What is a Certified Translation and When Do I Need It?

You might have heard of the phrase ‘Certified Translation’ many times in Singapore but might not have known what it meant. Aren’t all translations by certified translation companies in Singapore automatically ‘certified’ in a sense? This is not wholly true of course. In this article, we will be zooming in on the definition of ‘certified’ translations, and the important points to take note of if you have been asked to get your documents translated and certified.

What is a ‘Certified’ Translated Document?

First and foremost, what gives translations in Singapore (or in any other part of the world, actually) that ‘certified’ stamp would be the place the translation came from or the person who translated the document. In this case, an ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority)-registered, certified translation company in Singapore or a translator, who usually works for a recognized translation service provider.

Translated documents that have been accredited will usually bear a formal, signed statement affirming that the translation is an accurate representation of the source document.

When do you require it?

Governmental or legal bodies will usually be the ones requesting for such documents, as they will require the accuracy of the translated documents to be validated by certified translation service providers. A common case in point in Singapore would be that of PR application translations, where translations to be submitted to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will need to be proven as valid before the application can be processed and approved. In some special cases such asfor legal court documents, an affidavit might even be required on top of certified translated documents.

On the other hand, firms might also require translations of their business documents to be certified, to be used as official records in business proceedings or other recognized corporate situations. This can include formal documents related to mergers and acquisitions, the financial statements of companies, and even written statements from corporate officers.

Owing to the wide variety of translation service providers in Singapore, it is ultimately up to you to decide which certified translation company in Singapore to go for in providing certified translation Singapore

• of your documents. However, it is crucial that you do some research into Singapore’s translation companies beforehand to ensure that your choice of translation provider will be able to provide you with certified, quality translations to fit your needs. This will undoubtedly save you the trouble of having to resubmit documents or spend more money finding alternative translation companies in Singapore later on.

*Note: Do keep in mind that ‘certified translations’ are different from ‘certified copies’ of whatever document you want translated. It may come as no surprise that many people get confused between the two since both sound similar. The former would refer to the validated translated document, while the latter would be talking about copies of the recognized source document (still in its source language) that has been validated by the organization or agency it came from.