These terms define a specific type of translation performed by an accredited translator, known as a sworn translator, before a Court of Appeals or a High Court, depending on the destination country of the translated document.
Indeed, a simple translation of legal and official documents is usually insufficient for legal proceedings. Therefore, it is necessary to engage a sworn translator.
How do you recognize a certified translation? Both the source document and its translation bear the stamp and signature of the translator, along with a translation number.
Certified Translation: Who can provide an official translation?
Accredited Translators in France: Specialists validated by a Court of Appeals
An officially translated document is distinguished by the handwritten signature and the mandatory seal affixed by the sworn translator.
Individuals capable of providing such translations are sworn experts: these are natural persons listed as judicial experts by a special commission following the successful completion of an examination.
This commission convenes once a year in the French Courts of Appeals. After this commission, accredited translators are included in the CESEDA list established by the Public Prosecutor of each High Court.
Hence, these translation specialists have officially taken an oath, and their certification holds weight in French courts and governmental authorities.
Swearing in by a Court of Appeals certifies the translator’s strong experience in translation and rigorous knowledge of legal matters. These qualities ensure the precision and accuracy of translations.
Translation Needs Outside the European Union Sworn translation is performed by a translator from the target country or according to the standards of the destination country. Additionally, it is necessary to have the translation legalized by a Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or a consulate. In some cases, an apostille may be required following the conventions of The Hague.
Translating an Official Document: What Documents and by Whom?
A non-exhaustive list of official documents that can be translated
Many legal or professional documents can be translated by a certified specialist, including:
- Administrative procedures
- Legal and official documents
- Commercial and work-related documents
- Criminal record extracts
- Birth certificates
- Driver’s licenses
- Diplomas
- Marriage certificates
- Bank statements
- Passports/identity cards
- Kbis (French business registry extract)
- Minutes of meetings
- Notarial deeds
- GDPR compliance certificates
- Tenders
- Legislative texts, European directives
- General Terms and Conditions (CGV)
- Contracts
Who Has the Skills to Provide Certified Translation?
A professional translation agency A translation agency can specialize in specific sectors, including legal and official translation, which implies that they possess the necessary qualifications in business law, securities law, international law, or insurance law and can deliver high-quality sworn translations. Some specialized translation agencies offer online document submission to expedite the translation process.
A sworn translator Just like for translating your PDFs or emails, you can hire an independent sworn translator before a Court of Appeals. Consult the list of Courts of Appeals on the government’s official website and get in touch with your chosen translator directly.
Is Automated Translation of Certified Documents Possible? Automated translation can be used to process a received certified document, such as a legal report or legislative texts. This can facilitate understanding between international teams or businesses.
However, automated translation is not certified; it is a sworn human translator who must certify the document (with a stamp, signature, and unique identification number).
In the case of a large quantity of documents, automated translation may be employed in the initial stage. Post-editing must still be highly accurate and performed by a sworn human translator.
A genuine guarantee of quality in legal matters, certified translation must be highly regulated. Essential for legal, administrative, and financial documents, certified translation is not carried out by just any translator or translation solution but by an accredited natural person.
