Individuals
[1ST level]
You are an individual and you need a certified translation.
All our translations are certified and notarized. This provides the highest level of translation certification for use in the U.S. It means also that an apostille can be obtained on our translations when requested by an authority in the receiving country or consulate.
3 easy steps
[2nd level]
[view samples, including long form/short form]
Birth Certificate
Translation of birth certificates, done by a reputable firm and followed by an affidavit of accuracy (or translation certification) are accepted in the US. Other countries most often accept translations that conform to the standards of the country where the translation originated.
Be aware that New York birth certificates come in two formats, a short form and a long form (see specimens).
The short-form birth certificate is essentially an extract of the long-form certificate. It is widely accepted as long as the parents’ names are mentioned. When an apostille is required, you need to request the long form birth certificate as well as a letter of exemplification (see Apostille for birth and death certificate). If an Apostille is requested on the translation (often a requirement for applications for dual citizenship by the Belgium and Italian Consulates as well as other authorities), the notarized translation can be apostilled (see Obtaining an Apostille for a translation).
[see Specimens]
- Specimen_short form New York birth certificate_into French
- Specimen_long form New York birth certificate_into French
- Specimen_New Jersey birth certificate_into Italian
- Specimen_Marseilles birth certificate_into English
Your translated document will look very much like the original including the translation of stamps and seals and the notation of signatures. We pay a particular attention to the look of the translated documents. A translation done with care that is complete and easy to read is a plus for any application.
Prenuptial Agreement
- Legal
Marriage Certificate
See Apostille for Marriage certificate, Getting Married in France and Getting Married in Bora Bora
Divorce
When one party in a U.S.-granted divorce is a French citizen, the latest requirements listed by the French Embassy is Washington DC requires translation into French of the divorce as well as an apostille on the translation for the divorce to be registered and officially recognized in France. (For instructions in French see: http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/IMG/pdf/divorce-2.pdf ). In our experience, a document, which attests that no appeal was filed must be translated as well (see Registration in France of a New York or New Jersey Judgment of Divorce).
Death Certificate
Same process as for a birth certificate.
Will and Testament
- Legal.
Diploma and Grade Transcripts
- Education
Immigration & Citizenship, Power of Attorney, Criminal Record, Tax Documents and other Documents: same process as above.
[Glossary - Terms in the Domain]
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Affidavit |
A voluntarily declaration of facts written down and sworn by the declarant before an officer authorize to administer oaths, such as a notary public. |
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Affidavit of Accuracy |
Statement of completeness and accuracy signed by the translator or a translation agency representative. This statement, signed if required before a notary public, attests that the translator or translation company representative believes the target-language text to be an accurate and complete translation of the source-language text. |
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Affidavit of Kinship |
Common translation —with “affidavit of next of kin” or “affidavit of heirship”— of the French acte de notoriété and certificat d’hérédité. It includes the names, residences and relationship of all next of kin. (See Devolution of Inheritance). |
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Affidavit of Law and Custom |
Statement about U.S. marriage laws certifying that an American citizen is free to contract marriage in France and that its marriage will be recognized in the United States. In French certificat de coutume. more v Some mairies may ask for an affidavit of law issued by an attorney licensed to practice in both France and the United States. The Affidavit of Law is prepared on the basis of the attorney's examination of the individual's documentation (divorce decree, death certificate of spouse, etc.,) and verification and citation of the applicable marriage laws of the United States. Such a certificate may be required also by a French notaire or a bank for the purpose of estate settlement (see Devolution of Inheritance). Also said “affidavit of foreign law” and more rarely “foreign legal opinion”. |
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Affidavit of Single Status |
Sworn statement which affirms that the person named is not already legally married and is free to marry under the laws of the country that requires the affidavit. Also called “affidavit of marital status”, “certificate of celibacy”, “certificate of non-impediment” and “certificate of freedom to marry”. Need to be signed before a notary public. In French certificat de célibat) |
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Apostille |
Department of State authentification attached to a notarized and county-certified document for possible international use. more v An apostille ensures that public documents issued in one signatory country of the Hague Convention will be recognized as valid in another signatory country. The sole function of the apostille is to certify the authenticity of the signature on the document, the capacity in which the person signing the document acted and the identity of any stamp or seal affixed to the document. U.S. vital records (birth, marriage, death) and judgments of divorce submitted to the French Consulate to be transcribed and registered, must be accompanied by an apostille. An apostille is issued by the Secretary of State. It is a one-page document embossed with a seal and showing the facsimile signature of the official issuing the certificate. |
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Certificate of Accuracy See Affidavit of Accuracy |
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Certificate of Non-Appeal |
Document attesting that neither party filed an appeal within the required delay and that the divorce is final and irrevocable. |
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Certified Translation |
In the US, a certified translation is a translation which is followed by a statement of completeness and accuracy (called an affidavit of accuracy or Translator's Certification) signed by the translator along with his or her contact information. If requested, it can be signed before a notary public. The notary seal assures that the signature is that of the person whose name is listed as the translator and who has appeared before the notary. The notary public does not vouch for the accuracy of the translation but instead serves only to prove that the translator is the person who signed the document. Any translation that requires an apostille must be signed before a notary public. Note that more and more translations signed before a notary public who understands French language are accepted in France. |
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Certified Translator |
In contrast to many other countries, in the United States there is no federal or state licensing or certification for translators. more v There are some credentials available to translators working in some language pairs in this country, but they do not carry the same weight–in the marketplace or in the translation community–as federal licensing or certification in other countries, like in France, where official translation, among them vital records (actes d’état civil) are carried out by sworn translators (see traducteurs assermentés) Note that any translator and any translation company representatives, regardless of credentials, may “certify” a translation in this way. A translator does not need to be “certified” in order to provide a “certified translation.” It is also important to realize that the notary public seal assures only that the signature is that of the person who presented him or herself to the notary; The notary public is not attesting to the accuracy of the translation. Note than more and more translations signed before a notary public who understands French language are accepted in France. |
