What a certified translation is, who can make one, and how it differs from sworn and notarized translations.
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“Certified translation” means different things in different places. In the US and the UK it's a complete translation with the translator's signed statement that it is accurate. In much of continental Europe and Latin America, official documents need a sworn translator appointed by a court or a ministry. A notarized translation is something else again. This page explains each so you can ask for the right one. Reglyph doesn't certify translations: it gives you a complete machine translation in the original layout, for reading documents and checking the certified version you receive.
In the United States anyone can certify a translation, as the American Translators Association puts it. USCIS asks for the translator's signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate, with their name, the date and contact details. ATA certification is a professional credential earned by exam for one language pair in one direction; it isn't a legal requirement. A notary adds nothing about accuracy: the notarial certificate verifies only who signed.
The situations people most often bring certified translations to us for — each one keeps the original layout, seals and tables.
Ask the receiving office exactly what it wants: certified, sworn, notarized, or apostilled on top. Translators and agencies usually price by page or by word, and rates vary by language and provider. A machine translation from Reglyph helps you see what a document says before you order, and check the certified version against the original page when it arrives.
| Type | Who makes it | What it is | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified (US) | Any translator competent in both languages | A complete translation plus the translator's signed statement of accuracy and competence | USCIS, immigration court; some courts add requirements, such as ATA certification |
| Certified (UK) | Usually a professional translator, often a member of CIOL or ITI, or an ATC member company | The translator's written confirmation that it is a true and accurate translation, with date, full name and contact details | Home Office applications, courts |
| Sworn | A translator appointed by a court or ministry | An official translation, signed and sealed by the sworn translator | Germany, France, Spain, Italy and many other civil-law countries |
| Notarized | A notary, on top of a translation | Confirms who signed, not whether the translation is right | Some registries and courts; in Texas a translation needs a notarial certificate before it can be apostilled |
A US or UK certified translation is not automatically accepted abroad, and a sworn translation from one country isn't automatically accepted in another. If a document is going to an authority in France, Spain, Germany or Italy, ask whether it needs a sworn translation made in that country. Some countries also want the translation itself legalised or apostilled: the Netherlands, for example, asks for a translator sworn in by a Dutch court, or a legalised or apostilled translation when it was made abroad.
Reglyph is machine translation. It doesn't certify, swear or notarize anything. What it gives you is a complete translation of a scanned document in its original layout: to read a record before you decide what to order, to prepare an application, and to check a certified translation against the original page once you have it. Some US translators will also review and certify an existing translation; whether they do is up to them, so ask.
No. Reglyph produces machine translations in the original layout. A certification has to be signed by a translator, and a sworn translation made by a sworn translator.
Any translator competent in both languages; there's no government licence. USCIS asks for the translator's signed statement of competence and accuracy, though some courts set their own requirements.
A professional credential from the American Translators Association, earned by passing an exam for one language pair in one direction. It's not required by USCIS.
A translation with the translator's written confirmation that it is a true and accurate translation of the original, dated and with their full name and contact details. The UK has no sworn translators.
A certified translation carries the translator's statement that it's accurate. A notary only confirms the identity of the person who signed, not the translation.
A translator appointed by a court or a ministry whose translations are official: a beeidigter or ermächtigter Übersetzer in Germany, an expert près la cour d'appel in France, a traductor jurado in Spain.
Not for official documents meant for French authorities, which must be translated by a translator on a French court of appeal's list.
Often not. Canada and New Zealand don't accept translations by applicants or their family, and WES rejects translations made by the applicant. The USCIS rule names no credential, but the translator must certify their competence.
Simple, scan-friendly pricing. Pages are pages — no multiplier for scanned files.
Translate a few pages. No commitment.
$0.30 a page, from 10 pages — you pay for exactly 10 pages.
For individuals with scans to translate every month.
For high-volume users with scans to translate every week.
Most people asking for a notarized translation don't need one. The ones who do usually need it for a specific office abroad — and the notary never checks the translation.
Read guideThe rule itself is short. The mistakes people make around it — partial translations, missing seals, uncertified machine output — are what generate RFEs.
Read guide