Certified translations

An Authorised Translator is a translation specialist who has been authorised to certify the legal validity of translations pursuant to the Authorised Translators Act (Laki auktorisoiduista kääntäjistä, no. 1231 of 2007). This authorisation is granted on application only to adults who have demonstrated a high standard of translation skills in a public examination or other academic test, and who also satisfy certain other criteria. It is a punishable offence to use the title of Authorised Translator without proper authorisation.

A translation made by an Authorised Translator is presumed valid for legal purposes unless it is shown to be mistaken. It includes a declaration signed by the translator, and a copy of the source document is permanently attached to the translation. In some cases (such as offprints from official records) it may be possible to attach an original source document or a copy made and certified by a public authority. The translator should always determine the relationship between the source material used and the original document, and should explain this in the signed declaration.

Only the original signed translation is certified and various security features may be included to discourage forgery and document laundering.

Authorised Translators are legally bound not to disclose or use any information that comes to their knowledge while serving in this capacity. This means that there is no need to conclude a separate non-disclosure agreement when using the services of an Authorised Translator.

The need for a translation certified by an Authorised Translator depends on the purpose for which the translation will be used. Such translations are typically required for legal proceedings, applications to public authorities, or formal processes involving banks or substantial commercial interests. Certified translations are also sometimes requested for accessing educational or career opportunities.

It is often preferable to circumvent the need for certification in various ways. For example some official certificates can nowadays be issued as originals in English, and documents such as joint wills and prenuptial agreements may be drawn up as bilingual originals to be signed by both parties. If a business agreement specifies Finnish law as the law of application and a judicial or arbitration venue in Finland, then it is highly unlikely that a certified translation into English will ever be required, and it is preferable in such cases to request an uncertified translation.

Certification alone imparts no significant additional quality to a translation, but merely creates a presumption of legal validity in the event that the document is used in certain official processes.

TK-Teknokieli

Lammaskuja 2 B 21

FI-01710 Vantaa

Tel. +358 50 559 9519

english@teknokieli.fi

	Certified translations
	An Authorised Translator is a translation specialist who has been authorised to certify the legal validity of translations pursuant to the Authorised Translators Act (Laki auktorisoiduista kääntäjistä, no. 1231 of 2007). This authorisation is granted on application only to adults who have demonstrated a high standard of translation skills in a public examination or other academic test, and who also satisfy certain other criteria. It is a punishable offence to use the title of Authorised Translator without proper authorisation. A translation made by an Authorised Translator is presumed valid for legal purposes unless it is shown to be mistaken. It includes a declaration signed by the translator, and a copy of the source document is permanently attached to the translation. In some cases (such as offprints from official records) it may be possible to attach an original source document or a copy made and certified by a public authority. The translator should always determine the relationship between the source material used and the original document, and should explain this in the signed declaration. Only the original signed translation is certified and various security features may be included to discourage forgery and document laundering. Authorised Translators are legally bound not to disclose or use any information that comes to their knowledge while serving in this capacity. This means that there is no need to conclude a separate non-disclosure agreement when using the services of an Authorised Translator. The need for a translation certified by an Authorised Translator depends on the purpose for which the translation will be used. Such translations are typically required for legal proceedings, applications to public authorities, or formal processes involving banks or substantial commercial interests. Certified translations are also sometimes requested for accessing educational or career opportunities. It is often preferable to circumvent the need for certification in various ways. For example some official certificates can nowadays be issued as originals in English, and documents such as joint wills and prenuptial agreements may be drawn up as bilingual originals to be signed by both parties. If a business agreement specifies Finnish law as the law of application and a judicial or arbitration venue in Finland, then it is highly unlikely that a certified translation into English will ever be required, and it is preferable in such cases to request an uncertified translation. Certification alone imparts no significant additional quality to a translation, but merely creates a presumption of legal validity in the event that the document is used in certain official processes.

	TK-Teknokieli, domiciled in Vantaa, Finland Business ID: 1051395-0