In today’s fast-paced world, there are moments when waiting days for a translation simply is not an option. Whether it is a last-minute visa requirement, a business deal hanging in the balance or a legal document needed before a court deadline, fast translation services offer a vital lifeline. Fast or urgent translation services are designed for individuals, businesses and organisations who need high-quality translations on tight timelines.
The good news? Speed and quality can go hand in hand. Professional translation agencies have streamlined their processes, built expert networks and leveraged technology to deliver accurate, certified translations quickly, without sacrificing quality or attention to detail.
What Are Fast Translation Services?
Fast or urgent translation services aim to meet pressing needs. They typically offer one-hour, same-day or next-day delivery options, depending on the length and complexity of your document.
Imagine needing to board a flight tomorrow but discovering a missing translation of your travel documents or scrambling to submit a translated legal letter before a court-imposed deadline. In these situations, fast translation services are essential.
Some common scenarios include:
- Visa applications and travel emergencies
- Court submissions with tight filing deadlines
- Last-minute business deals or contract reviews
- Medical emergencies where translated prescriptions or reports are urgently needed
To ensure both speed and reliability, it is recommended to work with a professional translation agency with the necessary resources to guarantee a quick turnaround.
What Types of Documents Can Be Translated Quickly?
One of the key strengths of fast translation services is the ability to handle a wide range of document types, even under tight deadlines, subject to the length and complexity of the text.
Personal documents often needed urgently include:
Business documents such as:
- Proposals for bids or tenders
- Marketing materials, social media posts and presentations
- Contracts and agreements
Legal and medical documents often require certified translations:
- Letters from solicitors or barristers
- Laboratory reports, test results and prescriptions
Additionally, urgent translations for website updates or critical emails can be delivered within hours to ensure you stay ahead in global communications.
How Fast Is Fast? Turnaround Times Explained
What exactly does ‘urgent’ mean in practical terms? Let us look at urgent turnaround times in more detail:
- One-hour service is often available for very short documents (e.g. social media posts, short snippets of text, or minor updates or additions to existing translations).
- Same-day service typically covers documents up to 1,000 words, depending on complexity.
- Next-day service is ideal for slightly longer or more specialised translations.
Several factors influence how fast a translation can be delivered:
- Length of the document: Naturally, more words take more time.
- Complexity: Specialist technical, medical or legal terminology may require additional checks.
- Language pair: Common languages like Spanish, French or German are faster to source than less common pairs like Icelandic or Japanese.
- Certification needs: Certified translations may add a small amount of time to the process due to the extra administration required.
Setting realistic expectations with your provider ensures that you get the best combination of speed and quality without unnecessary stress.
Can I Get Urgent Certified Translations?
Absolutely. Even under tight deadlines, many translation agencies can still provide certified translations.
Certified Translation is the process of translating a certificate or other legal document and proving to the organisation receiving it that the translation is accurate.
Documents requiring fast or urgent certified translation are usually for official, legal procedures, so accuracy is of utmost importance. By certifying a translation, the translator provides a legally binding guarantee that:
- The translator is sufficiently qualified and experienced
- The translation is a true and accurate representation of the original document
- The translated document may be legally relied upon
Only an accredited linguist or translation company can certify a translation, as this requires a stamp from a recognised translation industry body. The three such bodies in the UK are the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL). Membership of one or more of these professional bodies is a mark of quality-managed language services.
Fast or urgent certified translations are accepted for most legal, medical, immigration and governmental purposes, provided you work with an accredited agency.
Methods Used to Expedite Translations
Translation agencies can use several methods to optimise efficiency and deliver translations urgently. The specific tools employed will depend on the requirements of the project and just how tight the turnaround time and budget are, but they can include:
- Leveraging AI and machine translation systems to speed up translators’ work
- Using pre-translated templates for common documents such as certificates
- Utilising a first-come-first-served pool of vetted linguists, rather than selecting one linguist individually
- Removing additional review stages, if the translation is only needed for reference rather than publication
- Adding a rush fee to enable linguists to stop other tasks to complete urgent work
Step-by-Step: How to Get a Fast Translation
Getting a fast translation is simple when you work with a professional translation agency. Here is what the process usually looks like:
- Contact the provider through their website or Live Chat, or upload your document directly online.
- Select the language pair you need and specify the urgency (one-hour, same-day or next-day).
- Receive a quote within minutes. Reputable translation agencies offer rapid response times.
- Confirm payment to secure your translator’s time.
- Receive the completed translation via email, with the option for hard copies by post if needed.
This quick, user-friendly process ensures you stay in control even when time is tight.
Costs Involved
Understandably, faster service comes at a premium, but the value of meeting an urgent deadline often far outweighs the extra cost.
Key factors affecting the price include:
- Urgency: One-hour delivery costs more than a next-day service.
- Word count: Longer documents mean higher fees.
- Language pair: Rarer combinations are usually more expensive.
- Certification: Official certification adds a small, fixed fee.
Typical costs:
- £72–£90 (including VAT) for a single-page urgent certified document (e.g., birth certificate)
- Longer or complex documents are quoted based on word count.
While you will pay more for speed, knowing you are legally and professionally covered is priceless.
How to Choose the Right Translation Provider
Not all translation agencies are created equal. When selecting a fast translation provider, be sure to:
- Look for accreditation with professional bodies such as the ATC (Association of Translation Companies) or the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting). Look for ISO certifications.
- Use native speakers. A reliable translation agency will always use native speakers. Effective translation requires in-depth understanding of the target market’s culture, as well as its language. Native speakers understand tone, idioms and local expectations.
- Check capacity. If your needs span multiple languages and markets, ensure that you choose a partner who can demonstrate the capacity and experience to fulfil your request. Entrusting all languages to a single agency streamlines the process for you and ensures that all translations are consistent; however, since multilingual projects often require more in-depth planning and preparation, you should be wary of any agency offering to complete such projects in a very short space of time.
- Check customer reviews on independent sites such as Google.
- Ask about industry knowledge. Legal, medical, financial and technical content use specific terminology and standards. Working with linguists experienced in your sector ensures that industry-specific terminology is understood and correctly translated.
- Ask about technology Integration. Agencies that embrace translations technologies such as CAT tools, translation memories, content management integration can optimise efficiency and consistency while reducing long-term costs.
For help choosing the right translation provider, read our helpful blog.
Red flags to watch out for:
- Prices that seem too good to be true
- Unrealistically fast turnaround times
- Vague or non-committal quotes
- Lack of accreditation or professional standards
- Heavy reliance on machine translation without human review
- Poor communication from project managers
Choosing a trusted translation provider ensures that your translation will be accurate, delivered quickly and accepted where you need to use it.
Why choose Business Language Services for your certified translation?
We have over 30 years of experience providing high-quality certified translation services, working with many different documents and over 500 language combinations. Our expert project management team are always on hand to answer any questions you may have and can advise you on the type of certification you are likely to need.
For more information or to get a quote, speak to one of the team today on +44 (0)29 2066 7666, by email at in**@*************************co.uk, or use our online quote form.
You can also find more information about the specific types of certified translations we offer here.
