Why do you need to see the documents before providing a price quote?

• This is to ensure that there are no misunderstandings about what is being translated. For example, one person may refer to a particular document as a “Bagrut certificate” when someone else may refer to it as “Bagrut grades list”. Another example: the client wants to translate their ID card – is it the card itself, or does it include the appendix page?
• It also allows me to identify any problem areas that may arise (issues with spellings, names that don’t match, etc.) in advance, and inform the client accordingly.
• I can also identify areas of price savings for a client and take that into account when preparing my quote, for example, if I have to translate a series of salary slips or end of year tax documents, or if there is no need to translate the middle part of a contract.

What payment options are there?

• For clients in Israel (or clients with an Israeli bank account), the available options are bank transfer, Paypal, payment app (Bit, Pay, or Paybox), or cheque (note – due to delays in the postal system, cheques should only be sent if no other option is available, and only by prior arrangement).
• For clients in Australia, the available options are bank transfer to an Australian account, or Paypal.
• For clients in the United States, the available options are bank transfer to a US bank account, or Paypal.
• For clients elsewhere, Paypal is the preferred option.

How do you deliver the translations?

• Copies of the signed translations are provided as PDF files (scanned image).
• Printed copies of the translations are sent by mail. Within Israel, they are sent either by Registered Mail or by Doar-24 (1st class mail). Documents for overseas are usually sent by Registered Mail. This is included in the price for translation.
• Post Office courier delivery in Israel is available to the major cities and towns, but experience has shown that delivery may not necessarily be on the same day as the item is sent. I also have another courier service, but delivery may take a couple of days.
• EMS (International Post Office Courier service) is available for overseas clients.
• Courier delivery (in Israel or overseas) incurs an additional charge, and I cannot promise that the material will be sent immediately, since there is no post office in my community.

 Do you provide certification of document copies?

• In Israel, this is a service that is normally provided by notaries. Since all notaries are required to charge the same fees (set by the Ministry of Justice), you should apply to a notary in your local area.
• If you are an Australian citizen, you may also be able to have copies of documents certified at the Embassy (Consular Section). There is a fee for this service.
• I certify all copies of the translations, and these do not have to be further certified (by a notary or any other agency) before submission to the relevant authorities in Australia (or to the Embassy).

Do you need to sight the originals of the documents?

• This depends on the recipient organization.
• For translations prepared for AHPRA, their requirements are that I work from the original or from a signed copy (usually a physical copy, signed by a notary). Please contact me to arrange a way for me to sight the documents.
• In other cases, I can work from a clear scan of the document. However, if there is an embossed seal, or the document is shiny or laminated, I may ask to see it to ensure that I translate everything on the document.

If I do the translation myself, can you just sign and certify it, and charge me less? Will this make the process faster?

• Yes (in theory), I could sign and certify your translation. But no: as a recognized translator, I am subject to a set of ethical principles, one of which is that I do not sign/stamp a translation that I have not done or which I have not commissioned and then checked.
• Also, this will not bring the price down, although it may save a small amount of time. Why? Because I still have to read every word of the original and every word of the translation, and decide whether or not your translation is accurate enough to be accepted with my signature on it. I take pride in offering correct, accurate translations, which are appropriate to your needs.
• Given that I have been working in the field for some time, I probably have already translated documents similar to yours. I know that those translations have been accepted by the authorities in Australia – so why risk using a different wording?