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In today’s cosmopolitan world, many individuals grow up learning to speak more than one language fluently; whether as a result of growing up in a bilingual home, moving to a country that speaks a different language than their native one at an early age or through attending classes and studying languages in school or in an extra-curricular setting. Perhaps even through having a minder of baby-sitter who speaks to them in another language. 

However, being able to fluently speak more than one language doesn’t automatically mean that person can act as a certified translator. Oftentimes, translation is needed for legal documents and papers – such as birth certificate translation. Legal documents require an approved or certified translator to ensure that nothing is overlooked or misinterpreted and this is for the benefit of the person requiring the translation as much as to aid the institution that may be processing the documents as part of a visa application or similar.

In Ireland, you can become a certified translator through the Irish Translators and Interpreters Association. Gaining this certification enables you to legally translate, stamp and certify documents intended for use in a legal or official context and that require certification. The ITIA is the only professional body representing translators in Ireland and offers a procedure that allows Professional Members of the ITIA to put themselves forward for assessment.

Requirements

In order to be certified by the ITIA, you must be a professional member of the ITIA, you must have at least five years of professional experience as a translator and/or interpreter and you must successfully complete two test translations.

The list of official documents that require Certified Translation includes: