A linguist becomes an authorised translator by passing Kammarkollegiet’s authorisation examination for a specific language pair. The examination tests language skills, translation ability and understanding of translation ethics. After passing the examination, the translator receives official authorisation and the right to certify the accuracy of translations.
Requirements for authorisation
To be eligible to sit the authorisation examination, one must have a documented language competency of a very high level in both Swedish and the other language. Many applicants have completed a university education in one or both of the languages or translation. Practical translation experience is also valuable. The examination consists of translating various text types from both languages. The texts might be legal documents, medical records, technical texts or personal documents. The quality of the translations is assessed by experienced evaluators.
What authorisation entails
After passing the examination, the translator receives an authorisation number and official stamp. Authorisation is only valid for the language pair tested – a translator who wishes to work with multiple language pairs must take a separate examination for each combination. Authorised translators must follow ethical guidelines relating to confidentiality, impartiality and professionalism. They have professional responsibility for their translations and may be held accountable for errors or deficiencies.
Authorised vs professional translator
Authorisation is only required for translators who need to certify official documents. Many professional translators working with corporate communications – annual reports, marketing materials, technical manuals, etc. – are not authorised because this service isn’t always required for business documents. Professional translators at experienced language partners work to ISO standards with ISO-certified system support and deliver high-quality translations for companies without requiring authorisation. Authorised translators are a specialised service for official documents where legal certification is required. Fluid Translation is a language partner with over 20 years’ experience that can offer both professional and authorised translation. Contact us if you need help assessing which type of translation you require!