Glossary
Key terms,explained simply.
Sworn, certified, apostille, transliteration. We explain the key terms in plain language.
Terms
What authorities meanwhen they write this.
38 terms from A to Z
- Apostille
- An international certification under the Hague Convention that confirms a document is authentic for use abroad.
- Certificate of no impediment
- Confirms that nothing prevents a marriage under the law of the home country. Foreign fiancés usually need it for a German registry office.
- Certificate of single status
- Proof that a person is not married. Often required for a wedding abroad.
- Certification note
- Another word for the certification statement. The sentence in which the translator confirms accuracy, with place, date, stamp and signature.
- Certification statement
- The note at the end of the translation in which the translator confirms that it is accurate and complete.
- Certified copy
- A copy whose match with the original is confirmed by an authority or a notary. Not the same as a certified translation.
- Certified translation
- A translation with the stamp, signature and certification statement of a sworn translator. Valid for authorities.
- Civil status certificate
- Birth, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates. Issued by the registry office.
- Complete translation
- Everything is translated, including stamps, seals and marginal notes. Authorities usually require this form.
- Court interpreter
- A sworn interpreter for spoken interpretation in court, at a notary or at an authority.
- Court-admissible translation
- A translation a court can use as evidence. This requires a certified translation.
- Express translation
- Translation with a shorter delivery time for a surcharge. With us usually overnight.
- Hague Apostille Convention
- A 1961 treaty. Between member states the apostille replaces the more complex legalisation.
- International certificate
- A multilingual civil status certificate under a CIEC convention. Many member states accept it without translation.
- Interpreter
- Renders spoken language, for example at a notary or registry office. A translator renders written texts.
- JVEG
- The German Judicial Remuneration and Compensation Act. It sets what courts and authorities pay translators.
- Language pair
- Source and target language together, for example Albanian into German. It decides which translator gets the order.
- Legalisation
- The embassy or consulate of the destination country confirms that a document is authentic. Needed for countries that have not signed the Apostille Convention.
- Marginal note
- A later entry in the margin of a certificate, such as a change of name or a divorce. It is translated as well.
- Notarial certification
- A notary confirms a signature or a copy is genuine. It does not replace a certified translation.
- Original document
- The document as issued by the authority, with signature and seal. A clear scan is usually enough for the translation.
- Paper copy of the translation
- A stamped and signed paper copy of the certified translation. You can order several.
- Partial translation
- Only parts of a document are translated. The certification note says so explicitly.
- Publicly appointed
- A court has approved the translator after checking their qualifications. Only then may they certify translations.
- Recognition
- A check whether a foreign vocational or university qualification is equivalent to a German one. The responsible body usually requires certified translations.
- Registered mail
- Shipping with proof of delivery. Useful for paper copies that must meet a deadline.
- Source language
- The language of the original document.
- Specialist translation
- Translation from a specialist field such as law, medicine or engineering. It needs subject knowledge and fixed terminology.
- Standard line / standard page
- Billing unit for specialist texts. A standard line has 55 characters, a standard page usually 1,500 characters.
- Statement of comparability
- A document from the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) that describes and classifies a foreign university degree.
- Superlegalisation
- An additional confirmation of the signature of the translator by an authority. Sometimes required for use abroad.
- Swearing in
- The translator swears before a court to translate faithfully and conscientiously. This gives the right to certify translations.
- Sworn translator
- Publicly appointed and sworn in by a court. In German, "vereidigt", "beeidigt" and "ermächtigt" mean the same thing, depending on the federal state.
- Target language
- The language the document is translated into.
- Transcription
- Rendering a name by its pronunciation rather than letter by letter. For certificates, authorities usually require transliteration.
- Translator's stamp
- The sworn translator's stamp with name and languages. It belongs on every certified translation.
- Transliteration
- Rendering names from other writing systems (such as Cyrillic) according to the ISO standard. Important for certificates.
In person
Not sure what your authority needs?Ask us.
Send us the letter from the authority. We tell you which translation you need and whether an apostille is required as well.