You may have heard of machine translation, like AI, NMT or Google translate, and are wondering why people still call on the services of human translators when your text can be translated in the blink of an eye by a computer.

Machine translation tools can be useful for quickly understanding the general meaning of a text or for low-risk, informal content. It is fast and convenient, but often misses important nuances, context, tone, and cultural references. It can also produce errors or awkward wording that may not be immediately obvious, and may struggle with understanding scanned images of text.

For documents where accuracy, clarity, and professionalism matter—such as business communications, legal or official documents, websites, or marketing content—it is best to use a professional human translator. A qualified translator understands the context, intent, and audience of the text, and ensures that the translation reads naturally in the target language while preserving the original meaning.

A human translator can also help you determine what you need translated and what you want from the final translation.

A translator works with written texts, while an interpreter works with the spoken language. Each profession is highly specialised and involves different skills, but both require a solid knowledge of the native and as well as the second language.

A translator can normally handle around 2,000-3,000 words a day. Naturally, this varies according to the difficulty of the text and other factors such as legibility. Lead time also needs to be taken into account; a good translator is a busy translator and may not be able to start straight away.

Contact me with your project details so I can provide a quote and delivery time frame. If your project is urgent, I can offer a range of options to ensure you get your final document in time, however an urgent surcharge will apply.

Every translation project is different, which is why a quote is prepared each time to reflect the amount of work involved, urgency of the request, etc. Some documents are charged at a standard price (driver licences, birth certificates, police checks), however a surcharge applies for urgent requests.

For quotes under NZD $150 / EUR €100, full payment is required before the translation is started. For quotes over those amounts, a 50% deposit is normally required, with the balance due within 7 days of delivery. This will be clearly stated on the quote or communicated by email.

When requesting a quote for a translation, you will need to provide a digital copy of the document to be translated so the amount of work involved and the level of specialisation required can be assessed. It is also useful for me to know the purpose of the translation (visa application, website publication, personal use, etc.) and the required delivery date, so those can also be taken into account.

In addition, I need your name and billing address in order to prepare the quote and/or issue the final invoice/receipt.

If you are currently in New Zealand, the price is inclusive of GST and payment is to my New Zealand bank account: BNZ (NZD).

If you are not in New Zealand, GST is not charged and payment is by bank transfer to my Belgian bank account: Wise (EUR).

For quotes under NZD $150 / EUR €100, full payment is required before the translation is started. For quotes over those amounts, a 50% deposit is normally required, with the balance due within 7 days of delivery. This will be clearly stated on the quote or communicated by email.

To hire or drive a car in New Zealand, you must present your original licence along with an official English translation. This can be either an international driving permit or a certified translation from an NZTA-approved translator, which I am.

If you have been in New Zealand for 12 months, you will need to convert your licence and will need an NZTA-approved translation for the application. For more information about NZTA requirements, click here.

You can find more information about requesting a driver licence translation on this page of my website.

As long as you still hold the same original document provided for the translation, your licence translation remains valid. Make sure to save the pdf file so you can reprint it if necessary.

If your original licence gets lost or damaged and you are issued with a new licence, your translation is no longer valid and you may need to order a new translation.

A full translation is one in which everything shown on the original document appears on the translated document. Understandably, this type of translation involves the most time and cost. Often, a full translation is the only option accepted by organisations, however some may accept a selective translation instead (depending on the document type and reason for requiring it).

A selective translation is a translation of a document from which key information is extracted and presented in a clear table. This is a faster, cheaper alternative to translating the entire document and is often accepted—or even preferred—by New Zealand government agencies such as the immigration service.

I recommend that you confirm with the relevant government agency or your immigration adviser whether a selective translation is acceptable for your specific situation.