Posted on: January 26, 2022 by admin
A birth certificate is your most valuable identification document and the primary one issued by the province or state and country where you were born as a citizen. It represents your birth registration in the native language of the country in which you were born. However, being born on foreign soil does not automatically make someone a citizen of that country. Citizenship is based on the parents’ nationality and your birth certificate will reflect that.
Australia is an English speaking country and birth certificates that are not in English are not legally recognised here. They require a birth certificate translation to be valid. So, why would you need your birth certificate here? We’ve put together various scenarios and their common uses in Australia below.
The general purpose of a birth certificate is to identify a person. A birth certificate also serves as a basic proof of citizenship and is often required as identification for government services or applying for other personal documents such as legal ID, education, marriage, divorce, bank loans and conducting business.
There are various reasons for using a birth certificate, so it won’t surprise you that they have multiple requirements on whether you need it translated or not. For the more important matters such as migration, legal and business, you may be required to have it translated by a NAATI approved translator. NAATI stands for The National Accreditation Authority For Translators And Interpreters. It’s an Australian standard organisation responsible for setting, maintaining, and promoting professional standards for translators and interpreters. A NAATI certification demonstrates that the translator meets the professional translation standards.
You might wonder how to select a translator. On top of looking for an experienced translator, there are various factors to consider, which include speed, price, quality, experience and whether they are certified or not. We’ve broken these down further below.
Like most things, projects have a deadline. If you are on a tight timeline or have a specific time you’d like your project completed, this should be discussed and agreed on upfront. Most services offer a fast translation service, so discuss this in your initial correspondence if your project is urgent.
There are various certified businesses that are capable of translating legal documents for you. Do your research to compare prices and quality before going ahead. We touch on the cost of birth certificate translation below.
When engaging in a translator, you will get what you pay for. Price and speed should not be the only factors you consider. The bottom line is you want your document translated correctly.
We always recommend using an experienced translator. A translator doesn’t develop their skill sets overnight so it is important to enquire about your translators academic and real-life experience. Translation should be practised in an academic environment and requires a substantial amount of time to develop fluency. Relevant experience can speed up and improve translation time. Along with translation experience, a good translator should have an education on the relevant language and be NAATI certified.
To be a professional translator, years of practice, dedication and study are required. On top of specialising in a specific sector such a law and immigration. A translator should be fluent in multiple languages, have a degree in translation, have years of work experience and have strong literacy skills. An endorsed course and certified provisional interpreter qualification from NAATI is also strongly recommended.
Translating a birth certificate generally cost between $65 to $100. The price will vary depending on the language, timeframe, certificate format (digital or hard copy) and complexity of your document. Again, this is something that you should clarify before getting started. It allows you to provide all your requirements and information to ensure a smooth translation process.
We hope that this gives you a good understanding of what a birth certificate is, its use, and what’s involved when translating it. Speak Your Language is an Australian owned translation and interpretation service provider. If you are looking to have your birth certificate translated, reach out to our team today for a non-obligatory quote.
