Technical, business and medical translation, certified for the receiving authority
In short
Specialised translation splits into three groups with different requirements: (1) technical and engineering material such as specifications, manuals and safety standards; (2) business and legal material such as contracts, financial statements and powers of attorney; and (3) medical material such as medical certificates, treatment histories and test results. The deciding factor is the receiving authority. Australian bodies normally expect a translation by a NAATI-certified translator; documents used in Thailand or lodged with an embassy usually need the Department of Consular Affairs to certify the translation, and some private documents must first pass a Notarial Services Attorney. We build a project glossary and review every file twice, but we never guarantee the receiving authority's decision.
Fields we cover
Technical and engineering
Manuals, material specifications, drawings, safety standards and product certificates, where terminology and units must stay consistent across the whole set.
Business and legal
Contracts, financial statements, board resolutions, company certificates and powers of attorney. Binding wording is rendered literally, never interpreted.
Medical and health
Medical certificates, treatment histories, laboratory results, prescriptions and insurance claim documents, keeping drug names, units and reference ranges exactly as in the source.
Academic and intellectual property
Research papers, theses and IP filings, preserving citation structure and field-specific terminology.
How the work runs
Identify the receiving authority first
The certification format depends on the receiver, not the document type, so we need to know the body, the country and whether paper or digital delivery is required.
Build a project glossary
Agree terminology, organisation names, job titles and units in advance so every file in the set matches.
Translate and review twice
A translator in that field drafts, a second reviewer checks substance and figures, then formatting is matched to the source.
Match the certification to the receiver
NAATI for Australian bodies, Department of Consular Affairs legalisation for use in Thailand or embassy lodgement, and a Notarial Services Attorney for certain private documents.
Where projects go wrong
- • Inconsistent terminology between files in the same submission, which undermines credibility.
- • Errors in figures, units or medical reference ranges.
- • Smoothing contract language until the legal meaning shifts.
- • Leaving seals, signatures or endnotes untranslated.
- • Choosing a certification format the receiving authority does not accept.
Frequently asked questions
Do technical and official documents use the same translators?
Not necessarily. Official records require exact form and authority names; technical work requires field terminology. We assign by field and share a glossary when files belong to one submission.
Do medical documents need a doctor's endorsement?
The source should be issued by a clinician or facility with the practitioner's registration number. The translation is the translator's responsibility; some receivers require additional certification, so check the requirement first.
Can a translated contract be enforced directly?
A translation is supporting material, not a replacement for the original. Courts and counterparties may designate which language version governs, so state this in the contract itself.
Which file formats can I send?
Scanned PDFs, native source files and clearly legible photographs. Send native files for tables or engineering drawings so the layout can be reproduced closely.
Does specialised work take longer?
Usually longer than standard civil records, because of glossary work and substantive review. We quote a working-day range after seeing the actual files.
How is confidentiality handled?
Access is limited to the assigned translator and reviewer, and we can sign a confidentiality agreement on request.
Official sources
Related pages
Reviewed August 2026. General information about document preparation, not legal or medical advice. Confirm requirements with the receiving authority before you act.