What Is ISO 17100 and Why It Matters When Choosing a Translation Provider

What Is ISO 17100 and Why It Matters When Choosing a Translation Provider

When you're procuring translation services for enterprise use — contracts, software, medical devices, financial disclosures — the quality of the translation directly affects your business outcomes. But how do you evaluate quality before you've even seen the work?

ISO 17100 is the answer. It's the international standard that defines what a professional translation service provider must do to deliver reliable, consistent, quality translations. And it's one of the most important things to look for when selecting a vendor.

What ISO 17100 Actually Requires

ISO 17100 (officially: Translation services — Requirements for translation services) was published by the International Organization for Standardization and sets requirements across the full translation workflow. Here's what it mandates:

Qualified translators Only translators who meet specific competence criteria — either a recognized degree in translation or proven equivalent experience — may perform translation work under ISO 17100. This eliminates unqualified or unverified freelancers from the production workflow.

Mandatory revision by a second linguist Every translation must be reviewed by a second qualified translator before delivery. This two-step process (translation + revision) is a core requirement of the standard — not an optional add-on. A vendor who offers "revision" only as a premium service is not ISO 17100 compliant.

Defined project management processes The standard requires documented processes for receiving and reviewing project briefs, managing terminology, handling queries, and delivering final files. This ensures consistency across projects and team members.

Traceability ISO 17100 requires that records of who translated and who revised each project are maintained. This supports accountability and quality audits.

What ISO 17100 Does NOT Cover

It's worth being clear about the scope. ISO 17100 covers the process of translation — it does not guarantee a specific output quality level or validate domain expertise. A certified provider that translates marketing copy is not automatically qualified to translate pharmaceutical documentation. Domain expertise must be verified separately.

Questions to Ask Your Translation Vendor

Before signing with a provider, ask:

• Are you ISO 17100 certified? Can you provide your certificate number and expiry date?

• Who revises the translation — is it a second independent linguist or the same translator?

• How do you verify translator qualifications for specialized domains?

• What is your process for terminology management and consistency across large projects?

Why Texel's ISO 17100 Certification Matters

Texel has held ISO 17100 certification continuously. Every project we deliver follows the standard's two-step translation-and-revision workflow. Our translators are vetted for both linguistic competence and domain expertise — whether the project requires legal Hebrew, medical Arabic, or technical Baltic language content.

For enterprise clients in regulated industries — life sciences, finance, legal — working with an ISO 17100 certified provider is not just a preference. It's often a contractual or regulatory requirement.

Want to see our certificate or discuss your compliance requirements? Contact our team.