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Although translations are often indispensable, they are also expensive. As a customer, it is natural that you want to make sure your translation is accurate and meeting the highest standards. It is a great pity when the price is the only criterion for choosing a translator and you eventually have to pay more when problems with […]

In the context of increasing globalisation, it is becoming increasingly common for couples of different nationalities to meet and wish to marry. While a wedding in Germany is conducted in accordance with German regulations, it is important to note that this does not necessarily imply that only German law applies to the newlyweds. The legal […]

Driving licences can vary greatly depending on the country, driving category and validity. The highest degree of translation accuracy is required to ensure a result that reflects which vehicles may be driven under German law. In some cases it is necessary to add footnotes with additional explanations. The classification (declaration of conformity with German regulations) is made ex […]

Certified translations for official purposes are prepared in Germany by sworn translators. The completeness and accuracy of the translation is confirmed in accordance with Section 142(3) of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). In practice, the translator also notes whether the translation was prepared on the basis of the original document or a certified or simple […]

Translation agencies, with in-house project managers and translators are, for the most part, only appropriate for large multinational companies requiring their technical documentation or websites to be translated into various languages. The situation is different if you e.g. have a small or medium-sized company or work as a freelancer and need a translation into one […]

As a freelance translator and interpreter, I am responsible for and carry out all orders and only in my three working languages, i.e. English, German and Polish. Should you be looking for a linguist for any other language, I recommend the searching tool of the Federal Association of Translators and Interpreters BDÜ. You are safe […]

When searching for a translation service provider, you will encounter different professional titles. First, you should bear in mind the distinction between a translator and an interpreter (in German “Übersetzer” and “Dolmetscher” respectively). While translators only deal with written texts, interpreters render spoken contents into another language. The fact that neither the translator’s nor the […]

Unlike some other regulated freelance professions in Germany, translators and interpreters are not bound by any particular official fee schedule. A fixed scale of charges would be counter-productive as translation projects can vary greatly in terms of topic, scope and language combination. The only exception is the Law on the Remuneration of Interpreters and Translators […]

As the world’s foremost language English has some special characteristics. It is spoken as a first, second and foreign language in entirely different countries and contains therefore an enormous vocabulary. English spoken in Wales is distinct to the English spoken in California or Kenya. The differences are not only found in pronunciation but also in […]

In Germany it is customary to calculate prices for translation work with the help of standardised lines of text, so-called ‘Normzeilen’ consisting of 55 characters each including blanks. The number of characters in a source text (original text) or in a target text (translation) can be used as the basis for price calculation. In case […]