Portuguese translation certification

Certification is one of the most important topics in the U.S. translation and interpreting industry today. Numerous articles have also been written on the subject, and, in 2003, ATA published an International Certification Study, consisting of 24 individual articles from The ATA Chronicle devoted to certification programs around the world.  

Since then, the certification issue, especially in the US, has been discussed more and more. In the US, the Portuguese translation certification, as it occurs in any other language, does not always require a real “certified translator”. As a matter of fact, many US departments just ask for a translation meeting some requirements such as:

1.      Name / contact information of the translator

2.      Affidavit paragraph stating that the translator understands both languages and that the translation is a faithful version of the original

The term certification is defined from the perspectives of different stakeholders, such as Government and other organizations. Although there is no required “Portuguese translation certification” yet, there is already a certification for translators and interpreters: “Programs that evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individuals are typically referred to as certification bodies in the credentialing world.” 2 According to this definition, any program that assesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individuals would be referred to as a certifying body.

Colleges and universities that offer interpreter training issue a certificate to students who complete a specified number of courses. The possession of such a certificate does not necessarily mean that the individuals are certified to work in the profession, but proves that they have passed the requirements of the institution's program. For this reason, most academic institutions refer to their programs as certificate programs.

Our conclusion is that although there are no clear requirements for a Portuguese translation certification, a competent translator holding credentials should be used in order to provide a trustworthy translation.