You typically need authorised translations when dealing with authorities in Finland or abroad or when applying for a school, for instance. Typical documents include various diplomas, banking, insurance and inheritance documents, and documents related to immigration and school applications. You might also need an extract from the criminal record or a military passport translated for immigration authorities, or an authorised translation for your passport or driver’s license. In these cases, a copy is made of your document, the translator proceeds to translate it and finally adds their translator’s confirmation, signature and stamp.

When dealing with, for instance, foreign authorities, an authorised translation is the safer option if you are not sure what exactly is needed and want to avoid delays. While we always deliver a scanned copy of the translation first, the stamped paper copy always follows. In many countries, immigration authorities require a paper copy of the authorised translation for all documents. And even if a scanned copy is enough, we recommend having the paper version for safekeeping.

While we cannot provide you with detailed instructions for dealing with authorities in different countries, our years of experience in providing authorised translations has proven that submitting an authorised translation in paper format right at the onset of any process is the surest way to avoid delays and further requests for information. Do-it-yourself translations or documents translated by unauthorised translators have been known to cause months of delays. Please also keep in mind that foreign authorities might not be entirely sure what qualifies as an official translation, especially in more distant countries with fewer dealings with Finnish or even EU authorities. This is another good reason to provide an authorised translation right at the onset, before the eventual request for more information. Notary services may be required in some cases, but an authorised translation, made from the original document by an authorised translator, is as official and certified a translation as you can get in Finland for dealing with foreign authorities.

When submitting your document for translation, we recommend making as high quality a copy as you can from your original document. This and other external aspects, such a as proper formatting, might prove to be more important than you think, not only for the appropriate and accurate representation of your document’s information in the translation but also for the processing official, as they are in the position to approve or decline your submitted documents.

Submit a copy of your document to us digitally. Scan or photograph your document carefully for a clear an accurate copy. Suitable file formats include pdf or image formats such as jpg or png. You can also send your document in the mail (see the page footer for our address).

Be sure to leave your contact information and the date when you need the translation. For short diplomas and similar documents, we often deliver in just a few days. When the work is completed, we deliver a digital copy to you right away. We send the paper copy to you by mail but the digital version is often all you need.

The price is varies depending on the length of the document and the language pair. To get a quote quickly, contact us with the form below or send email to sales@itranslate.fi.

We are sometimes asked whether we can authorise, confirm or certify a text already translated by someone else. In short, we cannot.

Because authorised translators are legally responsible for any translation they confirm, they have to be certain of its accuracy and compliance with all applicable principles.

An outsider might not be familiar with the principles of authorises translation or have the skillset of a professional translator. And even if they did, authorised translator would have to painstakingly examine the result, review the terminology, and peruse each and every translation choice before they can take legal responsibility for it. This is also why many authorised translators simply refuse to confirm translations made by others.

And because reviewing an existing translation is typically a time-consuming process, a translation made from scratch by a professional translator is often the more affordable option for the customer anyway.

The purpose of an authorised translation is to present your original document in another language to an authority, school or other recipient, so it is not recommended to cross out or redact sections. If information is redacted, the recipient cannot be certain of the overall content or subject of your original document, and this is why we would advise against it.

If you are concerned about confidentiality, we can assure you that our authorised translators process all customer materials in strict confidence. Not only is it a sensible business practice but also an obligation, as laid out in Section 19 of the Act on Authorised Translators. And as a translation agency, it is our duty to enforce this secrecy obligation and ensure that all customer information is processed with due care and in confidence.

If you prefer to provide your documents to us in person, please contact us. We typically deliver authorised translations electronically and by mail, but a registered letter and other delivery arrangements are also possible if you so wish.