How Long Does Certified Translation Actually Take?
For a short official document (a single certificate, a one-page letter), certified translation typically takes 1-2 business days once the translator and reviewer are assigned. For longer documents — a multi-page contract, a set of academic transcripts, a technical manual — timing scales with length and subject complexity, since each page still needs the same TEP (Translate, Edit, Proofread) process, not just the first one.
A few things can add time beyond the base estimate: needing a rare language pair (fewer qualified translators means more scheduling time), heavy formatting with tables or diagrams that need to be reproduced, and any additional step after translation itself — notarization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalization, or an apostille, each of which has its own processing time at that specific government office, separate from the translation work.
Same-day and rush service is available for urgent deadlines — the best way to get an accurate timeline is to tell us your real deadline upfront so we can confirm whether it is achievable before starting.