# When does an award certificate need translation or legalisation?
Source: https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/faq/document-legalization/legalization-of-certificate/
Translation and authentication of awards and certificates
An award, participation certificate or record of achievement is translated for its intended use. Certification, an apostille or legalisation is added only when it applies to the issuer and is expressly required by the recipient.
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Awards and certificates may record a prize, participation, achievement, training or contribution to a community. They can be issued by a school, university, employer, professional association, sports club, competition organiser, municipality or another institution. For use in another country, accurate translation is the primary service; any authentication requirement is assessed separately for the particular document.
## Which documents can be described as an award certificate?
The term may cover honorary awards, participation certificates, prize certificates, course-completion records and documents recognising professional or sporting achievement. The translated title follows the document's actual function rather than a literal label. An award is not presented as a diploma, academic degree or professional qualification unless the issuer has granted precisely that status.
## When is a professional translation sufficient?
A professional translation of the original or a legible electronic copy is often sufficient for a job application, competition, portfolio, association membership or internal assessment. The recipient may ask for a translator-signed or certified translation, but that is different from legalising the award itself. Where no formal requirement exists, unnecessary administrative steps are not added.
## When may certification, an apostille or legalisation be required?
Many awards are private documents and are not directly eligible for an apostille. Formal authentication may instead concern the issuer's notarised signature, a certified copy, an accompanying certificate or another public instrument. Where an award is issued by a state or municipal authority, the applicable route depends on the capacity of the signatory, the country of issue and the destination country. An apostille authenticates the origin of a public instrument; it does not assess the merit of the award or the truth of the achievement described.
## How is a Bulgarian award prepared for use abroad?
For a Bulgarian award, the issuer, signature, visible seals, form of the original and the foreign recipient's written requirement are considered together. Depending on the case, the service may comprise translation only, certified translation, authentication of a signature or copy, or an apostille procedure followed by translation. An electronically signed document or one carrying a verification code is assessed in its original electronic form when the recipient accepts it.
## How is a foreign award presented in Bulgaria?
For a document issued outside Bulgaria, the country, type of issuer and purpose of submission are relevant. A Bulgarian translation may be sufficient, while a formal procedure may require an apostille, consular legalisation or another form of authentication under the applicable regime. Bilateral treaties and rules for certain public documents can change the required steps, so the specific Bulgarian recipient's requirement remains decisive.
## What is checked in the translation and what determines price and time?
The translation covers the recipient's name, the award or programme title, level of distinction, date and place, issuer, signatures, seals, registration numbers and references to attachments. Names and abbreviations are kept consistent with the person's other documents. Price and delivery time depend on the language pair, length, legibility, graphic layout, number of copies and requested authentication. La Fit Trans presents translation, editorial review, certified copies and applicable administrative actions as separate parts of the quotation.
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The La Fit Trans team relates the general information to the specific document, language and receiving institution. The quotation then covers the necessary translation and certification, with a clear understanding of the agreed result.
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