Usually, when we think of certified translation, tasks such as getting immigration forms through agencies or translating shipping documents come to mind. However, your eCommerce business may still need certified translation for a wide range of other tasks. Below, we’ll go into the basics of certified translation, when to use it for an eCommerce business and how to find NAATI certified translation.

A quick look at certified translation 

Can anyone certify a translation? The answer to that differs from country to country. What certified translation proves is that the document is complete and accurate in the new language. When you get a document certified, that means it comes with an additional document stating the accuracy and qualifications of the translator – this is known as a certificate of translation.  

Most people use certified translation for legal and business documents. It helps make sure important information on documents like contracts, immigration paperwork or other official documents doesn’t get lost in translation. Certified translation can also help with a range of other tasks, from patent translation to legal translation. Anything where a business needs that confirmation of the document’s accuracy. 

How do I get a certified translation? You can get certified translation from many of the top translation companies by ordering it online. It is a very common service to find translation agencies offering since there is a high demand for it. 

To find out if a translation agency is qualified to provide certified translation, look into whether they can show you the document that comes with the certified translation. It should look official and state that the translated document is both complete and accurate and that the translator was qualified to complete the translation – in Australia, this means using a linguist certified by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI – more on that below). You might also ask the agency what experience they have with certified translation.    

Ecommerce businesses and certified translation

One major area in which an eCommerce business might need certified translation is international shipping. Often, international customs might need certified translation on adapting important shipping documents. In the experience of translation company Tomedes, using certified translation as part of the process of transporting goods around the world can carry plenty of peace of mind. Documents that might need certification include the bills of lading, letters of credit, commercial invoices, packing lists, or certificates of origin. With 53,000 Australian businesses exporting goods, it’s important to make sure the paperwork is accurate.  

A less common, but still important use is if you’re helping employees you are hiring from overseas navigate the immigration process. Immigration agencies usually require certified translation of documents such as passports and birth and marriage certificates.  

Legal documents of all kinds often require certified translation as well. For instance, documents related to background checks like diplomas, medical evaluations, or academic transcripts might need certified translation if you are hiring from overseas. Also, it’s common for companies to want to see certified translation on legal contracts as part of multilingual business deals.  

Be sure to check with any regulatory agencies that you might work with to see who needs certified translation. You might also check with foreign business partners to see if certified translation might be something they require. 

How translation specialities can help with certified translation 

Specialties are an important part of translation, even with certified translation. These means that the translator specialises in the kind of document that they are translating. Some of the translation types that pertain most closely to certified translation include:

• Business translation: This covers anything that might help a business conduct its operations, from presentations to financial reports to emails. If you are translating sensitive documents, like financial information, you might want to consider certified translation to ensure the highest level of accuracy.
• Technical document translation: This speciality covers software, programming, engineering, and scientific documents. It might handle documents like instruction manuals, CAD drawings, or engineering specs. Patent applications often require certified translation.  
• Legal translation: As the name suggests, this handles legal documents. It could translate court transcripts, depositions, or contracts. For common documents that need certified translation, it can also handle passports, driver’s licenses, legal name change documents, adoption papers, and marriage certificates. Academic transcripts, diplomas, and medical records also fall under this category.   
• Medical translation: Medical translation operates as a speciality in translation, for instance, if you need medical records certified, perhaps as part of a background check. 

The main benefit of looking for translation specialities is that you can assure the translator knows all of the specific terminology that goes into keeping the documents the same between languages, which is the point of certified translation. 

Where to find certified translation 

A major resource in Australia is NAATI certified translation. NAATI stands for the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. It sets a standard of skills and competencies that a translator must-have. NAATI certified translators have to sit a test that proves their skills and qualifies them to be translators.  

Having a NAATI certified translator is not the same as a certified translation. You still need the document stating that the translation itself is certified. However, if you go through a NAATI certified translator for that certified translation, that can better assure the quality of the document. Some agencies do offer NAATI certified translation using NAATI translators. If you desire a NAATI certified translator, ask the agency if its translators are certified by this body.  

To find certified translation services specifically, many people search for certified translation online using common search terms like certified translation quote. However, since 92% of people say recommendations from friends and family are more trustworthy than advertising, it’s worth asking around your professional or personal network first.