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Frequently asked questions
Yes. BanLingo works with both individual clients and organizations.We help individuals translate personal and official documents, including birth certificates, medical records, academic documents, résumés, bank statements, credit reports, and legal or employment materials.We also support businesses and institutions. including financial organizations, law firms, healthcare providers, educational organizations, and other professional teams, with individual projects or ongoing translation needs.Whether you need one important document translated or a reliable partner for recurring work, your project receives the same professional care, discretion, and attention to detail.
Use our Instant Quoting Tool to enter a few basic details about your project and receive an immediate preliminary estimate.The final cost may depend on the language combination, document length and complexity, turnaround time, formatting needs, and any special certification requirements. Once we review the actual document, we will confirm the scope, price, and delivery date before work begins.The quick estimate is provided for planning purposes and is not a binding quote.
Use the word count of the original document, the document you would like translated.For Microsoft Word or Google Docs files, you can use the program’s built-in word-count feature.For scanned documents, photographs, certificates, or image-based PDFs, enter your best estimate. As a rough guide, a full page of standard text contains approximately 250 words, although forms and official documents can vary considerably.Include all readable text that needs to be translated, including headings, tables, footnotes, and legible text appearing in stamps, seals, or handwritten notes.Don’t worry if you cannot determine the exact count. Our Instant Quoting Tool is preliminary. Once we review the document, we will verify the word count and confirm the final price before work begins.
Turnaround time depends on the document’s length, complexity, language combination, formatting requirements, and the availability needed for our two-linguist Translation + Revision process.Once we review your file, we will provide a proposed delivery date with your quote. If you have a firm deadline or need expedited service, let us know when submitting the document, and we will confirm what is realistically possible.
We accept most common document and image formats, including:PDFMicrosoft Word (.doc and .docx)TIFF/TIFJPG/JPEGPNGExcel and PowerPoint filesWe can also work from scanned documents and clear photographs. File quality is generally more important than file type, so please send the clearest and most complete version available, with all pages and edges visible and no significant blur, glare, or shadows.For password-protected files, uncommon formats, or files you are unsure about, send them to us, and we will confirm whether they can be processed. We may request an unlocked copy or an alternative format if necessary.
Yes. We can provide a translation accompanied by a signed statement confirming that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate the document.Some organizations may require a translator with a particular professional credential, such as an ATA-certified translator. Please let us know where the document will be submitted and whether you have received any specific instructions. We will confirm the appropriate service and include any additional cost or turnaround time in your quote.Because requirements vary, we recommend checking with the receiving organization before the project begins.
Many documents arrive as scans, photographs, or image-based PDFs rather than editable files. Before translation can begin, the text generally needs to be extracted using optical character recognition, carefully checked, cleaned up, and organized. Even editable source files typically require preparation to ensure the content is ready for accurate translation and final formatting.Our standard $25 formatting and layout fee per document covers this preparation, along with recreating the headings, tables, fields, and general structure of the original after translation. Unusually long, complex, or difficult-to-read documents may require an adjusted fee, which will be included in your quote before work begins.Formatting is generally recommended when the translation will be submitted to or compared by a bank, school, employer, healthcare provider, attorney, government office, or another institution. We reproduce the original structure and appearance as closely as practical, although differences in language length and non-editable elements may prevent an exact facsimile.
You may instead choose a text-only translation, which includes the same professional translation without recreating the original layout. This may be sufficient when you only need the written content for personal understanding or internal reference.Not sure which option you need? Send us your document, and we’ll recommend the most appropriate format.
We preserve the location and meaning of non-text elements without copying them into the translation as though they were part of the newly issued document.Signatures, logos, seals, photographs, and similar elements are identified with clear bracketed descriptions, such as [Signature], [Logo: University of Barcelona], or [Illegible seal]. Text contained in stamps, seals, or handwritten notes is translated when it is legible; unclear content is marked accordingly rather than guessed.We generally do not reproduce or paste original signatures, official emblems, coats of arms, or security features into the translated document. This helps keep the translation clearly distinguishable from the original while preserving its structure and allowing the two documents to be compared easily.If a receiving organization has specific requirements for how these elements should appear, please let us know before the project begins.
Your document is translated and reviewed directly by BanLingo’s professional linguists. We do not send projects through an anonymous marketplace or pass them to an unknown third-party translator.Our boutique model means the linguists responsible for your translation are also directly accountable for its accuracy, consistency, and final presentation. Each project follows our Translation + Revision workflow, with a professional review for meaning, terminology, tone, and completeness before delivery.You work directly with the people doing the work.
Every BanLingo project follows a two-linguist Translation + Revision process.First, one professional linguist translates the document, carefully considering meaning, terminology, tone, completeness, and context. A second qualified linguist then compares the translation with the original, checking for accuracy, omissions, additions, consistency, and natural language. We complete a final quality and formatting review before delivery.Why two linguists? Even an experienced translator benefits from a fresh, independent review. A second set of eyes can identify subtle issues and confirm that the translation communicates the source accurately and clearly.Our process is aligned with ISO 17100, the international standard for professional translation services. The standard establishes requirements for the people, processes, and resources involved in delivering quality translation, including revision by a linguist other than the original translator. “ISO-aligned” describes the workflow we follow; it does not mean that BanLingo itself is currently ISO-certified.Translation. Independent revision. Final quality assurance.Two professional perspectives, one carefully finished translation.Learn more about ISO 17100 and professional translation standards:https://www.iso.org/standard/59149.html
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