How to get a certified translation of a death certificate

If a loved one passes away while abroad, you may need to have them repatriated to their home country. This can be a confusing, upsetting time. And the last thing you need is for the repatriation process to be delayed. But this can happen if the death certificate has been incorrectly translated, making it invalid for official use.

Sparrow can help you get a certified translation of the death certificate. We can also translate any other documents required for the repatriation process.

All you have to do is upload your documents and tell us what you need.We’ll then do everything we can to get the translated documents to you promptly.

To learn more about how certified translation works, see our guide below. 

What is certified translation?

A “certified” translation is one that is approved for “official” use. This means it has been translated in line with the rules of the relevant country or region. There are many types of documents that may need this kind of “official” translation. These include:

• Birth, death and marriage certificates.
• Professional or educational qualifications for working or studying abroad.
• Court records, wills, contracts and other legal documents.
• Medical records and insurance documents if an accident occurs while overseas.

In short, to use an English-language document for an official purpose in a country where another language is spoken, you may need to get an “official” translation first.

Unfortunately, it isn’t always obvious how this works. Different countries have different rules for what counts as a “certified” translation. And unless you already know what to look for, it can be hard to find out where to start.

But Sparrow is here to help. We have expert linguists who understand how certified translation works in their own languages. And we can make sure your document is handled by someone who knows exactly what to do. Let’s look at the example of translating a death certificate from English to Italian.

Certified translation of a death certificate for use in Italy

If an Italian citizen passes away in the UK, they will need to be repatriated to Italy. Before this can happen, the death certificate needs to be translated. And since a death certificate is an official document, it needs to be a certified translation.

Depending on the situation, there might also be other documents that need to be translated before repatriation can begin. And these may need to be certified as well.

In Italy, there are three rules that must be followed for official translations:

• The translator needs to prove they have the skills to provide accurate translations. This requires passing an exam or showing a qualification.
• They must also be registered with their local courthouse or consulate.
• The original and translated documents need to be witnessed and stamped by a courthouse employee.

However, finding a suitable translator can be difficult. And since courthouses sometimes keep irregular hours, it helps to find someone who knows the local system.

This is an important choice, too. If you use the wrong service, the translated document might not be accepted. And this could mean the repatriation process is delayed. You might even need to reschedule funeral or memorial plans as a result.

But Sparrow can find a qualified translator for you, saving you the need to do hours of research. And this will help ensure you avoid unnecessary delays.

Why Sparrow is the best choice for certified translations 

We have a huge network of linguists all over the world. All you need to do is tell us the details of your situation, then we can find a translator who:

• Is qualified to provide an official translation of your document.
• Understands the system involved. This means they know how to present the translated document to ensure that it is certified quickly and efficiently.

We can even contact the foreign office and your funeral director or repatriation company to find out exactly what’s needed, giving you more time to grieve. And if you need hard copies of the documents, we can organise a courier to deliver them.

In other words, with Sparrow, you can be confident your translation will be ready as soon as possible. This helps to ensure that whatever you need the document for will happen as planned. And this can offer great peace of mind during a difficult time. 

Other benefits of the Sparrow service include:

• Expert proofreading to make sure your translation is error-free.
• High standards of data security – our UK-based data centre is ISO27001 certified, so you can trust us to take care of your documents.
• A guarantee that your certified translation will be accepted by the relevant authorities. If it isn’t, you won’t be charged a penny.

In other words, we’ll do everything we can to make getting a translation stress free.

How does Sparrow work?

Getting a certified translation of a document is easy with Sparrow. Simply:

• Go to our Get a Translation page.
• Let us know the how the document will be used and who it is for (e.g. an embassy, a government department or a local authority).
• Tell us which languages to translate from and to (e.g. English to Italian).
• Upload your document and add any extra notes you have for our translators.

We’ll then send you a quote for the translation. And once approved, our expert linguists will start translating and certifying your document.

For more on how we work at Sparrow, see our FAQs page. And if you have any questions about certified translation or our services, just get in touch. We’ll respond as soon as we can with any information you need to get your documents translated.