Have you received a great job offer abroad and need to submit your employment documents to your employer as soon as possible? Or are you planning a last-minute wedding abroad? In these and many other cases, you’ll likely need express translations. What types of documents are most commonly translated on an express basis, and how can you ensure a high-quality translation quickly?
Let’s take a look at the situations in which people most often use express translations.
Generally speaking, express translations are suitable for anyone who needs a translation within a short timeframe:
Are you planning to work or study abroad and need to provide a foreign employer or university with all the necessary documents at the last minute? Then you’ll likely need an express translation, which you can use, for example, to translate a criminal record check, employment contract, diplomas, or certificates.
Time is money, and in international business, this is doubly true. Are you expanding abroad and need to quickly translate company documents for business partners (contracts, proposals, presentations, marketing texts, etc.)?
Or is your company facing a financial audit in a few days and you need your accounting documents translated? Once again, express translation comes in handy.
Express translation can also come in handy when you need to submit a work permit or residence visa to the authorities on short notice, or if you have legal proceedings abroad and require officially certified court decisions, notarial deeds, or contracts.
As we mentioned in the introduction, express translations are often used, for example, for last-minute weddings abroad or when the couple forgets to have the necessary documents translated. They are also used for urgent medical treatment abroad, where high-quality translations of medical records are needed for health assessments.
As indicated above, the documents most frequently translated on an express basis include work and business documents (employment contracts, references, invoices, accounting documents, etc.), legal and official documents (notarized deeds, contracts, court documents, criminal records, etc.), and academic and personal documents (diplomas, transcripts and certificates, medical reports, travel documents, etc.).
When it comes to translations, you may come across the terms „certified translation“ or „official translation.“ How do they differ from a standard translation? Certified translations are required for documents that are to be submitted to authorities, courts, or other official institutions abroad. They can only be prepared by a court-appointed translator, who affixes a translator’s certificate, a round stamp, and their signature to the translation, thereby ensuring its legal validity.
When submitting documents in certain countries, the documents must not only be translated but also legalized via an apostille or superlegalization.
If you need texts translated for court use or legalized, please be aware that the turnaround time for translations may be longer.
Whether you need a standard or certified translation on an urgent basis, or need to have documents legalized, we recommend contacting a professional translation agency with extensive experience in translation. For example, our company, I.L.T.S. Praha, has specialized in translation for 20 years, and we also offer express translation with online delivery. You can speed up the translation process by submitting your documents in digital format (PDF, Word) and verifying in advance whether they require legalization.
What should you watch out for with express translations? First and foremost, determine whether a standard translation will suffice or if you’ll need a certified translation. Another common mistake is providing insufficient information to the translator. The translator should always be informed of the purpose of the translation so they can use the correct terminology and avoid misunderstandings.
If the documents require legalization, keep in mind that you must send them well in advance, as obtaining an apostille or superlegalization can take several days.
If you want to be sure that your translations will be completed on time and to the required standard, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to provide you with both standard and certified translations as quickly as possible, and we’ll also apostille or superlegalize them for you.