Certified Translation Services

Submitting official documents to USCIS, a university, or a government agency abroad? Your translation needs a signed certification in the form the receiving authority asks for. We prepare that for filings in more than 50 countries.

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What Makes a Translation Certified?

Certified Translation for Authorities, Courts, and Institutions

A certified translation is one that comes with a signed statement from the translator (or the agency) confirming it is a true and complete representation of the original official document. That statement, together with the translator's name, qualifications, and contact details, is what makes the translation acceptable to USCIS and immigration authorities, universities, government agencies, and courts. Without it, the document will typically be rejected.

We issue certifications for filings across the US, the EU, and more than 50 other countries. Every certified translation includes the translator's full credentials, signature, and date.

What a receiving authority accepts depends on the country. USCIS asks for a full English translation with the translator's signed statement of completeness, accuracy, and competence, and no notarization (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). France and Spain instead expect a translator officially appointed by a court of appeal or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is what our Sworn Translation Services cover.

Certified Translation for Every Official Document

Immigration Documents

Visas, residency applications, work permits, and asylum documentation prepared as USCIS-compliant certified translations. Prepared for filings with USCIS, UK Visas and Immigration, EU immigration authorities, and national consulates.

Academic Transcripts

University diplomas, academic transcripts, school certificates, and professional qualifications handled through official document translation for foreign universities, NARIC assessments, and professional licensing bodies.

Business and Corporate Documents

Company registration documents, articles of incorporation, board resolutions, shareholder agreements, and audited financial statements certified for cross-border operations and legal proceedings.

Personal Documents

Birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, passports, national ID cards, and driver's licenses handled through certified translation for use abroad in legal, immigration, and official contexts.

Medical Records

Medical reports, clinical records, prescriptions, and health certificates handled by our medical translation specialists for insurance claims, cross-border medical treatment, and regulatory submissions.

Legal Certificates

Notarial acts, powers of attorney, court orders, and legal contracts handled through certified legal translation for foreign legal systems, international proceedings, and regulatory bodies.

What Actually Decides Whether a Certified Translation Works

Most rejected files are not badly translated. They are certified in the wrong form, apostilled in the wrong order, or missing a page the receiving office expected. The examples below are anonymized from recent assignments.

The Apostille Usually Comes First

An apostille is issued on the original document, and it carries text of its own. If the document is translated before the apostille is attached, the certified set is incomplete and the file goes back.

One urgent request needed a Spanish document apostilled and only then sworn-translated into French for use in Saudi Arabia. Another involved a Canadian federal police clearance certificate that arrived already apostilled and was translated into Spanish the same day.

Not Every Legalization Route Works in Every Country

A client came to us for a legalization type their destination country does not accept. We flagged it and pointed them at the correct route rather than process an order that would have been unusable on arrival.

This is worth asking about before you pay for anything. The apostille convention does not cover every country, and the alternative consular route has its own sequence.

Some Files Need No Apostille at All

A humanitarian organization relocating staff to Spain sent a marriage certificate, and later a divorce and legal name-change document. Neither needed an apostille for that use.

Paying for legalization you do not need is common. Checking the receiving authority's actual rule first is faster and cheaper than undoing it.

Which Pages Go In Is Part of the Instruction

A UK family relocating to the Costa Blanca sent three children's birth certificates and a marriage certificate, and specified exactly which pages to include and which apostille pages to leave out.

That instruction matters. A certified translation is certified as complete, so what counts as the document has to be settled before the certificate of accuracy is signed.

Some Destinations Require a Locally Authorized Translator

A UK company registering for a Spanish tax ID through Modelo 036 needed its Articles of Association translated by a translator authorized by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A general certification would not have been accepted for that filing.

The same applies in reverse: a French document destined for the Dominican Republic needed a translator authorized in that jurisdiction, and a physical copy in the post.

Digital or Paper Is a Destination Question

Some offices accept a signed PDF. Others still want an original with a wet signature, delivered by post, and will not look at anything else.

We ask which one you need before we start, because it changes the turnaround and sometimes the translator we assign.

What to Have Ready When You Ask for a Quote

The country the document is going to, and the specific office or authority receiving it.
Whether the receiving body has told you it needs a certified translation, a sworn one, or a notarized one.
Whether the original has been apostilled or legalized yet, and by whom.
Which pages of the original are part of the submission.
Whether you need a signed PDF, a posted hard copy, or both.
Any spelling of names that must match an existing passport, visa, or prior filing.

Certifications Prepared for USCIS, Courts, and Official Bodies

USCISEU Immigration AuthoritiesUK Visas and ImmigrationEmbassies and ConsulatesUniversities and NARICNotaries and Courts

Need Court-Facing or Notarized Translation?

Courts, civil registries, and embassies in countries such as France, Spain, and Belgium often require a translation signed and stamped by a sworn translator appointed in that country. Where an authority also asks for notarization, a notary certifies the translator's signature, not the translation itself. See our dedicated Sworn Translation Services. If the application behind the document is Spanish residency, there is also Spanish residency paperwork for the part that starts after the translation is accepted.

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What Our Clients Say

“I recently used a translation agency in France to translate several administrative and commercial documents into Spanish. The service I received was absolutely +”

paula E.

Google review (FR), 2 years ago

Translated from French

“Excellent service and good value translation company! Efficient, accurate, and fast turnaround at competitive rates. Highly recommended for their outstanding +”

Claire C.

Google review (SL), 2 years ago

“It is a real pleasure to work with the BeTranslated team who has been very professional, flexible and responsive during all projects.”

Valentine B.

Google review (INTL), 3 years ago

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Certified Translation Services: Frequently Asked Questions

A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or agency confirming that it is a complete and accurate representation of the original document. The statement includes the translator's name, qualifications, contact details, and the date of certification. This signed statement is what makes the translation legally acceptable to USCIS, universities, government agencies, and courts.

Yes. USCIS requires that any document in a language other than English be accompanied by a full English translation along with a certification from a competent translator confirming that the translation is accurate and complete, and that the translator is competent in both languages. Our certified translations are formatted to meet these exact USCIS requirements.

Certified translation cost depends on the document type, word count, language pair, and turnaround time. Standard certified translations for common documents such as birth certificates, diplomas, and marriage certificates are typically quoted per page. Contact us for a free quote, which we usually return within a couple of hours during business hours, or as early as possible the next business day. Rush turnaround is available for time-sensitive immigration submissions.

It depends on where the document is going. A certified translation carries a signed statement from the translator or agency confirming it is complete and accurate, and it is the form USCIS and most US universities and agencies ask for.

A sworn translation is produced by a translator officially appointed in the destination country, such as an expert listed with a French court of appeal or a sworn translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is signed and stamped by that translator, not by a notary.

Notarization is a separate step some authorities add, in which a notary certifies the translator's signature. Tell us the destination country and the receiving authority, and we will confirm which form you need.

Most standard certified translations are delivered within 2 to 3 business days. Single-page documents such as birth certificates or identity cards can often be completed within 24 hours. Rush same-day service is available for straightforward documents submitted before midday. Contact us with your deadline and we will confirm availability.

We guarantee the translation. If the receiving authority raises a query, or the wording needs adjusting to suit a particular office, we work through it with you until the document is right.

What no translation provider can guarantee is the decision on your application. USCIS approves no translation vendor, and no agency can promise an outcome on a file it does not control. What we can do is make sure the translation is never the reason a file stalls: complete, accurate, and carrying the signed certification the receiving body actually asks for.

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