Certified Translation in Egypt and the Arab World
by Nader F. Mr.Certified
Translation in Egypt and the Arab World
What is certified translation?
The
concept of "certified translation" refers globally to the official
translation of various documents for submission to official authorities,
governmental and judicial departments such as courts, embassies, consulates,
and foreign missions. They accept only certified translation according
to certain criteria. The procedures and rules governing the practice of the
certified translation profession vary greatly from one country to another.
Certified
translation in Egypt
Although
some local associations do claim that they regulate the certification process
of translation providers, there is no official or recognized entity that
regulates certified
translation practice or represents the
translators or translation companies
in Egypt so far. Thus, Egypt falls on the more relaxed end of the
spectrum, where the certified translation requires only a statement from the
translator or the translation agency stating the accuracy and truthfulness of
the translation and its conformity with the original document attached. The
translated document must further be stamped and signed by the translator or
the translation
office with the translation date stated.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
To
be a certified translator in Saudi Arabia, you must get a translation license,
which is the main requirement for any translator seeking to launch a
translation business. After getting the license, the translator can
provide certified
translations of any documents for official
purposes. The certified translator/translation agency gains the confidence of
customers in terms of the quality and reliability of the translation provided.
The Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment is the authority that grants the
professional licenses necessary to practice the certified translation
profession. The following are the most important requirements:
The
applicant must be holding a bachelor degree from a recognized university where
the language of instruction is the foreign language specified in the license as
well as three years of experience in this field after obtaining the degree
- OR a bachelor
degree in the foreign language with three years of experience in
translation after obtaining the degree
- OR an
intermediate degree and a translation diploma with five years of
experience in the field of translation after obtaining the degree and
passing the examination set by the ministry
- A bachelor
degree from a recognized university with at least five years of experience
in translation after obtaining the degree and passing the examination set
by the Ministry
- OR an
intermediate degree and seven years of experience and passing the
examination set by the ministry
- OR have ten
years of experience in translation and passing the examination set by the
ministry
United Arab
Emirates
In
accordance with the decision of the Council of Ministers No. 7/2014 in the
Executive Regulation of Federal Law No. 6 of 2012 on the regulation of
the translation profession, it is prohibited to practice the
translation profession in the country unless registered in the list of
translators in the Ministry of Justice and holding a license to do so from the
competent authority in the Emirate concerned.
The
regulations set out several conditions for getting listed, including the
following:
- To be of good
manners and conduct and has never been convicted of a felony or
misdemeanor that is against honor or honesty, even if redressed
- To be fluent in
reading, writing and speaking Arabic if the translation is to and from
Arabic
- Holding a degree
from one of the recognized universities or institutes stating his
specialization in the source and target languages
- His working
experience in the field of translation shall not be less than five years
after graduation, and the UAE citizen shall be excluded from the period of
experience
- Pass the
procedures and examinations set by a resolution from the Minister
- Be fit and
healthy to perform the duties of his/her profession, and pay the
prescribed fee
- And have an
insurance contract against liability for professional errors.
- After being listed,
the translator shall take an oath before a competent circle of the Appeal
Court, provided that a swear transcript shall be placed in the
translator's file.
Kuwait
There
is no law regulating the translation profession in
Kuwait until the moment. The translator is certified by the Kuwaiti Ministry of
Justice, which requires the submission of a university degree in the field of
translation or linguistics, as well as the usual procedures for licenses and
commercial registration.
Palestine
In
accordance with Law No. 15/1995 on Translation and Translators and its
executive regulation No. 1 of 1996, legal translators shall be certified after
passing a test in legal translation and
taking an oath before the Minister of Justice. According to Minister Ali Abu
Diak, "a sworn translator is entrusted with the documents he/she
translates and the authenticity and accuracy of the legal translation approved
before the official departments and courts, stressing that translators are
partners in the justice sector and judiciary."
Tunisia
The
department of sworn translators is one of the oldest departments in the
Tunisian Ministry of Justice and was updated in 1994 in order for the
translator to practice the translation in
only one language in which he/she is to specialize. Sworn translators are
appointed by a resolution from the Minister of Justice and their names and
addresses are published in the official gazette, distributed throughout the Republic
of Tunisia and follow the courts of appeal.
For
the rest of the Arab countries, there are no established laws or rules
governing the translation profession or the certification of translators
or translation
agencies. The matter is all about the issuance of the
applicable licenses in the country, as well as the standard requirements that
are recognized worldwide. The translation accuracy statement should contain the
following information.
- A statement
confirming the completeness and accuracy of the document.
- The original
document details and source language.
- Name and
signature of the translator
- Date of
translation
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Created on Mar 11th 2020 06:08. Viewed 334 times.