How will your documents be sworn (assermentés)?

001 Translations Agency 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 Canada and abroad.

The steps to be taken depend on the country of destination and the body requesting the translation.

If you need to present an official document issued in Canada in a foreign country, usually the authorities involved ask you for a certified translation of the document. But a certified translation is not always enough. Sometimes the body receiving the document requires additional steps to legalize the certified translation, i.e. to make the certified translation legally valid internationally.

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
• Legalizing the translator’s signature
• Apostille

Little guide to legalizations

How does it work?

There are 3 levels of legalization:

Signature legalization

Sometimes, the body requesting the translation requires the legalization of the translator's signature.

This formality is carried out in town hall, with a notary public or at the Chamber of Commerce. It makes it possible to check the identity of the translation’s signatory as a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté). The official or notary public affixes a seal indicating that the identity of the signatory has been verified and that the translator's signature is correct.

Apostille

the state be a guarantor of the translation process.

In France, the Ministry of Justice through the Court of Appeals is in charge of this procedure. The Bureau des Apostilles will certify that the signature of the city hall official or notary is authentic and that the legal procedure has been respected in France. The Court of Appeals official affixes a certificate - called an apostille - with an identification number to each document (original and translation).

In Canada, the process starts with having the translation notarised by a Canadian Notary Public. Once notarised, the document is submitted to the competent authority for apostille (such as Global Affairs Canada or a provincial authority, depending on your location).

Processing typically takes 3 to 10 business days, depending on the province and workload.

Apostilles are valid only 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 Agency - 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 an expert sworn translator (traducteur expert assermenté)?

Many authorities in Canada will ask for a certified translation of your documents. But exactly what is a certified translation?

Any qualified translator can certify a translation in Canada. An individual translator can certify their translations, as can an employee of a translation company. A translator may also certify someone else's translation—as long as the translator has fully reviewed the translation for accuracy and completeness and the translation will not be changed after being certified. That is why translation companies can certify translations provided by their employees or freelance translators.

At the swearing-in, the president of the tribunal reads the following oath: "You swear and promise to translate faithfully and conscientiously all documents and speeches that you may be called upon to interpret before a court, a public authority, a civil registrar of the department, or to draft an authentic deed before a notary or before a department official." The translator, standing with their right hand raised, answers: "I swear.”

In Canada, only provincially certified translators are legally authorised to provide certified translations for official use. These professionals are recognised members of organisations such as ATIO, OTTIAQ, or STIBC, depending on the province. 001 Translations works with certified members upon request. All of our translations are certified according to the highest provincial and national standards.

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:

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 Irish 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?

Some end users of certified translations may request or require a translation to be notarized. This may cause some confusion as a translation cannot actually be notarised in Canada.

They perform expert missions and are responsible for producing accurate translations that can be produced before any government agency. In other words, the translation must be consistent with the original. This is called an official certified Translation. The certified translator will sign all their translations as well as the copies of the originals that they have processed by affixing their stamp. A translation made by a certified translator is valid within the entire Canadian territory and the overseas territories and departments before any organization and public authority.

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.