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Verifiable quality in German ⇄ English translation.
The only international standard written specifically for translation service providers governs translator qualification, four-eyes revision and order handling. No law requires this of us — we submit to it voluntarily, verifiable in the public DIN CERTCO register.
What the standard actually requires: specialist translators plus independent revision · translation exclusively into the native language · managed terminology and quality assurance · verifiable on record, not just claimed
In short
A standard that actually tests translators.
DIN EN ISO 17100 is the only international standard written specifically for translation service providers. It defines who may translate (qualification), how every translation is checked (revision by a second person — the four-eyes principle), which resources and terminology management a provider must maintain, and how an order is documented from enquiry to delivery.
Fachübersetzungsdienst GmbH, operating internationally as termbase, is registered with DIN CERTCO for translation services to DIN EN ISO 17100 under registration no. 7U517 — publicly verifiable in the DIN CERTCO register. What the standard actually requires, how we implement it, and where it reaches its limits, follows below.
The standard
What DIN EN ISO 17100 actually requires.
From selecting the translator to free-of-charge correction — these requirements of the standard accompany every order at termbase, not just a sample.
Translator qualification
Only someone who can show a recognised translator qualification and relevant professional experience translates subject-matter texts for us.
Four-eyes principle
Every translation is checked against the original by a second, equally qualified specialist — no translation leaves the house unrevised.
Terminology & resources
Terminology databases, translation memories and documented work instructions secure consistency across projects and years.
Project management
From the quote to delivery, every step — deadlines, queries, approvals — is documented and traceable.
Correction
If a defect is identified within the agreed scope, we correct it free of charge — the standard requires a defined complaints process.
Order handling
A clearly defined sequence from enquiry, quote, order confirmation to delivery — traceable for you and for the register.
The standard is the minimum. Not our ceiling.
DIN EN ISO 17100 mandates qualification, four-eyes revision and terminology management — foundations our team has lived for more than 20 years regardless.
Quality guarantee
Our commitment — clear, no small print.
Free correction on formal complaint. If an authority, a court or you yourself raise a formal objection to a translation within the agreed scope, we correct it free of charge. That is not goodwill — it is the complaints process DIN EN ISO 17100 requires, and one we document as we go.
The commitment rests on four-eyes revision: every specialist translation is checked against the source text by a second, equally qualified person before it leaves the house. Combined with the binding fixed price, you know in advance what you get — and what it costs. See the fixed price →
Registration
The registration — in black and white.
Not a marketing seal, but an entry in the public DIN CERTCO register. These details appear there — the preview on the right is a schematic illustration, not a copy of the original document.
- RegistrantFachübersetzungsdienst GmbH
- Registration no.7U517
- StandardDIN EN ISO 17100:2016-05
- Issuing bodyDIN CERTCO (TÜV Rheinland Group)
- Validityunlimited
Technology & AI at termbase
Cutting-edge technology — and knowing where the specialist is irreplaceable.
Machine translation and AI produce fluent sentences in seconds today. Where they are reliable, we use them; where meaning is at stake — numbers, negations, liability — the specialist translator decides. That line is drawn not only by caution but by the revision requirement of DIN EN ISO 17100.
What technology does for you: we have worked with CAT tools, translation memories and terminology databases for decades. They keep terminology consistent across projects and years, speed up the work, make previously translated content reusable and so lower your costs. Neural machine translation (NMT) and AI are one more tool for us — embedded in the controlled, DIN EN ISO 17100-revised process, never a substitute for it.
Where the standard draws a clear line: raw MT output plus light post-editing falls outside the scope of ISO 17100:2015 — the standard describes human-performed, revised professional translation. A text that only runs through a machine and gets a quick read-through afterwards is not a compliant, authority-recognisable certified translation. For machine-pre-translated texts there is a dedicated, managed path: post-editing (MTPE) to DIN EN ISO 18587.
Where the limits lie — and why we know them
Six documented weaknesses of machine translation — from fluently worded factual errors to invented terminology. We name them openly, because our process is built to catch exactly these points.
Fluent ≠ correct
NMT produces grammatically fluent sentences that can be factually wrong — fluency over content precision. These fluent-but-wrong errors slip past laypeople and automated metrics easily.
Errors where it matters most
Inaccuracy sits exactly where it is critical: numbers, negations, obligations — negated contract clauses, dosages, reversed safety warnings. The last percentage points are the most dangerous.
Hallucinations
AI sometimes produces plausible-sounding but invented content — especially with technical terms, unusual phrasing or a sparse source. Without a check, it goes unnoticed.
Terminology drift
Without control, the same word gets translated differently across segments and pages. Our terminology databases and translation memories keep the naming consistent.
Not certifiable
Pure AI output is not a translation that carries ISO 17100 accountability or legal recognisability — it lacks human responsibility and the certification statement.
Fuzzy matches — checked
Suggestions from the translation memory that only approximately fit (fuzzy matches) are checked by us against context, not adopted blindly.
Our position
We use machines and AI as a tool — inside the revised process, never as its replacement. Every certified translation ultimately carries the review and accountability of a qualified specialist translator to DIN EN ISO 17100, not a model. More on our professional translations and our fixed price.
Our auditor asked who had translated a 2023 revision and against which glossary. termbase answered both from its own records the same day. You only find out whether that part of a quality system exists at the moment somebody asks.
Lim Wei Sheng · quality manager, Penang (Malaysia) · supplier documentation, audit trail
What the registration means for you in practice
You do not have to take our word for it — the register entry is public, and so are the processes behind it (qualification, revision, the complaints route). What we commit to holds. See references →
FAQ
Quality & DIN EN ISO 17100 — frequently asked questions.
What does DIN EN ISO 17100, Reg. 7U517 mean?
Is registration to DIN EN ISO 17100 a legal requirement?
What does the standard require for translation services within its scope?
Is pure machine translation compliant with the standard?
Does termbase use artificial intelligence and machine translation?
Why isn't raw AI translation enough for critical texts?
How can I verify the registration myself?
What happens if an error still occurs?
Next
Sensible next steps.
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