Sworn and certified translation worldwide

An official translation is the translation of a document — such as a birth certificate, diploma or contract — accompanied by a certification or sworn statement from an authorised translator or agency. It is usually required when you submit a foreign-language document to a government authority, court, university or other institution as part of an application. “Official translation” is used interchangeably with certified, sworn, notarised and legalised translations, which are produced in slightly different ways depending on the country.

A certified translation comes with a signed and stamped statement of accuracy from a qualified translator or translation company, and is the standard in countries with no sworn-translator system, such as the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australia. A sworn translation can only be issued by a translator officially appointed by a court or ministry in the destination country, who adds their personal stamp and signature — the format required in countries like France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. We advise which one your situation needs before we start.

Requirements vary by country and even by institution. Tell us the destination country and the body you are applying to (for example, an embassy, immigration office, university or court), and forward any instructions they have given you. We will confirm whether you need a certified, sworn, notarised or apostilled translation and prepare it accordingly, so it is accepted the first time.

Whenever you present a foreign-language document to an official recipient. Common examples include:

• Birth, marriage and death certificates.
• Diplomas, transcripts and academic records.
• Passports, ID documents and driving licences.
• Police clearance and criminal record certificates.
• Contracts, powers of attorney and company registration documents.
• Court rulings, witness statements and affidavits.
• Financial statements, tax and bank documents.
• Medical reports and insurance documentation.
• Immigration, residency and citizenship papers.
• Any other document in which the recipient requests a certified or sworn translation.

We provide official translations accepted in more than 30 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania — including the UK, Ireland, Poland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Turkey and the UAE, among many others. If your destination is not listed, contact us and we will confirm coverage and the exact requirements.

Often, yes. Many authorities now accept digitally signed certified and sworn translations as legally equivalent to printed originals, and these can be emailed to you instantly. Availability depends on the language and country, and some government institutions still require paper originals with a wet stamp and signature. We recommend confirming with your institution beforehand; if they accept digital, we deliver a signed PDF, and if not, we ship a hard copy.

For many purposes a certified or sworn translation on its own is enough. For some international procedures the receiving authority asks for notarisation (a Notary Public confirms the translator’s signature) and/or legalisation by apostille (a government ministry authenticates the document for use abroad under the Hague Convention). We can arrange both and will tell you whether your case requires them.

Digital version: a certified or sworn PDF with the relevant stamp and signature, sent securely by email and ready to upload or print. Paper version: a signed and stamped hard copy delivered by courier or post within the destination country or internationally. Both formats are valid where digital signatures are accepted.

The price depends on the language pair, the type and complexity of the document, the total volume, the destination country and how quickly you need it. Sworn translations in some countries are priced by a legally defined page (for example, 1,125 characters including spaces in Poland), while certified translations are usually priced per page or document. Additional fees apply for shipping, notarisation, apostille or urgent delivery. You always receive a clear, itemised quote before we begin, with no hidden fees.

Most personal and corporate documents are delivered within 2–3 working days after payment for orders of up to around 30 pages. Larger projects, rare language combinations or destinations that require notarisation or an apostille may take longer. If you are on a tight deadline, we can usually offer an express service at a higher rate — just tell us your target date when requesting a quote.

When no sworn translator is available for a given combination, the document can often be handled through an intermediate language. For example, you can obtain a sworn or notarised translation from the original language into English in the source country, which our sworn translator then renders from English into the target language. In some cases a consul of the issuing country can also certify the translation. We will find a workable route for your specific documents.

Yes. Some institutions specify exactly what the certificate must say, how it should be formatted, or whether the translator’s qualifications must be listed. Send us those instructions with your documents and we will adapt the certification wording and layout so your translation is accepted on the first submission.

Official translations are tailored services produced for your specific documents. As with most professional services, payment is required in advance so we can reserve the necessary time and the right translator for your project and avoid misunderstandings about cancellations or unpaid work.

A duplicate usually costs around 15–20% of the original translation price. Sworn translators keep a record of every copy as a separate document, assigning it a new identification number, validating it and entering it in their register, which is why a small fee applies.