.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 23:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
LMGTFY, I'm afraid Jan 21, 2019

Andrew Stucken wrote:
I would need to first ascertain whether the UK authorities make such a big deal of a translator being certified, as. e.g. In France. My impression is that the UK is not as stringent as other countries. Maybe it would be useful for translating documents such as birth certificates etc, for the purpose of passport applications, for example.


Well, AFAIK, there is no such thing as a "sworn" or "certified" translator in the UK. According to this gov.uk web site, any person claiming to be a translator can "certify" a translation, by simply supplying a short declaration along with the translation.

And AFAIK there is also no such thing as a commissioner of oaths in the UK. According to that same site, anyone "of good standing" can legally and adequately certify copies of documents (unless they're a relative), by simply adding or attaching a short declaration.

That site also warns "Check with the organisation that needs the certified copy - they may have specific rules for who can certify a document," which I take to mean that you may need to sign the translator's declaration in the presence of a bigwig.

One question you should ask yourself if you intend to provide such translations is whether your service to the client is finished as long as you yourself are convinced that you have complied with the law, even if the recipient of the document claims otherwise. If you deliver such a translation to a client, who then attempts to use the translation in some official capacity, and the body he delivers it to rejects the translation (for whatever odd reasons), how much of the effort of convincing that body of your translation's legitimacy would you consider your responsibility?

For example, the client may come back requesting a declaration worded differently. Clients in such scenarios are often private individuals who want to know that they can rely on the translator for some support which an ordinary translator may not consider part of his duties.


[Edited at 2019-01-21 14:35 GMT]


 


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