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Certified Translations Services

PoliLingua has provided certified translation services accepted by USCIS, the UK Home Office, courts, universities and government agencies worldwide since 2002, for clients in over 80 countries. Every document is translated by a native-speaker linguist and checked by a second, independent reviewer under the ISO 17100:2015 standard, then backed by a 100% acceptance guarantee, if a translation is ever rejected on certification grounds, we correct it at no extra cost. Available in 200+ languages, starting at $25 per page, with standard delivery in 24 to 48 hours. Upload your document and get an exact price, in writing, within 15 minutes, no obligation, no hidden fees.
    

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What a Certified Translation Actually Needs to Include

A certified translation is the complete, accurate translation of your document together with a signed statement confirming it's complete and correct. Neither the US nor the UK operates a sworn-translator system, so what makes a translation acceptable isn't a court appointment or a government-issued title, it's whether the statement, the signature and the translator's credentials are there and verifiable.

In the US, USCIS requires the full English translation of every foreign-language document in an immigration filing, together with the translator's certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that they're competent to translate, plus a copy of the original attached. A certified translation USCIS caseworker will accept is one where that certification is genuine and verifiable, there's no official government list of approved translators. In the UK, the Home Office, in a joint statement issued with the UK's own professional bodies, specifies four things a certified translation must carry, a statement that it's a true and accurate translation of the original, the date, the translator's full name and signature, and their contact details. UK authorities also expect the translator or company to be traceable through a recognised professional body, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), or the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). PoliLingua is an accredited ATC member, which is exactly the credential UK caseworkers look for.

If you've been searching for certified translation UK requirements, you've likely come across the related terms certified translator UK, document translation services UK and notarised translation UK, all used loosely online for what the Home Office simply calls a certified translation, there's no separate formal category behind most of these labels. What some sites call sworn translation UK doesn't exist as an actual system in Britain either, sworn translation is a continental European mechanism, not a British one, so a UK caseworker reviewing a certified translation Home Office submission is checking for the four elements above, not a specific title. If you specifically need an ITI certified translation, note that PoliLingua holds ATC accreditation rather than ITI membership, both are recognised professional bodies under the Home Office's own joint statement, so either one satisfies the traceability requirement caseworkers look for.

 

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Certified or Sworn? It Depends Where the Document Is Going

This is the question that trips up more people than anything else, so it's worth answering plainly, certified and sworn are not two names for the same thing, and which one you need depends entirely on the destination, not the source language. Common-law countries, the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, use certified translation, a complete translation with a signed accuracy statement from a qualified translator or company. Civil-law countries across continental Europe, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and most of the rest, require sworn translation instead, produced by a translator who has been personally appointed by a court. A certified translation alone generally isn't accepted there, no matter how accurate it is.

So if you're submitting a US or UK document into a European civil-law country, a certified translation usually isn't enough, and if you're submitting a European document into the US or UK, you don't need a sworn translator at all, a certified translation does the job, and costs less and arrives faster because no court appointment is involved. We handle both, and tell you which one your case actually needs before any work begins.

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Why We’re Your Best Choice for Certified Translations

With over 20 years of experience, PoliLingua is your go-to partner for reliable, professional translations.

Documents We Certify Most Often

We handle certified document translation for every stage of an immigration, academic or legal case. For US immigration, birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, police and court records, academic transcripts and diplomas for ECE, WES or NACES evaluation, driving licences, and any supporting document USCIS requests in a petition or application. For UK visa and immigration applications, the same civil-status documents, academic qualifications for UK ENIC and ECCTIS assessment, and employment records, all translated to the four-point standard UKVI caseworkers check against. For courts, universities and employers on both sides of the Atlantic, contracts, NDAs, professional qualifications, police certificates and CVs. If your document isn't listed here, send it anyway, we'll tell you exactly what certification it needs.

 

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How It Works and What It Costs

Upload your document and you'll have an exact quote within 15 minutes, with price, turnaround and delivery format confirmed before any work starts. A native-speaker translator who works in your subject area translates the complete document, and a second linguist reviews it independently, to the ISO 17100:2015 standard. Certified translation starts at $25 per page for common languages and standard documents, most personal documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, are delivered in 24 to 48 hours, with rush service available for tight deadlines. Notarisation and apostille translation coordination are available on request for cases where the receiving authority asks for an extra layer beyond certification.

