The city of Dubai has a vibrant legal and economic system, which has been appealing investors, professionals, and families worldwide. Legal translation happens to be one of the most important services which people overlook until they specifically need it due to the nature of its work in providing translation into the legal context involving a diverse society and a complicated regulatory environment. Both citizens and companies need to know what legal translation is all about and why they require it in Dubai so that they can go through the daily operation of bureaucracies and legal procedures with minimum hiccups.
Legally correct translation is mandatory whether it is the lease agreement, business start-up or immigration-related documents so that it conforms, is understandable, and legally valid and hence can be reliable as well. In this blog, we are going to find out the extent of legal translation in Dubai, regulatory criteria, and its application in personal and business applications.
What is legal translation and how is it regulated?
Legal translation can be pointed out as the authorized transfer of legal texts between two or more languages and retaining the precision of verbal meaning and legal value of the original. Legal translation has its regulatory significance when it comes to Dubai as Arabic is the official language in UAE, and the legal proceedings and all official submissions should be made in Arabic. This means that any document written in a foreign language submitted to any Authority in the UAE must carry an Arabic translation which is done by a legal translator who works under the Ministry of Justice.
Contrary to general translation, legal translation is a very narrow-oriented specialty that needs distinct familiarity with legal language, structure, and local legislation. The translator should not only be accurate in words, but also should be accurate in all legal terms, that is, the legal effect of the translated word should be exactly the same as the original. Unintentional misinterpretation or poor wording may lead to application refusal, litigation or court liability.
In Dubai, the legal translators are required to be qualified, licensed with the UAE ministry of Justice. This introduces the guarantee that their translations would be accepted by courts, governmental, free zones, notaries, and embassies.
The Legal vs Certified Translation in the UAE
It is also necessary to know that the terms legal translation and certified translation are used interchangeably but they are not identical in the legal environment of Dubai.
In a very general sense, any translation when signed and stamped by an authorized translator or an agency can be referred to as certified translation, as they state that it is accurate and complete. Academic and immigration as well as administrative documents (non-legal) are often required.
Translations that fall into the category of legal translation, however, are a special sub-category of certified translation and involve translation of legal papers only. It should be done by a translator, who successfully passed an exam held at the Ministry of Justice, is officially registered and licensed to execute the legal translation in the UAE. Devoid of such accreditation, a translation even one that is technically acceptable shall not be suitable before the courts or any other legal institutions in the UAE.
Thus, when you are working with the documents which should be used in legal practice in Dubai, make sure your provider is specifically licensed to do legal translation in Dubai and not with any certification.
Selecting the Reliable Legal Translation Service in Dubai
It is crucial to select the correct legal translation service in Dubai, considering the stakes that are involved. The question of providers is a different one: they should not only have a license but also the experience in the sphere of laws that should be applied in your situation that may be a variety of family law, corporate law, real estate, or immigration.
First check whether the translator has been approved by the Ministry of Justice in UAE. The stamp and signature they put must be authoritative as per the courts and government departments. A reputed provider will be open regarding his/her credentials and offer samples or references on demand.Second, have a look at the turn around time and responsiveness. Legal affairs are usually time sensitive and any failure to meet deadlines because of translation failure may result in monetary fines. Dubai has professional firms that tend to provide sped-up services or at least those on the very same day of emergency. Lastly, make sure the provider also has strong confidentiality requirements. Information in law documentations is sensitive. Your translation vendor should ensure confidentiality and information safety, irrespective of whether it is a merger agreement, custody document, financial statement, and so on.
Conclusion
In Dubai, legal translation is not a luxury, it is the reality as any person who will use the services at the formal, legal, and governmental levels of Dubai has to rely on such a service. To residents, there is the guarantee that personal documents held by them are accepted at immigration, the courts as well as the ministries. Among businesses, it constitutes the foundation of contracts and licenses, as well as, corporate operations.
Since the language of the legislation as well as the language of litigation in Dubai is Arabic, the official equivalence of Arabic language in Dubai provided by the law can be given only by the legally approved translator. Choosing a care provider that is not licensed might mean having delays, denials, or legal issues.
Due to the strategy that Dubai is likely to pursue to become one of the business-friendly global cities and multicultural societies, legal translation can only continue to acquire more and more significance. Filing a court case, opening a company and sponsoring a family member are just a few of the situations in which it is important to remain compliant, and not only because it is the law, but because it keeps you safe, as well as ready.
