Translation of personal documents is a popular service provided by translation agencies. As in any other area of ​​translation, the translator’s accuracy, care and precision are important here. However, there are some peculiarities when working with personal documents, which we will consider in more detail below.

Peculiarities of working with documents

The main task of a translator when working with personal documents is to be as accurate and complete as possible. This also includes correctly replacing the first and last name with an equivalent in the target language, as well as correctly transliterating the names of institutions. No less important is the external form, i.e. the explanation of abbreviations, proper names and abbreviations.

In addition to the high requirements in terms of fidelity to the original, there are other peculiarities when translating personal documents:

• Passports, identity cards and certificates usually contain very little information. This means that the translation takes less time than usual.
• In most cases, notarization is required in addition to the translation, as many state authorities only accept certified documents.
• During the translation, attention is paid less to stylistic subtleties than to the correct transfer of the original information. The first and last names in the original document are translated into the foreign language in the spelling that is indicated in the client’s passport (if any).
• Before starting the translation, the translator clarifies the spelling of the first and last names, as well as the names of organizations and government agencies, with the client in order to avoid errors.

Another feature of the translation of personal documents with certification is that along with this service, legalization or apostilling of the translated documents is usually ordered. If this is not done, such a document has no legal validity abroad.

What are personal documents?

This translation agency service concerns documents of private individuals, including:

• Passports and birth certificates;
• Driver’s licenses;
• Diplomas, certificates, documents;
• Pay slips or professional documents;
• Marriage, divorce, death certificates;
• Exit permits for children;
• Powers of attorney, donations, wills;
• Declarations and notices.

The experienced translators of our agency know the specifics of translating the above-mentioned personal documents. This contributes significantly to the correctness and fidelity to the original of the target text.