Short answer: the corporate documents most often translated are the trade registry gazette, the signature circular, the activity certificate, the tax certificate, and the balance sheet and income statement. Because most of them are used abroad, notarisation and an apostille are added on top of the sworn translation.
What sets corporate files apart from personal ones is that the documents cross-refer to each other. If the company title is translated one way in the registry gazette and another in the signature circular, the other side sees two different companies.
Which document, and when
| Document | What it shows | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Trade registry gazette | Incorporation, title, capital, changes in ownership | Tenders, foreign partnership, branch opening |
| Activity certificate | That the company is active and its current registry status | Tenders, banks, consulates |
| Signature circular | Who may sign for the company, and within what limits | Contracts, powers of attorney, banking |
| Tax certificate | Tax registration | Tenders, commercial correspondence |
| Balance sheet and income statement | Financial position | Tender qualification, credit, investors |
| Authorisation / power of attorney | Authority to represent | Representation abroad, litigation |
| ISO and quality certificates | System certification | Technical qualification in tenders |
| Reference and completion certificates | Past project experience | Experience criteria in tenders |
Which of these are required is determined by the tender specification or the other party's request list. Adding extra documents does not strengthen a file; anything not listed in the specification is usually not assessed.
Terminology consistency is a legal matter
Translating the same concept two ways in a corporate file is not merely a question of style. Concretely:
- Company title. If "Anonim Şirket" appears as "Joint Stock Company" in one document and "Corporation" in another, the other side questions whether the legal entity is the same. The title is agreed once and stays fixed across the file.
- Signing authority. In a signature circular, the distinction between signing severally and signing jointly determines whether a contract is valid. These two cannot be translated approximately.
- Capital and shares. "Capital", "paid-in capital" and "registered capital" are different line items and cannot substitute for one another.
- Address. The address in the registry gazette and the one in the activity certificate must be carried across identically.
This is why we take corporate files as a whole rather than piece by piece, and keep a term list specific to your company. Once the list exists it carries into all your later work, so your documents speak with one voice even when different translators are involved.
Layers of certification: which do you need?
The typical chain for corporate documents is:
- Sworn translation. The translator's signature and seal.
- Notarisation. Certification that the signature belongs to that translator.
- Apostille. International certification of the notary's signature, for countries party to the Hague Convention.
- Consular legalisation. Used instead of an apostille for countries outside the Convention.
How far up the chain you go is decided by whoever is requesting the document. If the specification says "notarised and apostilled", you go to the third layer; if it says only "certified translation", the first may be enough.
The distinction affects cost directly: every layer is a separate expense and a separate day. Send us the wording from the specification and we will keep you from paying for layers you do not need.
Timing for tender files
Tender calendars are not flexible, and files are not accepted after the closing time. A safe plan is built backwards:
- Closing time. Mind the time zone stated in the specification.
- Courier. For delivery abroad, allow for customs.
- Apostille. The authority's processing time.
- Notarisation. The notary's workload.
- Translation. Depends on page count and language pair.
- Obtaining the documents. Getting a current registry gazette and activity certificate.
The step most often skipped in practice is the sixth: if the registry gazette you hold carries an old date, the other side may ask for a current copy and the chain restarts.
Document freshness
For corporate documents, the date matters as much as the content. Counterparties usually expect activity certificates and registry records to be recent. A document that was apostilled but has expired by the delivery date is invalid along with its whole certification chain.
For long-running files the practical answer is to obtain date-sensitive documents (such as the activity certificate) at the end of the chain, and prepare fixed-date documents (such as the incorporation gazette) at the start.
Confidentiality
Balance sheets, income statements, ownership structures and contract texts are trade secrets. Documents you send for translation are used solely to perform the service and are not shared with third parties. If you would also like a confidentiality agreement signed, simply say so at the outset. Many of our corporate clients prefer this.
What to send for a quote
- The relevant section of the specification or request list
- Scans of the documents to be translated
- Target language and destination country
- The layer of certification required (sworn / notarised / apostilled)
- The deadline
- Any terminology preferences your company has used before
With these six in hand we can prepare a single itemised quote, so you see what the total is made of and which items are optional.