Certified Translations

Certified (official) translations are carried out by sworn court interpreters, appointed by the Ministry of Justice through a general administrative procedure, regulated by the Court Interpreters' Rules, in accordance with the Courts Act. In addition to written translation, interpreters also offer oral interpreting services during hearings, in notarial and court proceedings, at the administrative unit for marriage registration, during the ceremony itself, and in other cases where participants use a language that is not the official language of the institution/authority.

A court interpreter translates various documents, primarily all official documentation submitted to public/official authorities and institutions (e.g., birth, marriage, death certificates, diplomas, certificates of single status, criminal record certificates, etc.). To create a certified translation, we require the original document (or its certified or regular photocopy), on the basis of which the interpreter prepares the translation. The original is bound to the translation with a national ribbon. At the end of the translation, the interpreter includes a statement indicating when they were appointed as a court interpreter, ensuring that the translation is identical to the original document. The translation is then completed with the date, interpreter’s signature, and stamp. In other countries, such translations are known as court-certified translations or notarized translations.

Binding with a certified photocopy is recommended when you don’t want the original document to be used for binding, as you may need it in the future, and it may be difficult to obtain duplicates (e.g., diplomas, certificates). Certified photocopies can be obtained at the Administrative Unit or from a notary. A black-and-white photocopy can also be bound with the translation, especially when sending court-certified translations to the target institution only in electronic form (scan). Certified translations are exact translations of the original document, meaning that even if the interpreter notices an error on the document, they are not allowed to correct it and must strictly adhere to the original, copying any error.

Any alteration of data is prohibited. In court-certified translations, summarizing the text is not permitted, but the interpreter can translate only part of the text. This means that the part to be translated is marked in the original, and the interpreter notes in the translation that the rest of the text was omitted at the client’s request or uses the term "omissis" (omission).