When looking for a translation company, you’ll see a lot of claims like “high quality” and “professional”. These terms are subjective. But one certification is not: ISO 17100:2015.

If your company is investing in professional translation, understanding this standard is the key to protecting your investment and ensuring you get a truly high-quality service. Here’s a simple breakdown of what ISO 17100 is and why you should partner with a certified translation company.

What is ISO 17100 certified translation?

ISO 17100 is the highest internationally recognized standard for translation services. It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to define the requirements for every aspect of the translation process that impacts quality. To get certified, a translation company must undergo a rigorous external audit to prove that its processes, resources, and systems meet these strict requirements. The standard covers everything from translator qualifications and data security to the mandatory steps in the translation workflow itself. It’s a complete blueprint for quality.

The 3 key pillars of ISO 17100 certified translation (and why they matter to you)

Choosing an ISO 17100-certified partner gives you three concrete, auditable guarantees.

1. Verified professional qualifications (the right people)

With an ISO 17100 certified translation company, you are guaranteed that your text is handled by vetted professionals, not just someone who happens to be bilingual. The standard requires the translation provider to have a documented process and maintain records proving that all translators meet at least one of the following strict criteria:

• A recognized graduate degree in translation, linguistics, or a related field.
• A recognized graduate degree in any other field, plus two years of full-time, professional translation experience.
• Five years of full-time, professional translation experience.

Furthermore, translators must demonstrate documented competence in key areas, including linguistic skills, research ability, cultural understanding, technical skills, and subject-matter expertise.

Your Benefit: Peace of mind. You know your project is in the hands of a qualified expert with proven credentials.

2. The mandatory “four-eyes principle” (the right process)

This is the most critical part of the standard. ISO 17100 makes a multi-step quality process mandatory. It specifies that a quality translation is not just one step, but a minimum of two: translation + revision.

1. Translation (step 1): A qualified translator translates the content and performs a self-check of their own work for any errors or omissions.
2. Revision (step 2): The translation is then given to a second, separate person — the reviser. This reviser must be equally qualified as the translator. The reviser’s job is to perform a bilingual comparison of the source and target texts, checking for accuracy, terminology, grammar, style, and overall suitability for its purpose.

This “four-eyes principle” is non-negotiable for ISO 17100 compliance. 

Your Benefit: A built-in quality guarantee. This two-step process is proven to catch more errors, improve fluency, and ensure the final translation is double-checked and polished.

3. Structured project management (the right system)

The standard requires a professional, documented system for managing every part of your project, including:

• Feasibility & quoting: Analyzing your request to ensure the right resources (people and technology) are available before promising delivery.
• Agreements: Providing a clear agreement that outlines the service, the cost, and project setup.
• Data security: Having the technical infrastructure and processes to handle your data securely and confidentially.
• Project preparation: Properly preparing files, creating glossaries, and ensuring translators have all style guides and instructions.
• Feedback: A formal process for handling customer feedback and making any necessary corrections.

Your Benefit: A smooth, professional, and secure experience. There are no surprises, no missed deadlines, and no questions about the status of your project.

Beyond the basics: optional steps for even higher quality

The standard also defines optional, value-added services that a certified company is equipped to manage, such as:

• A monolingual review: of the final translation by a subject-matter expert in the target country. This is ideal for highly specialized technical content or nuanced marketing copy.
• Proofreading: A final check of the formatted text after it has been placed in its final layout (like a PDF or website) to catch any formatting or typographical errors.

The bottom line: don’t settle for less

Choosing an ISO 17100 certified translation company means you are partnering with an organization that has invested in and is externally audited for its commitment to quality. You aren’t just buying words; you are buying a documented, transparent, and reliable process executed by qualified professionals. Interlex is proud to be an ISO 17100 certified translation partner.

If you need ISO 17100 certified translations, reach out to our project management to set up the process for you: interlex@interlex.ee / +372 505 5824.