Due to the number of enquiries regarding sworn translations in the UK, I would like to demystify a popular belief that prevails amongst Polish people. In the UK, the institution of a sworn translator is non-existent, which means that this country does not issue translators with seals which are then used to authenticate a translation. We may, of course, still find in the UK sworn translators of other countries (e.g. Poland, Germany and France), but their stamp is often unnecessary for a translation to be recognised by a certain authority. Depending on the purpose of the translation, there are three other types of certified translations.

The most common type of certification is a clause written by a translator or a translation company, which states that the document is a true and accurate reflection of the original presented. This type of certification is accepted by majority of authorities and educational establishments in the UK.

With the second type of certified translations, an affidavit is sworn by a translator in the presence of a notary public or a solicitor to confirm that the translation has been executed to the best of the translator’s knowledge and ability. This is normally required for court proceedings, such as divorces.

The last type of certification is when the translation is apostilled by a government department to prove that the document is a genuine and true reflection of the original so that it can be used abroad.

To sum up, before deciding on a given type of certification, it is best to clarify with a particular organisation or authority what type of translation they require. It is also important to note that that an affidavit and apostil can only be obtained for an extra fee paid by a commissioning party.