How Much Does it Cost to Translate Documents into English?

 In most cases, document translation costs are calculated on a price-per-word basis established according to industry-standard rates for translation (practiced by most translators and translation companies or agencies).

Many factors influence when you begin the process to translate documents into English; that is the final cost, starting with the type and format of the document and ending with the languages involved in the process. But, in the end, it's mostly about the effort required to do the job and the translator's experience. 

Factors that Influence the Cost of Translation Services

The answer to "how much does it cost to translate a document?" is not very straightforward. According to the best certified German translators, many factors can bring the cost to translate documents up or down. 

Here are the main influencing factors:

  • Language pairing (the source language and the target language)

  • The experience of the translator

  • The nature of the content

  • Document formatting

  • The length of the translation

  • Urgency

Experience of the Translator

The experienced translators of The German Group, who are experts and comfortable with the language combination and subject can provide error-free work while they translate documents into English, without errors or other issues. However, this also means they will charge higher rates. 

On the other hand, a translator that's just starting will be slower and requires assistance (proofreading and checking for any contextual problems) from an experienced colleague or superior. So the rates may be lower, but the project will take longer. 

Document Formatting & Subject

If the document requires specific formatting (re-creating tables and graphs) or a specific type of translation (such as a birth certificate translation or a marriage certificate), the rates can get higher.

In addition, the subject of the document can also influence the final cost (or rates). For example, the rates will be higher if the text is highly technical (such as a technical manual for a piece of software or the documentation for a patent). Medical and scientific documents, legal translation, or mechanical engineer schematics also require special, high-level expertise and extra care for specific industry terminology (which can be difficult to translate). 

Technical translation, in general, requires the assistance of an expert in the field who also knows the wanted language combination. This makes it more difficult to find someone than it would be for, say, a site or blog content translation. 

Project Size

The length of the project also influences the average rates charged for translations. 

Depending on the difficulty of the translation, the rates may be established hourly or on a per word/per page basis. Regardless, the translation size (calculated based on the source text) will influence the final cost. 

Will You Get the Best Translation Quality?

How much does it cost to translate a document using the services of a well-trained translator with a good reputation? And how can you be sure you will receive the same level of quality as their more important customers?

While some agencies may treat occasional or smaller customers differently, this doesn't mean the level of quality will drop. True, if your project is not complex, it may land on the desk of a beginner. However, all respectable agencies (us included) have a strong quality assurance process that kicks in before the work is turned in with certified German translators

So, to make sure you will receive the best quality, always choose a certified translation agency (accredited by official bodies) with good testimonials from actual customers (check their Google reviews).

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