The United Arab Emirates, which is based in Abu Dhabi, has a legal system that greatly emphasizes on accuracy, procedure fairness, and consistency of language- this is especially so in cases where bureaucratic documents are concerned. Legal translation can be a curse to citizens and corporations going through legal channels, immigration processes, academic or commercial work, among others. You may be providing a birth certificate as part of your visa application or writing a commercial contract or lodging a court case. Whatever the situation, proper translation of your documents will no doubt have a direct effect on your successful application or case proceedings.
Abu Dhabi has stringent regulatory wings that govern legal translation, and it involves the interpretation of the laws and does not only involve language fluency. It is a certified procedure that is accepted in government institutions and courts, unlike the general process of translation. This guide tells you how to go about it, how it is charged and the regulations and rules of official documentation of legal translation services in Abu Dhabi so that you can be prepared and ready on what to expect.
What is Legal Translation, and When Is it Necessary?
Legal translation entails the translation of official documents to or out of Arabic as official language in the UAE in a way that does not go contrary to government rules. In Abu Dhabi the process is controlled by the UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ) which issues a license to translators who are to be qualified to provide legal translations. UAE authorities only accept translation that has been done by a translator with official approval at the MOJ.
Different cases in which a legal translation is needed are numerous since they include:
- The immigration and visa processing applications
- Marriage or divorce or the submission of birth certificates
- A lawsuit (whether civil, criminal, family or commercial)
- Licensing and creation of Company
- Degree recognition Academic equivalency
- Labour disputes and employment contracts
When the original and not being Arabic is of any other language like English, French, German, Russian, Urdu, Hindi, among others, they need to have been transliterated legally to Arabic so that they can be accepted by the government departments or judicial establishment of Abu Dhabi. The same way, Arabic documents that require submission at a foreign country or have to be used abroad should be translated not only to the other laws but also may require subsequent notarization or embassy certification.
Learning about the Legal Translation Process in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi has organized its legal translation procedure in a clear way, where every action fulfills a certain regulating or procedural reason. The most important steps are the following:
Document Preparation
Prior to translation, it is necessary to see that the document is final and attested. When the given document is a foreign-issued one, notably a birth certificate or academic transcript, it might need to be attested by the authorities of the country where it was produced first, then subjected to the process of authentication in the UAE Embassy and, lastly, by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC).
MOJ-Approved Translator (c)
Then the document should be translated into Arabic (or other language, according to the need) by a licensed translator at the Ministry of Justice of UAE. Such translators are those that have been blessed by the law, as they have the authority to create translations that will be held in the courts as well as the departments of immigration, embassies and other authorities.
Certification and Stamping
After the translation has been done, the translation office grants a certification stamp which defines that the document is correct and valid by law. This stamp has the license number of the translator and the MOJ reference number of approval.
Submission respected office
The document that is more than translated under the law is then presented to the authorizing party be it an immigration office, court, educational institution or government department. When the document is originally a foreign issued one, then a copy of the original language document is normally submitted together with the translation in Arabic.
All these steps guarantee that translated document contains the same legal value as that of the original and thus can be used without qualms in official, and lawful circles within Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE
Pricing What to Expect
The price of legal translation in Abu Dhabi is not standard needed to predetermine by a range of factors, among which the type of the document, number of words, urgency, and language pair are the most common. Nevertheless, some basic rules regarding price can be at hand:
- In case of standard documents, e.g. birth or marriage certificate, or diploma, or ID Card, the average translation rate is AED 100-AED 200/ page.
- Contracts with more sophisticated language, court orders or contracts and technical documents involving a more advanced language or more words could be more expensive to scan i.e. AED 250 to AED 400 per page may be charged depending on their complexity.
- Same day or urgent services can be charged a further 20 to 50 percent markup of the base cost.
- Should there be any additional service such as notarization, MOFA attestation or legalization by the embassy, then that additional service would be charged extra.
Legal translation companies with a sound reputation in Abu Dhabi usually carry out free document assessment, so that the correct quotation can be given and the turnaround time ascertained. The time usually taken to do most certified translations of standard documents is between 1 and 3 days of business whilst urgent ones can be accommodated in 24 hours.
Approval Protocol and Regulatory Control
The Abu Dhabi legal translation industry is regulated by the well defined standards of approval provided by the UAE ministry of justice. The legal translations are allowed to be done only by translators who have passed the MOJ certification exams and have relevant licenses. This regulation makes sure that general translation of documents is not merely linguistically but it is also legally viable.
When selecting a legal translator or translation company it is important to ensure that:
- The fact that the translator is MOJ-approved
- That the office has the license to work in Abu Dhabi
- That the official stamp and reference number is shown in the translation
Moreover, some government institutions, including Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, and Department of Health-Abu Dhabi, can possibly require a particular formatting or documentation system. If you hire the services of an experienced office to do legal translation the office will be familiar with such agency specific expectations and can advise you appropriately.
Additionally, most legal translation agencies in Abu Dhabi offer services via distance now, so even you can upload the documents over the Internet, get the certified copies delivered by courier and carry out the whole practice without even entering the office physically thus making a great benefit to those who do not have much time to spare.
Final Thoughts
The legal translation in Abu Dhabi is much more than a language exercise, it is a legal service which actually has real consequences to your legal affairs in the UAE. Be it an expatriate who is sending official documents or business manager sealing cross-border contracts or a legal practitioner sending court filings, a qualified translator approved by MOJ will make sure that your documents are in compliance, trustworthy, and valid with law.
Learning about the entire legal translation process, including preparation of documents and creating prices, regulatory approvals, etc., will assist in avoiding the delays or refusals of the translation and dealing with increased expenses. With the help of such a legal translation professional happy to know the specifics of the governmental and legal bodies of Abu Dhabi, your documents will get everything necessary to fit in unique circumstances and support your goals in a respective way.