 

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Why Choose PoliLingua

Since 2002, PoliLingua has worked as a certified translation company and certified translation agency for individuals and businesses in over 80 countries, with offices in London, Milan, Berlin, Paris and Madrid. We're ISO 17100:2015 certified, an accredited ATC member, and ATA and ELIA members, the credentials US and UK authorities actually check for. Every translation comes with a 100% acceptance guarantee, and your quote arrives in 15 minutes, not two days.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Certified translation services typically start from $25 per page at PoliLingua, with pricing depending on the language pair, document type, and turnaround time. Complex documents such as legal contracts may cost more than standard personal documents. Bulk discounts are available for multiple documents. PoliLingua's certified document translation services are competitively priced and include the official certification statement required by authorities such as USCIS, courts, and government agencies. Transparent pricing means no hidden fees, request a free quote online and receive a response within 24 hours.

To get a certified translation of a birth certificate, submit your original document to a professional certified translation agency. At PoliLingua, you simply upload a scan of your birth certificate through our online portal, specify your target language, and our certified birth certificate translation service takes care of the rest. The translated document is reviewed and signed by a qualified translator, accompanied by a certification statement confirming accuracy and completeness. PoliLingua's certified translation of birth certificate services are accepted by USCIS, embassies, and government bodies worldwide. Turnaround is typically 24–48 hours.

A certified translation includes the complete, accurate translation of the source document into the target language, a signed certification statement by the translator or agency attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the translation, the translator's credentials and contact information, and in some cases a stamp or seal. PoliLingua's certified document translation services include all required elements for acceptance by USCIS, immigration authorities, courts, and government institutions. We also provide notarisation and apostille services on request. Every certified English translation we deliver meets the standards required for official submission.

Certified is enough. Neither the US nor the UK operates a sworn-translator system, sworn translation is a continental European requirement, used in countries like France, Germany, Spain and Italy, where a court-appointed translator is mandatory. If your document is going to the US or UK, certified translation is the correct, faster and less expensive option.

Certified translations do not have a standard expiry date, the translation itself remains valid indefinitely as an accurate representation of the original document at the time of translation. However, the accepting authority, such as USCIS or a university, may impose their own validity requirements, typically accepting translations completed within 12 months. If the original document changes or you receive a new version, a fresh certified translation will be needed. PoliLingua recommends checking with the receiving authority for their specific requirements. Our certified translation services team can advise on what's needed for your particular jurisdiction and purpose.

Standard certified translation services at PoliLingua are typically delivered within 24–48 hours for most personal documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and diplomas. Larger or more complex documents may take 3–5 business days. Rush and same-day options are available for urgent requests at an additional fee. Our certified document translation services are designed to meet the tight deadlines often imposed by immigration applications, visa requests, and court proceedings. Submit your documents online and receive a delivery estimate with your free quote within hours.

A certified translation includes a translator's signed statement attesting to its accuracy, accepted by most government and immigration bodies. A notarised translation goes further: a notary public verifies the translator's signature and identity, adding an additional layer of legal authority, often required for use in legal proceedings. An apostilled translation carries an apostille, an official government certificate validating the document for use in countries party to the Hague Convention. We provide all three levels, certified document translation services, notarisation coordination, and apostille support. Our team advises which level is required based on your destination country and purpose.

In most cases, a clear scan or high-quality photograph of the original document is sufficient for certified translation services. PoliLingua does not typically require the physical original, you can submit your documents securely online. However, some authorities, particularly for notarised or apostilled documents, may require the original for the notarisation step. Our team will advise you on what's needed based on your specific use case. PoliLingua's certified document translation services are designed to be as accessible and convenient as possible, simply upload your document and we'll handle the rest.

Yes, USCIS, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, requires that all foreign-language documents submitted with immigration applications be accompanied by a full certified English translation. The translator must certify that the translation is accurate and complete, and must provide their name and address. PoliLingua has been providing USCIS certified translation services for over 20 years, with translations accepted by USCIS for birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, court records, and more across 100+ languages. Our certified translation services comply fully with USCIS requirements. 

Our Clients and Testimonials

Among our clients are many companies and individuals from different countries.

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We are here to support you in obtaining a relevant quote for complex document translation, website localization, PDF translation, software localization, and any other translation-related projects.

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