In today’s globalized world, you must often translate your documents for immigration purposes. One of the most important documents is a loved one’s death certificate. A translated death certificate is an essential requirement when you are settling someone’s estate in a foreign land or marrying again after your previous spouse’s death in a different country.
If you wish to know how to get a death certificate translated, then read this blog. You will find all the crucial details about accurately translating this critical document.
What are Death Certificates?
Most of the countries in the world issue death certificates after a person’s demise. These certificates are made to prove that a person is no longer alive. Usually, a medical practitioner will issue this doc, or the deceased’s family members will ask the government to issue one.
Even in the cases of stillbirth, a death certificate is issued. This vital document is used to resolve the issues related to a person’s belongings, estate, and inheritors. It contains information like:
- Name of the deceased person
- Time of the person’s death
- Date of death
- A place where they breathed their last
- Cause of death
However, in some cases, a death certificate isn’t sufficient, and you may need to present an adequately translated copy of this document. Many legal documents need to be translated when a person is leaving the country or marrying in another country; for instance, you cannot remarry in Italy without presenting the previous spouse’s English-to-Italian death certificate.
Let’s review some other cases where submitting translated death certificates is a must:
- Immigration: If you have deceased family members, such as parents, children, or spouses, you must translate their death certificates. The same is true if you submit an immigration application on someone’s behalf.
- Marriage: If you’re remarrying in America and had a spouse in Mexico, for instance, then the USCIS would ask you to prove the lost spouse’s status. You could do that by getting the spouse’s death certificate translated from Spanish to English.
- Estate: If a deceased person was a citizen of multiple countries and their estate has to be settled now, you would have to get their death certificate translated. That’s a must if various languages are spoken in these countries.
- Burial: If a person dies in a different country and you want to repatriate their remains, you should get their death certificate translated for burial/cremation in their home country.
- Banking: If a deceased person had a bank account in another country, you must translate their death certificate to close that account, especially if people speak a different language in that region.
What does a Certified Translation Mean?
Who would you even hire to rewrite a death certificate word for word in another language? Someone with professional training in this art form should translate a document. You can’t just pick up a dictionary, open Google Translate, and start typing away. It would help if you had a certified translation to ensure a 100% acceptance rate for the document. So, what qualifications does a certified translator have?
Many companies issue certificates to interpreters and translators interested in this line of work. So, if you want to make sure your translator is fluent in a language, ask them for certifications from any of these bodies:
- ATC (based in the UK)
- ATA (based in America)
- NAJIT (based in America)
- NAATI (based in Australia)
Is DIY Allowed?
Should you forget about hiring a certified translator and rewrite the document by yourself? What harm would it do? After all, can’t you just use Google or AI sites to rephrase the death certificate word for word in a different language?
It would help if you never attempted DIY translations of your official documents. You may be bilingual and easily translate a document from English to Spanish. However, if you need your documents translated for official business, such as immigration purposes, you must seek professional assistance. Here’s why DIY translations are not recommended:
- You may forget to translate stamps or marks necessary in a translated document.
- Proofreading isn’t a layperson’s job, and you might miss some obvious spelling errors.
- If the original document has a typo, translating it accurately can be grounds for rejection.
Why don’t AI/Google make good translators?
So, even if you speak two languages, it’s better to outsource the rewriting and translation of death certificates. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t rely on technology for this translation.
- Don’t use Google Translate: You can use Google Translate to convert your documents into another language. But don’t forget that Google Translate is only 85% accurate; there’s a 15% chance your DIY translation will be chock-full of errors.
- Don’t use ChatGPT: Using artificial intelligence to rewrite your death certificate is a big no-no. You can’t have AI jumbling words and messing with the flow of an important document. Also, AI doesn’t give an error-free translation, and the output still needs extensive proofreading.
How to Validate Death Certificate Translations?
The process isn’t complete even after a death certificate has been translated. Just like you had your death certificate notarized the first time it was issued, you must do the same for its translation. But no need to worry dear reader; a professional translation agency can help you out here as well.
The person translating a death certificate for you will also issue a document called “The Declaration and Certification of Interpreter or Translator“, to be signed by a notary. This document includes the following statements by the translator:
- Name
- Proficiency
- Registration number
- Nature of the document
- The date when the translation was done
Check out this downloadable form made in 2014 for Californians getting their documents translated into English.
What Information Do Death Certificate Translators Need?
