Statutory basis: a travel document or copy
For names in a non-Latin alphabet, art. 14 ust. 2 of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator requires transliteration or transcription based on travel documents or their copies. If unavailable, the spelling rules applicable in the document’s country of origin apply. [1] The provision does not limit the source basis to one passport type or identify correspondence as an equivalent source. It is therefore useful to describe the documents available in the assignment.
A legible copy of the relevant page, allowing the person's details to be established, is supplied to the office. If several documents contain different spellings, present them with their dates. The translator can then establish the connection between the material being translated and the particular variant. A proposed spelling entered in an order form does not replace the appropriate document. It is useful to identify which people appear in the source as parties, parents, attorneys or others who need to be recognised within the set.
Transliteration, transcription and official spelling
Transliteration transfers characters between alphabets, while transcription records them with regard to pronunciation. In a certified translation, however, the choice of spelling is subject to a specific statutory basis. A version is therefore not selected solely according to how a name is usually pronounced in Polish. A travel document may contain a spelling that would not result from independently applying another table. The link to the document presented in the matter is important for identification throughout the set. [1]
The State Migration Service of Ukraine provides a transliteration checking service and identifies Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 55 of 27 January 2010 as the basis for the rules. [2] The tool helps users become familiar with the official system, but a particular assignment must take account of the travel documents presented in accordance with art. 14 ust. 2. If an existing spelling differs from the tool's result, the document must be shown rather than changing details in the translation to match an automatically generated suggestion.
Different documents and different periods
A person may have an earlier document and a newer one with a different Latin-script spelling. The discrepancy should be assessed against the dates, details and material being translated. It is useful to send both versions and explain which will be used in the current matter. For documents issued many years earlier, references to previous numbers or documents confirming a change of details can also help. This allows sources to be traced rather than standardising every spelling without establishing its origin.
A different spelling may also appear in a contract, diploma or earlier translation. These materials can be supplied as supporting documents, with their function identified. An earlier translation may show previously used terminology, but does not replace establishing the basis for the current spelling. If the recipient uses a particular case reference or earlier files, the office can be given this information. The translation issued nevertheless preserves the content of the particular document, and any discrepancies require an appropriate description or explanation based on the sources presented.
Given name, surname and patronymic as distinct information
A Ukrainian document may contain a surname, first name and patronymic, meaning a name derived from the father's first name. Fields must be identified from the source rather than word order alone. A patronymic is not automatically another surname or a middle name. The translation should allow the recipient to understand the function of each item of information. If a document uses a collective label for a person's details, the division must be established from the form, signature and other entries, maintaining a clear link with the source material.
A supporting document may contain different fields from a certificate or diploma. The absence of a patronymic in one does not mean it should be removed from a source where it appears. Likewise, an abbreviated given name in a signature does not replace the full name in a field. For parents' details or several people with similar surnames, supply material allowing them to be distinguished. This helps avoid assigning a Latin-script spelling to the wrong person in a lengthy document or case-file set.
Birth surname, name changes and connecting documents
A birth certificate, marriage document and current travel document may contain surnames belonging to different periods. The translation preserves these details where they appear. A historical surname is not replaced with the current one in every document. Submitting a diploma issued under a former surname may require a document explaining the change. The scope is agreed with the recipient, then the documents for translation and those used to establish the spelling of personal details are identified.
Compound surnames, hyphens and the separation of name elements must be read precisely from the source and the appropriate supporting material. An entry with one element and an entry with two may require explanation. If a correction has been made to the document, its certification must be legible. The grammatical form in a sentence must also be distinguished from the name of a personal-data field. The text is read in its language and context, retaining the ability to link the person with the documentation presented and the chronology of surname changes.
Special rules for civil status registration
Art. 29 of the Civil Status Records Act governs the entry of details from foreign documents, taking account of specified identity and travel documents. For a child's details, material concerning the parents also matters. [3] USC determinations in registration must be distinguished from rendering details in a translation of a particular source. Before commissioning, provide the name of the official act and information about documents required for the people appearing in the record, to establish the supporting material needed.
Art. 104 provides for faithful transfer of content during civil-register transcription and a special option to adapt spelling at the request of Polish citizens who hold Polish civil status records. [3] The authority conducting the act determines the scope of the conditions under ust. 7. This is not a general instruction allowing a translator to change surnames freely. If the client plans such a procedure, the required documents and wording of the application should be agreed with the USC. The translation should make the record's details identifiable before further official acts are performed in the register.
Source errors and describing discrepancies
If a source document contains a typographical error or details that differ from other material, check whether a corrected copy or an explanation from the issuer is available. Discrepancies are not removed by an unmarked change in the translation. The required supporting document can first be established with the recipient. The assignment identifies the difference noticed and includes all source versions. This makes clear which copy is to be translated and whether a later document replaces an earlier one.
Cao places legal translation in the context of law and procedures. [4] For personal details, this means carefully identifying the function of individual entries in the document. If an error concerns only an earlier translation, the scope of the new work is determined separately from any change to the source. Art. 13 provides for checking and certifying translations made by other persons. [1] The earlier translation and the document it concerns must then be presented, allowing first names, surnames, fields and any notes to be compared.
Material needed to place an order
Provide the complete document and legible copies of the relevant travel-document pages for translation. Describe additional materials by the people they concern. Identify previous surnames, different travel documents and variants already used in the recipient’s files. Art. 14 ust. 1 requires the translator to exercise special care and maintain confidentiality; information supplied should serve to define the particular assignment. [1] The purpose, recipient and deadline help determine what data is necessary.
After receiving a translation, the spelling of names can be compared with the material agreed in the assignment, also checking people's roles and historical surnames. When a new travel document is issued, any change should be reported before the next assignment. Additional copies of a previous translation and a new translation from a different source are separate arrangements. Retaining document versions, dates and identifiers makes it possible to explain to the recipient where a particular spelling comes from and which period or act it concerns.
Questions and answers
Must only a passport always be provided?
Art. 14(2) identifies travel documents or copies as the basis for spelling given names and surnames from a non-Latin alphabet. This should not be narrowed to one document type without examining the material. Where such sources are unavailable, the Act provides for the spelling rules of the document's country of origin. The order should describe the available documents and people whose details need to be established. [1]
Can an online tool’s output replace the spelling in a travel document?
The official DMS service allows Ukrainian transliteration to be checked, but a translation order must take account of the basis in Art. 14(2). If the travel document presented uses a different spelling, show it to the office. Details are not changed solely on the basis of the tool's output. Full information about available versions and dates helps establish the relationship with the source translated in the particular matter. [1][2]
What should I do if the surname on a diploma differs from the travel document?
Supply both documents and any available document explaining the surname change. The translation preserves historical details in the appropriate fields. The recipient, such as a university or authority, determines the documents needed to demonstrate the connection. The order distinguishes material for translation from supporting copies used to establish spelling. Chronology links a qualification or event with the same person's current details.
Is a patronymic entered as a middle name?
Identify the function of the relevant source field. A patronymic, a name derived from the father's given name, is not automatically a middle name. The translation should preserve the distinction and allow the recipient to understand it correctly. If a supporting document has fewer fields, this does not justify removing data from the source. Where several people are involved, identify whom each travel document copy concerns.