Notarisation provides a higher level of guarantee to the recipient of the translation.

This is achieved by a notary public verifying that the signature and stamps on the translation and verification letter are genuine.

Notarisation is most often needed if the translation is to be submitted to government agencies or legal bodies such as courts.

Notarisation typically adds an extra working day on top of standard certified translation, so takes around 2–3 working days in total.

Apostille (also known as legalisation) is the highest level of certification typically available in the UK. It involves sending the translated document to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, who provide an apostille certificate confirming that the signature(s) and stamp(s) on the original document (and, if requested, our translation) are genuine.

Apostille is typically required if you plan to use your documents outside the UK in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. A list of countries can be found here.

Apostille/legalisation is the most time-consuming form of certification, mostly due to postage. This generally takes around a week after the translation is completed, so the whole process is generally completed in around 7–10 working days.

Sworn translation only exists in certain countries, and in the UK it does not.

Precisely what this involves varies between jurisdictions, but typically involves the translation being officially ‘sworn in’ by a local court.

Alternatively, in some jurisdictions, the translator needs to present their translation to a solicitor/lawyer and ‘swear’ that it is accurate.

Sworn translation is only needed (and, indeed, only possible) in countries where the concept exists and when specifically requested by the organisation to which you are submitting the translation.

In areas where the concept does not exist, notarisation provides an equivalent level of guarantee.