You’re ready to hire a death certificate translator for the job now. What information would you provide them? To produce a legitimate rephrasing work, the translator must have honest, accurate, up-to-date, and complete with information about you. You should cooperate with certified translators and share the required information. Here’s what you need to tell your death certificate translator:
- The deceased person’s name
- The deceased person’s date of death
- The deceased person’s cause of death
- A copy of the original death certificate
- The name of the certificate issuing authority
How do you select the exemplary service?
A study from 2017 reveals that more than half of death certificates have significant errors. Now, imagine if official documents are prone to grave mistakes, what does it mean for their translations? That is why you should be picky about who rewrites your loved one’s death certificate in another language. Choose certified translators to do a decent job rephrasing the document.
If you are having trouble finding a decent death certificate translator, check out this simple process:
Look for Expert Translators
Go online to find the best death certificate translators out there. A simple Google search would reveal a bunch of agencies providing translation services to natives and immigrants. However, you shouldn’t just unquestioningly hire anyone; trusting unknowns with your private information is not very rational. Here are some factors you should watch out for:
- Experience: Only work with experienced translators.
- Expertise: Make sure you are working with NAATI and ATA-certified translators.
- Punctuality: They should provide a high-quality translation of the death certificatewithin 24 to 72 hours.
Search for Reviews
How do you ensure a translator’s credentials and expertise? Just look for online reviews and check out a few credible testimonials. Ask on Reddit, Quora, and other platforms, “Where to find a translation firm that offers a 100% acceptance rate with the USCIS?” Reading other people’s posts and comments is a fail-proof way to gauge customers’ happiness with a particular translation service.
You may also check out government-recommended lists of translators and pick someone to translate your loved one’s death certificate.
Submit the Death Certificate
After finding a credible translation agency, the rest of the process becomes way too easy. You have to submit the aforementioned death certificate online. An electronic copy of the death certificate would expedite the translation process only if you submit a clear picture in which the text is visible.
Make sure to add your personal information too. Mention the language used in the original certificate and the language in which it’s supposed to be translated by certified professionals.
Wait for 24 Hours
It’s time to wait for translators to gather their literary expertise and perform an excellent job. Ensure you have asked for a quote before because some translators have a 24-to-72-hour window. It would be fantastic if they could submit the translated death certificate within 24 hours. However, if you’re looking for a quick and urgent translation, it’d cost you more than the asking price.
Usually, the asking price is less than $30 per page, but urgent translations could be pricier. Ensure the translation service also provides a certificate declaring the translator’s proficiency.
Receive the Translation
Finally, you will receive an accurately translated copy of your loved one’s death certificate. You’ll usually get an electronic copy of the translated death certificate. However, you may ask for a hard copy as well. It would be delivered to your address via post (may incur extra charges).
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you know how to get a death certificate translated beyond doubt. Let’s summarize the main contents of this article. You learned that only certified translators can rewrite a document word for word in another language. You might need a translation of the death certificate to resolve settlement issues, settle inheritance affairs, or remarry in another country.
So, find a reliable translation provider online with enough experience in this field. Or, you can order a quick death certificate translation from TranslateSwift’s NAATI-certified professionals. For a modest fee, you can get your loved one’s death certificate rewritten in a different language.
With translators in 200+ languages and 10,000+ satisfied customers, TranslateSwift promises a 24-hour delivery time and a 100% acceptance rate. They will help you cross all language barriers!
FAQs – How to Get a Death Certificate Translated?
Do Death Certificates need to be Endorsed after Translation?
In most cases, translated death certificates must be endorsed, validated, notarized, and authenticated. Some companies and organizations may request translation verification to reduce the risk of scams. So, it would help if you got a notary to validate the translation before submitting it anywhere.
How much do does it cost?
The cost of translating a death certificate depends on various factors, such as the language, the urgency, the total word count, the availability of certified translators, and others. Quality translation services will charge you less than $30 per page and deliver the output in 24 hours.
Will my Documents be Treated as Confidential?
Yes, certified death certificate translators treat your information with utmost respect. That’s the good thing about working with reputable translation services. However, if you work with unknown and unapproved translators, they might share your info with third parties.
Can I Get Death Certificates Translated into any Language?
In the 21st century, you can easily hire certified translators to rewrite any document you want in several languages. In today’s fast-paced, globalized world, you can order swift translations in English, Ukrainian, Russian, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, or other dialects.
Why can’t I Translate a Certificate by myself?
You must never submit a DIY death certificate translation as official paperwork. Shoddy translation work done with Google or ChatGPT will be rejected. Always hire professional translators to work their magic on your important documents for a 100% acceptance rate.
