Authorisations and certifications in the translation industry

We’re frequently asked whether Språkbolaget or our translators are authorised or certified. This may be because a client’s contact abroad wants to know, or simply because someone is looking for some form of quality stamp. Språkbolaget can offer certified translations, but is that what you really need?

There is no international standard for what a certified or authorised translator actually is, or what is required to call oneself certified or authorised. Different countries have different systems, or no authorisation processes at all.

The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency's authorisation

In Sweden, we hold authorisation from the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet). Translators authorised by the agency must pass an examination consisting of a general text, a legal text and a financial text. The authorisation gives translators the right to certify a document using a special authorisation stamp to confirm that the translation corresponds to the original. Thus it is the individual translator who is authorised; as an agency we cannot be authorised.

When is authorisation required?

Certain Swedish authorities, such as the Swedish Tax Agency and courts of law, as well as other institutions and organisations, require the stamp for foreign documents to be legally binding. These can be school reports, birth certificates and marriage certificates, extracts from registers and court records, etc. It’s important to understand that the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency's authorisation is not a mark of quality in any other respect. There is therefore no Swedish authorisation for medical texts. Also, the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency only authorises translators who translate to or from Swedish. If you want a document translated from e.g. French into English, there is no applicable Swedish authorisation.

Other countries

In other countries, authorisation or certification can look completely different. In the USA, for example, the American Translators Association (ATA) offers certification, and there are also other certifications. However, these certifications do not apply in the same way as a Swedish authorisation; rather, they function as proof that the translator is reliable and professional. Instead, a certificate from a notary public may be required for a translation to be legally binding. It is the authority in the country where the document will be used that determines which authorisation applies

Translator training and examination

In many countries, including Sweden, universities offer specific courses and degrees for specialised translators. In some countries, a translator's qualification also serves as authorisation for public authorities, whereas in others it does not. Regardless of whether it grants formal authorisation, a master's degree (or equivalent) in specialised translation is at least as strong a stamp of quality as passing an examination set by a professional body.

Quality translations

Thus, no authorisation is required for the vast majority of translated texts. Instead, it’s important for the translator to possess knowledge of the subject matter, and experience in finding the right tone and register in order to create a well-functioning text in the target language. The target language for Språkbolaget's translators is always their native language; they have the relevant training, experience in translation in their field, and have passed our quality tests. It is our stamp of quality. If you need a certified translation we can help you find an authorised translator via our network. We work exclusively with businesses. We refer private individuals to the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency.