Quality control is not a subjective assessment for us. It is a concrete, repeatable checklist and a five-stage process that every official document goes through. The more critical the document - legal, medical, technical - the more stages are involved.
This process is essential when a document is used at an embassy, a consulate, a court, a company, a clinic, a university or a government authority of a foreign country. In other words, almost always.
Five stages
1. Document analysis. We establish the document type, the purpose of use, the language direction, the deadline and the form of certification required. This is where the one question is asked that saves us the most problems: who is the document for? The recipient determines both the style and the form.
2. Translation matched to the field. The document goes to an experienced translator in the relevant area - legal, medical, technical, financial or another field. If a client has several documents, one translator does all of them.
3. Terminology control. Professional terms, legal wording, medical and technical concepts and the words that matter for the field are checked. For a regular client this check is made against their term base, not a general dictionary.
4. Data verification. Names, surnames, dates, numbers, addresses, codes and official records receive special checking. This stage is mechanical on purpose: the editor compares the original and the translation item by item rather than reading them.
5. Final format and delivery. The file is checked in its final format - tables, numbering, the order of annexes, the notes marking seals and signatures. Where needed, it is prepared for notarization or an apostille.
What exactly is checked
Completeness of the document
- All pages are there, including the reverse sides
- Every seal is marked and described
- Signatures and their position
- The apostille stamp, if the document has one
- Crossed-out or corrected places
Names and spelling
- First name and surname exactly as in the passport
- The same spelling as in the client's previous translations
- Consistent geographical names
- Official names of authorities and organizations
- The company name according to the term base
Figures and codes
- Dates and their format for the target country
- Document numbers and series
- Personal numbers and identification codes
- Amounts, currency and units
- Areas, cadastral codes, medical dosages
Of everything on these lists, the most common reason an authority returns a document is the spelling of the name. If a package has three documents and the name is written differently in each, the authority sees three different people. That is why we record your spelling on your very first order and keep using the same form years later.
Typical errors and why they happen
A general equivalent of a specialist term. The most insidious error, because the text reads as grammatically flawless. In medical, legal and technical language many terms have only one correct equivalent and no synonym exists. That is why an editor always checks such a text.
Date format. A Georgian document often writes the date in words. The European form requires figures in day-month-year order, the American one month-day-year. The same figures mean two different dates in the two systems.
A missing reverse side. Many certificates have a seal, an apostille or a note on the reverse side. It is often left out when scanning, and the client forgets it too. So we check whether the document has a reverse side and ask you for it before we translate.
Loss of format. A table that has three columns in the original turned into plain text in the translation. For an official document this is a problem: the authority compares the document visually with the original, and a different structure raises suspicion.
Inconsistency within a package. When four documents are translated by four translators, the name of the same authority can come out four different ways. That is why one translator follows one client's package.
Which documents this matters most for
Legal and technical
- Contracts and their annexes
- Powers of attorney
- Court materials and judgments
- Articles of association and corporate documents
- Registry extracts
- Technical specifications
Medical
- Form 100 and medical certificates
- Diagnosis and discharge summary
- Laboratory test results
- Clinical trial documentation
- Prescriptions and doctor's orders
Official and educational
What happens if an error is found anyway
No process is infallible, and we say so openly. What is guaranteed is what happens next.
A confirmed error is corrected free of charge, in accordance with the terms of service. Write to us about which place exactly is in question, and we will send you the corrected version.
If an authority returned the document because of the translation, send us the written text of the refusal. We prepare the package again without additional payment and, if you are short of time, as a priority.
If the error is not ours - for example, there was an inaccuracy in the original or the authority changed its form - we will tell you that honestly too and show you how to resolve it. In that case the rework is priced separately, but always by prior agreement.
How to check a translation yourself, without knowing the language
Count the pages and the seals
The translation must have as many pages as the original, and every seal must be marked. If something is written on the reverse side of the original, it must appear in the translation too.
Compare every figure
Dates, document number, personal number, amounts. This is the part you can check even without knowing the language - and this is where the most costly errors happen.
Check the name against the passport
The first name and surname must match the passport letter by letter. If you have several documents, all three must use the same form.
Look at the structure
The translation must look like the original visually: the same tables, the same numbering, the same order. Authorities often compare documents side by side.
Do you have a question about a specific document or want to see what our translation looks like? Send us a photo or look at the anonymized samples.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions about quality
Does an editor check every document?
Every document goes through data verification - names, figures, dates, completeness. A separate editing stage is mandatory for legal, medical, technical and multi-page documents. On a short standard certificate these two functions are often performed at the same time.
How do I know the translation is good if I do not know the language?
Three practical signs. First - names and figures: you can check these yourself, without knowing the language. Second - structure: the translation must look like the original visually. Third - completeness: count the pages and the seals. We check all three before delivery too, but your own check is always useful.
Can I see what your translation looks like?
Yes. The translation samples page has anonymized PDF samples for different types of documents - certificates, a diploma, a contract, a medical document, notarized and apostilled versions.
Do you use machine translation?
No. We do not send the content of a client's document to artificial intelligence systems and do not use AI for translation - this is also written in the privacy policy. The whole process is done by people. In our cooperation with translators, too, delivering unedited machine translation is grounds for ending the cooperation.
My company has its own terminology. Will you take it into account?
Yes, and it is even preferable. A regular client gets a term base that records the company name, positions, product names and internal terms. If you already have established wording, send it to us - we do not change what already works for you.
Is quality control skipped on an urgent order?
No, no stage is skipped. In urgent mode the only thing that changes is that the order moves forward in the queue and more people work on it at the same time. What cannot change is the schedule of the notary and the Public Service Hall - so if you already have an appointment, write the time in your very first message, so that we tell you the real deadline and not the one you would like.
There is an error in the original. Should we correct it in the translation?
No, and this is a matter of principle. An official translation reflects the original word for word, including its inaccuracies - otherwise the documents will not match each other and the authority will become suspicious. If we notice an error in the original, we tell you before delivery so that you can have it corrected by the issuing authority. Only after that is it worth translating.
How much does quality control slow the process down?
On a standard certificate it practically does not - it is ready the same or next day. On a diploma with a supplement or a multi-page contract, the editing stage usually adds one day. Even in urgent mode this stage is not skipped - but we tell you the deadline in advance so that you can decide.