To meet an unexpected requirement, a last-minute request or an unforeseen event, an urgent translation of a document on the same day is sometimes needed. In addition to finding a translator who is able to quickly respond to your request, you need to be assured that the translator you use is professional and skilled and will provide you with a quality service.
What is an urgent translation service?
A translation usually takes a few days. This does vary depending on the volume of the content delivered, the type of translation (e.g. certified translations of birth or divorce certificates) and the availability of translators in the language combination in question. Sometimes however, a translation is needed more urgently. An all-inclusive service guarantees delivery within 24 hours or - for one-page documents – within an even shorter time period. For translations, which require a high level of responsiveness and immediate availability, a surcharge of between 20% and 30% is generally applied, depending on the service provider.
How to meet an urgent need for translation?
To ensure the quality of a translation and to meet your deadline, you should take the following into account.
Don’t rush into choosing a translator
First and foremost, it is important not to rush into choosing the professional who will take care of your translation. Despite the pressure and urgency involved, you should take time to compare various market offers and select the most suitable translator in view of your needs.
In addition, certain offers sometimes guarantee record delivery times, but can negatively affect the quality of the translation. You should therefore check testimonials and opinions of other clients to see for yourself the professionalism of the chosen service provider. Your chosen translator must have the same skills and guarantee the same quality standards whether they are doing an urgent translation or a non-urgent translation.
Preparing the source document properly
To help the translator save time, to guarantee that deadlines are met, and at the same time to facilitate the translation, please ensure that the text of the source document is in a suitable format, is legible and comprehensible, and that the number of words corresponds to the maximum number of words indicated by the professional for such a translation.
Give precise instructions
Take a few minutes to give the service providers any instructions you may have regarding the translation. The urgency of your request should not prevent you from giving precise instructions regarding the translation.
To facilitate and speed up the translator's work, you can also brief the translator in advance or provide them with documentation that may help them understand the context and intentions of the source text.
Commissioning of experienced technical translators
And don't forget that finding a fast translation service that meets your deadline requirements should not be the only criterion when selecting a service provider.
Whether or not they are doing an urgent translation, every translator should translate into their mother tongue and be experienced in the relevant industry. Ideally, they should be based in the country where the target language is spoken.