Notarised Translation

Often confused with certified translation, notarised translations are more concerned with adhering to official procedures. Notarisation is a form of legal certification which verifies that a document or signature is authentic. The purpose of a notarised translation is to show that a translation service is trustworthy, and these translations are most frequently required when submitting education-based documents abroad.

In order to provide a notarised translation, a translator must sign a certificate statement, with a notary as a witness. A notary is somebody who has been authorised by the government to check and approve these legal formalities. They are not necessarily multilingual themselves, so are not expected to confirm the accuracy of a translated document. In these scenarios, London Translations will first issue a translation certificate to prove the copy is accurate, before getting a notary to co-sign it.

In the case of notarised translations, a notary will verify that a  translator has sworn for the accuracy of a translation, and can also attest to that linguist’s authorisation to create these translations. A notary’s signature notarises the certificate—not the translation itself.

If you need a notarised translation to use abroad, you might require approval from the Foreign Office, while the country in question may request consular legislation too. This will also need to be carried out by a notary. Broadly speaking, however, notarised translations are accepted overseas.

At London Translations, we do offer notarised translations for an additional fee, and this service is typically finalised within two working days. It is important to note that this will also depend on the notary’s availability.

People often use notarised translation services to certify education-based documentation such as university transcripts. This typically helps those who are applying to work or study abroad.

The most common documents which require notarised translations include:

• Degree certificates
• Diplomas
• Professional qualifications
• Other administrative documents