A notarised translation is a translation of a document that has been authenticated by a notary public. This additional legal authentication may be required when submitting official documents overseas.
What is a notary public?
A notary public is a public officer whose primary role is to validate the signatures of persons signing documents. The office dates back to Roman times when notaries were known as “scribae.” The precise responsibilities of notaries public vary from one country to another but always include the authentication of documents.
Notaries public in the UK
In the UK, notaries public are qualified lawyers and are appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Their functions include authenticating documents for use abroad, preparing powers of attorney and “protesting bills of exchange”. Scrivener Notaries are notaries with additional qualifications who have expertise in at least two foreign languages. All notaries in the UK have:
Passed examinations and updated their knowledge annually via a programme of education.
Worked under the supervision of an experienced notary for a number of years.
Professional indemnity insurance.
A specified and agreed complaints procedure.
Notaries public (gyosei shoshi) in Japan
Notaries public in Japan are appointed by the Minister of Justice and are attached to the Legal Affairs Bureau or a District Legal Affairs Bureau. To be appointed as a notary public a person must be a judge, public prosecutor or attorney. Alternatively, a person could be selected by the Notary Selection Committee to be appointed if they possess academic qualifications and practical skills similar to legal professionals and have been conducting legal affairs for many years.
The duties of a notary in Japan include:
Authenticating private documents and articles of incorporation,
Attaching officially attested dates to documents.
Preparing wills.
Registering vehicles.
Handling visa application documentation as proxies.
Notaries public in France
A "Notaire" (notary public) in France is a public official that has been appointed by the Minister of Justice. To become a notaire, a person requires a master's degree in law and specialized training in notarial law, including a two-year practical training program in a notary firm. They must also pass the "Diplôme d'aptitude aux fonctions de notaire" exam. Notaires have broad roles that include:
Authenticating legal documents, particularly those related to real estate transactions, family law, and inheritance.
Ensuring the proper execution of contracts.
Drafting contracts.
Ensuring the legality of property transactions.
Calculating and collecting taxes.
Why might you need a notarised translation?
Notarised translations are usually required when submitting documents to foreign institutions and governments, as they provide a higher level of assurance regarding the accuracy and authenticity of the translation. Documents that could require notarisation include:
Immigration or visa applications and supporting documents.
Educational documents such as diplomas.
Birth certificates.
Marriage certificates.
What is the notarisation process?
If you require a notarized translation, you must first contact the requesting entity to discover the exact requirements for the notarisation. You should certainly check whether the notarisation should be completed in the source language country or the target language country. You should also find out whether the original documents need to be apostilled before the translation is notarised.
An apostille is government-issued certificate that confirms the authenticity of a document's signature, seal, or stamp, making it recognized for use in other countries that are members of the Hague Convention.
Once you have clarified the requirements for notarisation, contact a translation specialist with experience in this field and one that is qualified to certify the translation. You should provide them with clear scans of your documents together with digital transcriptions of any handwritten elements.
The translator will complete the translation and a certificate of accuracy, which are then presented to a notary public. The notary verifies the translator's identity and credentials, witnesses the translator's signature on the certificate, and then stamps the document with their seal. In so doing, they are attesting that the translator and their signature are genuine.
In other words, the notary does not verify the accuracy of the translation but rather the authenticity of the translator and their signature.
Notarised translation with Word Connection
We are able to provide both certified and notarised translations. Kaori Myatt is certified by the Chartered Institute of Linguists to provide certified English to Japanese and Japanese to English translations. She has an official stamp with which to certify official translations. Our team in France is also familiar with the French system of certification and can source court-certified professional translators.
We regularly produce certified translations of documents for use internationally and can have these notarised when necessary.
We can also help you to identify the nature of the translation you need. To decide whether you require a certified translation, a notarised translation and/or an apostille, we would ask that you provide the following:
An explanation of the nature of the document to be translated.
The intended purpose of the translation (what you need to use it for).
The country where you wish to use the document or documents.
When you will need to use the document or documents.
We understand that official processes can seem daunting, and that it is easy to become confused by the terminology used. Our teams are experienced specialists that can guide you through the process of translation and then provide you with the certified and notarised translations you need.
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