When you need a certified translation
Most business translation does not need certification. It becomes necessary when an authority will rely on the translation as an official record: an immigration or citizenship file, a court, a professional order, a government registry, sometimes a public tender, a permit file or an environmental regulator that asks for a certified translation of a report. The authority sets the requirement, so it is the first thing to check.
Who certifies, in Canada
In Canada, translators are accredited by provincial bodies, for example the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ) in Quebec and the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) in Ontario. An accredited translator can attest a translation, usually with a signed statement and their seal or stamp.
The title belongs to the translator, and the provincial body grants it. In Quebec, OTTIAQ is a professional order under the Professional Code, and the title of certified translator is reserved to its members. CTTIC says it is recognized by legislation in New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia, and eight provincial bodies, OTTIAQ and ATIO among them, have a reciprocity agreement. The authority receiving your document still decides which title it accepts.
That is different from a certified translation company, whose process is audited against a standard such as ISO 17100. A company certificate covers how the work is done; a certified translation is a statement about one document. Our quality page explains how to read a company’s certificate.
What the certification adds
The translation itself is done the same way as any professional translation. The certification adds:
- a statement that the translation is complete and faithful to the original;
- the translator’s name, accreditation and signature or seal;
- often a copy of the source document attached, so the authority can see what was translated.
The process
- Translation by a qualified translator, working from the original or a clear copy.
- Revision by a second linguist, as for any translation done under ISO 17100.
- Certification, where the attestation, signature and seal are added.
- Delivery in the form the authority requires: paper, PDF, or both.
Certified, sworn or notarized
In Canada, a certified translation carries the attestation of a translator certified by a provincial body such as OTTIAQ or ATIO. Sworn is the usual word in other countries for a similar role. A notary witnesses a signature and doesn’t judge the translation.
Engineering documents
Most specifications, drawings and reports never need a seal. An authority or a court may ask for one on a permit file or a legal document, so ask first. Every one of them needs consistent terms, which a certification doesn’t check.
Before you order
The receiving authority’s rules decide, and a wrong guess costs you the deadline. Tell your provider who will receive the document and what that authority requires: the province, the type of attestation, whether the original must be attached, whether a paper copy is needed. Technitrad provides certified translation as part of its services, attested by translators who are members of OTTIAQ; the quote form lets you tell us what your recipient needs, and we answer within one business day.
Need a certified translation? Tell us what your recipient requires.