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Certified translations

 

A translation with the signature, stamp and declaration of the translator and which is attached to the source language text, is known as a certified translation.

Certified translations are carried out by certified translators. A certified translator is an individual who, on the basis of their education and experience, has sworn a professional oath in a court of law, after which they are authorised to translate certain official documents. Depending on the sort of document and its country of destination, the relevant authority can demand that the translation of such a document should be carried out by a certified translator.

As of 1 January 2009, a new law has come into effect for certified interpreters and translators and in which strict rules are laid down concerning the level of training, expertise and the continuous refresher training of certified translators. All of our certified translators are included in the new and officially acknowledged Register for Interpreters and Translators.

If you require a certified translation of an official document, scan it with a resolution of 300 DPI and email us the scanned document by means of our contact form.  You will receive a free quotation within one working day.

 


Legalisation & Apostille

In some cases, a document must be legalised after the certified translation. The legalisation procedure means that stamps are to be collected from various institutions; each institution declares the signature of the former institution to be authorised. This process starts at the court where the certified translator is registered. The court legalises the signature of the translator, after which you take the document to the Ministry of Justice, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy of the country in question.

Fortunately, it was decided in 1961 to simplify this laborious bureaucratic procedure. Countries who signed the Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents, have agreed that one single stamp suffices to legalise a document in another country. If you require an apostille, you are only required to go to court. If you require a translation for a country that is not affiliated in this convention, the old, extensive legalisation procedure applies.