A first state authority (notary public) verifies the signature of the translator or translation agency representative based on their ID. This is called a notarisation. For greater clarity, we can also use the expression "authenticating the translator's signature."
Certified Translation
001 Translations will assist you with all your requests for official certified translations in the US or abroad. Your documents will be translated quickly at the most competitive rate by an expert translator. If necessary, we can take care of additional legal steps for your translation (notarization).
INSTANT QUOTE CALCULATORHow will your documents be certified?
001 Translations will stamp your document with its professional stamp and assign it a unique reference number.
001 Translations will stamp your document with its professional stamp and assign it a unique reference number. A Certified Translation is a translation accompanied by an official endorsement signed by the translator and the translation agency that attests to the accuracy and authenticity of the document. Certified Translations are mainly requested by public authorities and official institutions such as universities, town halls, consulates and embassies.
Validity of a Certified Translation in the US and abroad.
The steps to be taken depend on the country of destination and the body requesting the translation.
Certified translations are widely accepted in the United States and in other common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. However, a certified translation alone may not always be sufficient for international use. Sometimes, the receiving institution may require additional steps to validate the certified translation — a process known as legalization — in order to ensure its legal recognition abroad. For example, if you are submitting a U.S. document to a foreign country with a different legal system, the authorities may ask for a sworn translation instead. Sworn translations are performed by officially authorized translators in the destination country, often registered with its judicial system.
The steps to be taken depend on the country of destination and the body requesting the translation. This is why we always advise our clients to check with the requesting body to find out what type of legalization they need:
- Certified Translation/Sworn Translation
- Notarization
- Apostille
Little guide to legalizations
How does it work?
There are 3 levels of legalization:
A second-level state authority — typically the Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State — verifies the signature of the first-level authority. This process is known as apostille or legalization, depending on the destination country.
In the United States, the procedure varies depending on whether the receiving country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. For countries that have signed the Convention, the Secretary of State in the state where the document was issued provides the apostille. For countries that have not signed the Convention, additional steps are required: the document must first be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and then legalized by the embassy or consulate of the destination country.
This two-step system ensures that U.S. documents are properly validated for international use, whether through apostille or full consular legalization.
A third authority (the foreign consulate) verifies the signature of the level 2 legalization. Fortunately, this only applies in the case where the destination country is a non-Hague Convention country!
Notarization
Sometimes, the body requesting the translation requires the legalization of the translator's signature.
This formality is carried out with a notary public. It makes it possible to verify the identity of the translation's signatory. The notary public affixes a seal indicating that the identity of the signatory has been verified and that the translator's signature is authentic.
Apostille
Sometimes, the organization requesting the translation requires the State to guarantee the procedure for carrying out the translation.
In the US, the Office of the Secretary of State provides apostille service to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on documents that will be used overseas. The Secretary of State will certify that your translation has been notarised and that the legal procedure has been respected. The official at the Secretary of State - called an apostille - with an identification number to your document.
This process first requires the translator to have their translation notarized by a U.S. Notary Public. Once notarized, the documents must be submitted to the Secretary of State in the state where the notarisation occurred.
These steps take time and are subject to each state's processing workload. In general, it takes 2 to 4 weeks to obtain the apostille.
The apostille is only valid for use in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention.
If the country of destination for your documents is not a signatory of the Hague Convention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of the legalization process and you will probably have to go to the relevant consulate. It is your responsibility to check with the relevant authorities to find out what procedure to follow.
Independent certified translator or translation agency?
Consider the various elements of your application, such as:
- How urgent is my request?
- Is a certified translator able to guarantee that I will receive a Certified Translation of my documents on time?
- Are the price differences between the freelance translators and translation agencies I contacted very different?
Sworn translators in a given language may be in short supply and therefore unavailable when you need a document translated quickly or urgently. In addition, sworn translators (traducteurs assermentés) apply free fees and can therefore charge you higher rates than a translation agency which may have negotiated prices. Serious translation agencies, managed by professional translators themselves - which is of course the case for 001 Translations - have developed specific expertise in the field of certifying (assermenter) official documents.
A high price does not mean that the translation will be of better quality, but the difference can also be justified by the means used to ensure that the translated document will be delivered to you on time (e.g., registered mail, DHL, Fedex or Chronopost). Furthermore, because of their position as intermediaries, translation agencies are in contact with many sworn translators (traducteurs assermentés) in France and abroad. This can be very important if the translation has to be done expressly in 24 or 48 hours for example. In general, as for any official act, a much longer period of time is required for Sworn Translations.
What is a certified translation?
Many authorities in the US will ask for a certified translation of your documents. But exactly what is a certified translation?
A certified translation in the U.S. is a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or translation company, affirming that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge and ability. Unlike in some other countries, there is no federal licensing system for certified translators in the U.S.
Any qualified translator can provide a certified translation. This includes individual freelancers or employees of a translation company. A translator may also certify a translation done by someone else, as long as they have carefully reviewed the content and confirm its accuracy and completeness — and that it will not be modified after certification. That’s why translation companies, like 001 Translations, can certify the work of their team or freelance collaborators.
While there is no government-issued certification, many professional translators in the U.S. choose to become members of the American Translators Association (ATA) — one of the most respected credentials in the industry. 001 Translations is ATA-certified, and all of our translations meet or exceed official U.S. requirements.
Official documents for Certified Translation
Any official document can be translated and certified by our translators
civil or criminal procedure documents, intended to be produced in a court of law, administrative documents and public status documents, bailiff's deeds, notarial deeds, but also academic documents, as for example:
- Identity card
- Residence card
- Adoption decree
- K-bis
- Contract
- Last will and testament
- Police report
- Notarial deeds
- Divorce decree
- Court decisions
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Criminal record extract
- University degree
- Transcript
- High school (Baccalauréat) diploma
Clients may need certified translations for many reasons and our translators are authorised to officially translate any document written in a foreign language that must be presented in court or before the administrative authorities. This is all the more valid for the translation of documents that enable the authorities to draw up official civil status documents (marriage certificates, residency permits, divorce decrees, claiming public benefits, child adoptions, birth certificates, ...). In some states, Certificates of Accuracy of Translation may be required for specific documents (driving licences), so be sure to check the translation requirements with the relevant authority.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized translation?
In the United States, a certified translation is a document that includes a signed statement from the translator or translation company, confirming that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge. This type of translation is widely accepted by USCIS, courts, universities, and most government agencies.
A notarized translation, meanwhile, goes one step further. It involves the translator signing the certification statement in the presence of a notary public, who then notarizes the signature. The notary does not review the translation itself but confirms the identity of the translator and the authenticity of their signature. This process adds an extra layer of formality and may be required for certain administrative or legal procedures. Notarized translations are common in the U.S. and fully recognized when properly executed. At 001 Translations, we provide notarized translations through our in-house notaries upon request. In some cases, government bodies may also accept certified translations with the ATA-certified translator seal in lieu of notarization.
For this type of document, the translator signs a document stating that they have sufficient knowledge of both languages and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of their abilities in front of a notary public. The notary public will then notarise the document, confirming the oath of authenticity.
001 Translations is able to provide affidavits of translations for all your translation projects. Make sure to check with the requesting entity whether you need your certified translation to be notarised. 001 Translations ensures that your translator has at least one university degree in foreign languages and that they have solid experience in translation.
