Sworn translators
In Germany, Spain, Italy, Czechia, Poland and France a Russian notarised translation is generally not accepted: these countries require a translation by a translator officially authorised by their own court system.
When a Russian notary certifies a translation, all that is certified is the authenticity of the signature of a translator known to that notary. It says nothing about the translator's qualifications in the eyes of a foreign institution. Germany, Spain, Italy, Czechia, Poland and France have a different system: a translation for official use must be made by a translator approved by a court or a competent authority of that country — a sworn or court translator. The receiving institution can check that translator's stamp and registration number directly in the national register; the signature of a Russian notary it cannot.
What a sworn translator is
A sworn translator — vereidigter Übersetzer, traductor jurado, traduttore giurato, soudní tlumočník, tłumacz przysięgły, traducteur assermenté, depending on the country — is a translator who has passed a state examination or been approved by a court and holds a personal numbered stamp. A translation bearing that stamp is accepted by the state authorities of the country without further certification, including without an apostille on the translation itself, which is usually unnecessary once a local sworn translator has done the work.
Where to look: the official registers
Each country has its own register, and it is not always a single national one: in some, each court keeps its own list.
Official registers of sworn translators
- GermanyJoint register of sworn translators and court interpreters of the German federal states
- SpainRegister of sworn translators and interpreters (traductores e intérpretes jurados) on the site of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, section ‘Buscador de Traductores e Intérpretes Jurados’
- ItalyThere is no single national register: lists of court-appointed translators (CTU) are kept by each tribunal separately and published on court websites
- CzechiaRegister of court translators and experts of the Czech Ministry of Justice
- PolandList of sworn translators of the Polish Ministry of Justice
- FranceThere is no single national register: each court of appeal keeps its own list of expert translators, alongside the national list of the Court of Cassation
What to do from Russia
The sensible order is to obtain the apostille on the original document in Russia, from the authority that issued it, and to order the translation in the destination country from a translator in that country's official register. They will translate the apostilled original in the form the local institution expects, and their translation will not need further certification or redoing. Ordering a Russian notarised translation in advance for these six countries usually makes no sense: the chance of it being refused is high.
To be straightforward about it: this is a step we neither sell nor arrange. A sworn translator works under the law of their own country, and only the applicant or their representative on the ground can choose one. We show the registers above and help with what is actually done in Russia: the apostille on the original and, where the country requires it, a notarised translation or consular legalisation.
Work out the route for your document
The document, the region where it was issued, the destination country. The step-by-step chain with authorities, fees and timescales appears at once.