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Department of State |
Office of the Secretary of State in New York State —not to be confused with the Secretary of State and the Department of State at the federal level. The Secretary of State is the chief clerk of the State. She/He issues apostilles. |
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Legalization of a signature |
We are sometimes asked to have our signature legalized by the French Consulate. We sign our translation before the delegated consular official at the Consulate who, much like a notary public, establishes the veracity of the signature only, and not that of the document. |
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Letter of exemplification |
Page attached to a New York City long form birth certificate or death certificate. It is hand-signed by a deputy city registrar and attests that the attached birth certificate or death certificate is a true copy of the actual record. |
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Long form Birth Certificate |
Certified photocopy or “vault copy”. Exact reproduction of the original birth record. It contains additional information: parents names, address and profession, name of the physician or midwife, name of the declarant and, in some States, surprising information — duration of the pregnancy and age of the mother at birth, weight of the birth, medication, level of education, race, etc. Birth certificate were and still are used as a data mine for statitical studies of the population. (See Specimen_long form New York birth certificate_into French). |
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Notaire |
The notaire is a public official responsible for receiving all the actes and contracts to which the parties wish to confer the seal of authenticity, to assure their date, to hold them in trust and to deliver authentic copies of them. more v The legal training and authority of a notaire in France and a notary public in the United States are quite different. A notaire is part of the French legal system. Notaires follow legal studies much like American lawyers do. They receive and draft legal instruments, contracts, and other important documents to give them the official weight that is often required by the receiving party. |
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Notary Public |
Public officer appointed or commissioned by a top official of their state constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters. The most typical notarial transactions involve the execution (signing) of documents. In order for documents requiring a notarial act to be properly executed, the signer must physically appear before the notary, prove his/her identity to the notary, and acknowledge his/her comprehension of the document and willingness to sign or swear/affirm that the contents of the document are true. The term notary public only refers to common-law notaries and should not be confused with civil-law notaries. |
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Power of Attorney |
A writing authorizing one to act for another. |
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Service central de l’état civil de Nantes |
The Service central d'état civil (SCEC) is the central civil registry service which centralizes the vital records of French foreign born. |
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Short form Birth Certificate |
Abstract of the long-form certificate. The short form mentions the child’s name, date of birth, sex, place of birth. Some include the parent’s names. The short-form birth certificate is a notarized document stating that the long form certificate exists and is on file (its file number corresponds with the file number on the original long form certificate). For most purposes, a short birth certificate will be sufficient. (See Specimen_short form New York birth certificate_into French). |
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Traducteurs assermentés |
In France, sworn translators registered on a list drawn up by the Cour de cassation (highest court in France) or a cour d'appel (court of appeals). The title is protected by law. |
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Vital Records |
Records of life events kept under governmental authority. |
[Articles - We Inform]
- Declaration to Conserve Belgian Nationality
- Apostille for Birth or Death Certificates
- Apostille on a Translation
- Getting Married in France
- Getting Married in French Polynesia
- Vérification d’opposabilité d’un jugement de divorce rendu à l’étranger
- NY or NJ Registration of Divorce
- Walking Route to Obtain an Apostille in NYC.
[Forms]
- Affidavit of Single Status
- Apostille Request Form
- Application for a of a Death Record
- Birth Certificate Request Form
- Certificat de coutume template
- Letter of Exemplification for New York
- Mail Request for Marriage Records
- Lettre au Procureur de la République
- New York Death Certificate application
- New York Birth Certificate application
- New Jersey Certificate of Non-Appeal)
- New York Search Certificate (Certificate of Non-Appeal)
- Registration of a Divorce in France
[Articles - We Help (to come)]
- Apostille service
- Birth Certificate
- Getting Married in France
- Judgment of Divorce
- Death Certificate
[testimonials]
“Simply the best in NYC! Lovely couple and efficient, high quality work. Will never go anywhere else!”
Allison D., Manahattan, NY
“Excellent service. They translated 5 documents in 48 hours for a very reasonable price. They also sent me some additional official copies in less than 2 hours after a very urgent and unexpected request from the emigration administration. Thanks to their reactivity, I got all the approvals all I was looking for without them I would have probably lost a few weeks in long and stressful administrative process. They are reactive. Service oriented and professional. I highly recommend them.”
Cyrille Carillon, Manahattan, NY
“A & R recently handled a document translation project for me and they did a great job. They were helpful on the phone explaining logistics and pricing, and they did the work based on document scans before confirming with hard copies, which really speed things up. The translations look fantastic, and they were legalize-able by the French Consulate a few blocks away, so if that's what you need to have done, this is the place you want to go.”
Melmoth K. Yardley, PA
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the amazing work you have done for us in such short notice. We are completely satisfied, and are looking forward to be working with you again.”
Nathalie Bastien, Preble-Rish, Inc
“My husband and I have used Ammon & Rousseau Translations on numerous occasions. We have always found Didier and Lenora to be extremely helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and informative, and willing to answer any questions we have. Our translations are always completed in a timely manner and mailed directly to our home. We will continue to use Ammon and Rousseau for any future translations we have. We highly recommend their services. Helpful. Friendly and knowledgeable.”
Mary G., Cherry Hill, NJ
“We have been using the services of A&R for years. They have always been extremely efficient, professional, and were always kind and accommodating. I recommend anyone to use them for any translations. ”
Alex Burger, Fairfield, CT
[clients]
Citysmooth
Columbus Consulting Group
Belgium Consulate
Agora Expat
Easy Expat
Europe USA
Expat US
Expatica
