Dubai is a lively cosmopolitan city whose legal and official procedures depend largely on paperworks. In the UAE, which recognizes Arabic as its official language, most legal documents drawn in other languages have to be translated into Arabic to be presented in courts and government departments as well as before regulation authorities. Legal translation is not only convenient, but it is also the law.
In case you are an immigrant filing an application in contracting a visa, a company incorporating, or a lawyer plotting a court plea, you have probably wondered: Who provides legal translation in Dubai? In this blog, we tear down the information on how and where to find qualified providers, what credentials to focus on, and which service to select, which suits your particular legal needs.
Concept of Legal Translation Dubai
Legal translation can be defined as the translation of legal documents, e.g. a contract, court of law decision, power of attorney, or certificate, into another language but in the same tone, legal sense and with the same meaning. These translations will have to be complete with translators taking the certifying and licensing test by the UAE Ministry of Justice. The government usually accepts and recognizes only the translation carried out by the identified professionals with government-approved certifications and qualified to the court.
It is especially so given that legal translation is not necessarily a word-to-word translation. It also requires thorough understanding of the laws, terms and styles to be followed both in the original language and local language. Any inaccuracy or misperception may result in rejection by people with authority- or even worse, lawsuits. Therefore, it is important to select a proper one.
Who is permitted to legally provide legal translation in Dubai?
In Dubai, only legal translators who are approved by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are qualified to offer the legal translation services. These specialists should take special tests and speak the language of the UAE at the required level that meets the current laws. They are granted official translator licenses and the seal or the signature makes the translated document official.
Licensed legal translators are one of the following:
- Independent legal translators who are freelancers or who are their own licensee.
- Translation companies/ agencies own or have affiliated MoJ-approved legal translators.
It is important to mention that all translation companies are not allowed to undertake legal translation. There are those who might give quality general translation services but cannot issue legally valid translations. One should always be sure whether the translator is qualified by the Ministry of Justice and whether the stamp he uses is accepted in UAE courts and authorities.
Kinds of Providers that can offer Legal Translation in Dubai
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Translations Companies that Specialize in Legal Translations
Some companies are indulged in legal and certified translation business only in Dubai. These companies hire certified legal translators and specialize in the translation of documents to law firms, embassies, notaries as well as government customers. Their staff is normally multi-lingual legal professionals who converse fluently in the translation of contracts, legal memoranda, court related records and business agreements.
The established legal translation firms usually provide:
- MoJ certified English-Arabic and Arabic-English translation
- French-to-Danish, Urdu to Danish, German to Danish, Hindi to Danish, Chinese and other language translations.
- The format endorsed by the court and stamping documentations
- Same-day or Urgent Delivery Services
They are the perfect firms when you have critical or complicated legal documents where precision and the style are of utmost importance. Most of them also offer document pick up/delivery and electronic processing, thus leaving a smooth experience to busy professionals.
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General Translation Agencies that have the Legal Translation Departments
Legal translation is an offer of many full-service translation firms in Dubai. Although their interests can be in marketing, medical, or technical translation, they usually have legal translators who are licensed to work by the Ministry of Justice.
The given agencies might be an excellent choice of the clients who need a variety of types of translations, e.g. not only legal texts but also medical or financial ones, or who want to have some other services offered, e.g. attestation, proofreading, notarisation, or interpretation. All you have to do is make sure the particular translator you are dealing with is a certified one when it comes to your legal file.
Legal Translators on Freelance
There are also some legal translators with licence who work between themselves and who are named in official lists kept at the Ministry of Justice. These professionals can work with lawyers, emotional users of the court or those who require immediate and direct service without using a translation company.
Freelancers are more likely to meet their clients at low pricing, flexible hours, and even provide services on weekends or after hours. But they can be available and have a turnaround time which can change with the work load. Also inquire whether they are licensed to do any work and request a sample of their prior translations of cases, when submitting the work in the courts or ministries.
Possible Sources of Certified Legal Translators in Dubai
These are some of the means of finding reliable legal translation services in Dubai:
- Ministry of Justice Directory: The Ministry of Justice in UAE has its online list of licensed translators. To make sure that a translator is legally certified, one can perform a search by language pair or emirate.
- Google and Local Listings: There are numerous authoritative companies that place advertisements online having recognized reviews and portfolios. Make sure to search the term that means MoJ-certified legal translation or court-approved translation.
- Law firms and law advisors: The vast majority of law firms in Dubai labor together with particular legal translators on a regular basis. In case you are already cooperating with a lawyer he or she might help you get into contact with a good and certified one.
- Translation websites and portals: a number of professional networks in the UAE arrange meetings between clients and accredited translators. Make sure that the figure you adopt has proper MoJ credentials.
Picking the Correct Legal translation Partner
When you have short listed the providers, then just put into consideration the following:
- Certification: Never forget to determine that the translator or the translation agency is approved by the Ministry of Justice and the translation is valid in the UAE.
- Experience: Translation in law must be accurate. Seek a provider who has experience of your document type; it could be contracts, court documents or business filings.
- Confidentiality: A legal paper may be full of delicate personal or business information. Make sure that provider applies high levels of confidentiality and data protection.
- Turnaround Time: There are deadlines that go with legal filings and applications. Ensure the provider is able to address your time schedule.
- Pricing: Legal translation is in the form of word to word or page to page or document to document. Request a firm quote before any work is done on it, and any certification, delivery, or rush processing fees.
Conclusion
The quality and approved legal translations services are needed to address the complicated regulation and administration system in Dubai. Luckily, there exists a variety of professional providers to provide a quality and legally rather valid translation in the city: one can find specialized legal-translation companies, certified freelancers, etc. The trick lies in the requirement that the service must be approved by the Ministry of Justice, culturally correct and must be designed around you.
Whether it is an expat passing off personal records or a company making formulations of legal settlements, choosing a good legal translation company in Dubai guarantees its seriousness, completeness, and confidence.
