Language Requirements

An accreditation candidate should be able to accurately transcribe, translate, and abstract documents from a variety of time-periods and with a variety of script styles, from their chosen region. Applicants will be expected to accurately translate and abstract documents of genealogical significance from the primary language into English. For regions that have documents in multiple languages, candidates will be required to abstract and translate information of genealogical value (names, dates, places, events) in all the languages used in a region.

Applicants will be required to identify all documents by type and language, if other than English.

The table below shows the relevant language skills needed for accreditation in  each region.

Testing RegionTranscribe & TranslateAbstract
African-American (Specialty)EnglishEnglish
Argentina-UruguaySpanishSpanish
AustriaGerman, LatinGerman, Latin
BelgiumFrench, Dutch, LatinFrench, Dutch, German, Latin
BrazilPortuguesePortuguese
Canada - Atlantic Provinces (coming in 2025)English, FrenchEnglish, French
Canada - OntarioEnglishEnglish
Canada - QuebecEnglish, FrenchEnglish, French, Latin
Canada - Western ProvincesEnglishEnglish
Central AmericaSpanishSpanish
ChileSpanishSpanish
Colombia-PanamaSpanishSpanish
CzechiaCzech, GermanCzech, German, Latin
DenmarkDanishDanish, German
EnglandEnglish, LatinEnglish, Latin
FinlandFinnish, SwedishFinnish, Swedish
FranceFrenchFrench, German, Latin
Germany EastGerman, LatinGerman, Latin, Polish
Germany NorthwestGerman, LatinGerman, Danish, Latin, French
Germany SouthGerman, French, LatinGerman, French, Latin
IrelandEnglishEnglish, Latin
ItalyItalian, LatinItalian, Latin
LuxembourgFrench, German, LatinFrench, German, Latin
MexicoSpanishSpanish
NetherlandsDutch, LatinDutch, French, Latin
NorwayNorwegianNorwegian
PeruSpanishSpanish
PolandPolish, German, LatinPolish, German, Russian, Latin
PortugalPortuguesePortuguese
RussiaRussianRussian
ScotlandEnglishEnglish, Latin
SpainSpanishSpanish, Catalan
SwedenSwedishSwedish
SwitzerlandFrench, German, LatinFrench, German, Italian, Latin
US - Great LakesEnglishEnglish, German
US - Mid-AtlanticEnglishEnglish, German
US - New EnglandEnglishEnglish
US - North CentralEnglishEnglish, German, Swedish
US - NorthwestEnglishEnglish
US - South CentralEnglishEnglish, French, German, Spanish
US - SoutheastEnglishEnglish
US - SouthwestEnglishEnglish, Spanish
US - Upper SouthEnglishEnglish
VenezuelaSpanishSpanish
WalesEnglishEnglish, Welsh