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Certified Document Translation
Certified translation, with the certificate that makes it count.
Every certified translation we deliver includes a signed Certificate of Accuracy — the document receiving organizations actually rely on. Prepared for USCIS immigration applications, and equally suited to courts, universities, employers and government agencies.
The essentials
What a certified translation actually is
A certified translation is a complete and accurate translation of a document, accompanied by a signed statement — the Certificate of Accuracy — confirming that the translation is faithful to the original and that the translator is competent to work between the two languages.
The translation itself is not written differently because it is certified. What changes is that it arrives with evidence: a named signatory standing behind it. That is what an immigration officer, a court clerk or a university admissions office is looking for when they ask for a certified translation.
Three things distinguish a certified translation from an ordinary one, and all three matter to whoever receives it:
- It is complete. Every element of the original appears — including stamps, seals, signatures and marginal notes, described where they cannot be translated. Omitting a stamp because it seemed unimportant is a common reason documents are returned.
- It mirrors the original layout. The reader should be able to hold both documents side by side and see which part corresponds to which. Tables stay tables; a seal in the top right stays in the top right.
- It carries a signed Certificate of Accuracy. Naming the translator, the languages, the date, and confirming the translation is complete and accurate.
A common confusion
Certified is not the same as notarized
These two words are used interchangeably in everyday conversation and mean quite different things in practice. Getting them confused costs applicants time and money, usually in the same direction — paying for notarization that was never required.
Certified translation
Concerns the accuracy of the translation. A translator or translation company signs a statement confirming the work is complete and accurate. This is what USCIS asks for, and what most universities, courts and employers require.
Notarized translation
Concerns the identity of the signer. A notary public witnesses the signature on the certificate. The notary does not read the translation, does not speak the language, and makes no statement about accuracy.
Most USCIS applications require a certified translation and do not require notarization. Notarization becomes relevant when a specific receiving organization asks for it — some courts, some foreign consulates, occasionally a university. We can arrange notarization when it is genuinely needed. If you are not sure, ask us before paying for it.
We have written about this difference in more detail, including which organizations typically ask for which.
What we translate
Documents we certify most often
Certified translation covers far more than immigration paperwork, though that is where most requests begin.
The most commonly requested certified document, and the one most often returned for formatting errors.
Marriage and divorce certificates
Required for spousal petitions and name-change applications.
Academic diplomas and transcripts
For university admissions, credential evaluation and professional licensing.
Police and background certificates
Frequently requested for immigration and employment screening.
Passports and identity documents
Usually needed alongside a primary document rather than alone.
Judgments, affidavits, powers of attorney and contracts.
Clinical notes, discharge summaries and insurance documentation.
Financial and employment records
Bank statements, tax records and letters of employment.
How it works
From upload to certified translation
The process is deliberately transparent. You can see where your project stands at any point, and a named Project Coordinator is responsible for it from start to finish.
- 1
Tell us what you need
A short guided conversation — document type, languages, and what the translation is for. About a minute.
- 2
Upload your documents
Requested only once we understand the project. Files are validated and stored securely.
- 3
A Project Coordinator reviews
A person examines your documents and prepares an accurate quotation. Most requests are reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
- 4
Translation and quality review
A professional linguist translates; a second reads it against the original before anything is certified.
- 5
Certification and delivery
Your translation is issued with a signed Certificate of Accuracy and delivered through your project workspace.
Timing
How long certified translation takes
| Type of project | Typical delivery |
|---|---|
| Small certified documents Birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, transcripts, police certificates | 1–2 business days |
| Standard document projects Multi-page records, contracts, reports | 2–3 business days |
| Large or complex projects Legal bundles, technical manuals, multilingual sets | Depends on volume and complexity |
Larger or more complex projects may require additional review time. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time.
Working with us
What you can expect
Translation is a service where most of the anxiety comes not from the translation itself but from not knowing what is happening. We have built our workflow around removing that.
- A named Project Coordinator. One person responsible for your project, reachable by email, phone or WhatsApp.
- Project tracking. A private link showing exactly where your project stands — received, under review, quotation, translation, quality review, delivered.
- Secure document handling. Files are validated on upload and stored outside any publicly accessible path. Assigned linguists see the documents and the deadline, not your contact details.
- Human quality assurance. A second linguist reads the translation against the original before anything is certified.
- Terminology consistency. Translation memory keeps names, titles and recurring terms identical across every document in a set — which matters when a surname is spelled one way on a birth certificate and another on a passport.
Related services
Where to go next
Questions
Certified translation, answered
A certified translation is a complete, accurate translation accompanied by a signed Certificate of Accuracy — a statement from the translator or translation company confirming the translation is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge, and that they are competent to translate between the two languages. Every certified translation we deliver includes that signed certificate. The translation itself is not altered by certification; the certificate is what receiving organizations rely on.
No, and the difference matters. Certification is about the accuracy of the translation. Notarization is about verifying the identity of the person signing the certificate — a notary confirms who signed, not whether the translation is correct. Most USCIS applications require a certified translation and do not require notarization. We can arrange notarization when a receiving organization specifically asks for it.
Our certified translations are prepared to meet USCIS document translation requirements, and include the signed Certificate of Accuracy those applications call for. No translation company can guarantee acceptance, because acceptance is decided by the officer reviewing your case and depends on your application as a whole. What we can promise is that the translation is complete, accurate and properly certified.
Small certified documents — birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, transcripts, police certificates — are typically delivered within 1–2 business days. Standard document projects take 2–3 business days. Larger or more complex projects may require additional review time so we can prepare accurate work.
Pricing depends on the document, its length, the language pair and whether certification, formatting or notarization is needed. We do not publish a single rate because it would be misleading. Upload your documents and a Project Coordinator reviews them and prepares an accurate quotation — most requests are reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
Generally no. Receiving organizations expect a translation certified by someone independent of the applicant, because a self-translation cannot be treated as impartial. Even where a friend or relative translates, the certification carries less weight than one from a professional translator. This is one of the more common reasons applications are delayed.
We work across 230+ language combinations, including all major European, Asian, Middle Eastern and African languages. If you are unsure whether we cover a particular pair, ask — the answer is usually yes, and if it is not, we will say so rather than take the project.
Yes. Documents are validated on upload, stored outside any publicly accessible path, and visible only to the coordinator and linguists assigned to your project. Translators working on your files see the documents, languages and deadline — not your contact details or anything commercially sensitive.
Start your certified translation
Upload your documents and a Project Coordinator will review them and prepare an accurate quotation. Most requests are reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
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