Baltic Media tulkošanas birojs, foto - "Baltic Media"
Abroad, translations of various documents are often requested from travellers, from students starting their studies abroad as well as from those who have decided to move to another country. Foreign documents submitted to Latvian institutions must also be translated. However, institutions do not accept regular translations, and certified translations are required instead. The translation agency “Baltic Media” explains what it is exactly, how it differs from a regular translation and how much it costs.
What is a certified translation and how does it differ from a regular translation?
A certified translation is an officially confirmed translation, the content of which corresponds to the content of the original document and is complete. Most often, it is necessary when a document issued in Latvia has to be submitted to a foreign institution or vice versa.
Outside Latvia, when submitting documents to institutions, a translation by a sworn or certified translator may be required, which means that a translation certified by a notary or translation agency is required, as there are no special institutions in Latvia that prepare, test and control translators for them to be able to obtain the status of a sworn or certified translator.
What is the difference between a translation that is certified by a notary and a translation agency?
Translations certified by a notary are more legally binding. At the end of translation, the translator certifies with their signature that they are aware of their responsibility for a deliberately false translation in accordance with Article 300 of the Criminal Law (Krimināllikums), but the notary certifies the authenticity of the translator's signature.
The certification of a translation agency confirms that the translation is correct in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers’ Regulation No. 291 (https://likumi.lv/ta/id/10127-kartiba-kada-apliecinami-dokumentu-tulkojumi-valsts-valoda).
How is a certified translation performed?
Regardless of how the certified translation is prepared, it shall be attached together with the original document or a copy thereof. It can be a simple or a certified copy.
If the copy is certified, the client must submit the original or a certified copy of the document to the translation agency. Certified copies of documents can be obtained from notaries.
In cases when certification of the copy of the document to be translated is not required, it can be submitted to the translation agency electronically, which can be either a scanned or photographed copy of the document to be translated. Pay attention to the image - the text must be completely legible and the background must be neutral.
Highly topical are also e-documents with electronic translations certified with e-signatures of the translator and the notary.
How much does a certified translation cost and how much time does it take?
The price of a translation certified by a notary or a translation agency includes the price of the translation and the price of certification. Translation prices usually depend on the number of pages or words in the document to be translated, in the case of standard languages - the price usually starts from around 15 EUR/page (250 words or 1800 characters with spaces).
Certification prices do not depend on the number of words to be translated, and are on average EUR 20-30 for a notary's certification for one translated document, and EUR 5-10 for a certification of a translation agency for one translated document.
The translation time of a document depends on the volume of the document to be translated - one translator can translate about 5-8 pages per day, but an editor can edit about 10-16 pages per day.
Where do you get certified and regular translations of documents?
It is important to ensure that the translation agency is certified and has the appropriate quality. Translation agency Baltic Media Ltd provides certified and regular translations. (ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certificate).
Baltic Media tulkošanas birojs, foto - "Baltic Media"