Which Documents Require Notarised Translation?

Published: 16 September 2026 · Reading time approximately 8 minutes

The difference between sworn translation and notarised translation takes on meaning according to which institution the document will be submitted to. The same document may be accepted with a sworn translation at one institution while another asks for notarial certification. This article sets out, all in one place, the document types most often encountered in practice and the level of certification sought for each.

First, let us clarify the distinction

Sworn translation is the authorised translator's declaration of the translation under their own stamp and signature. Notarised translation is the further certification of that translation by a notary public; the notary certifies not the content of the translation but the translator's authority and signature. We set out the distinction between the two in detail in our comparison article , which explains the basic logic; here we go document by document.

Documents for which notarial certification is the rule

For the categories below, institutions mostly ask for notarial certification. Even so, the final word belongs to the institution; confirming before you apply is the cheapest step there is.

• Civil status documents: birth, marriage, divorce and death record extracts; the certificate of capacity to marry; the civil registry extract.
• Educational documents: diplomas, transcripts, provisional graduation certificates — for equivalence and enrolment procedures.
• Commercial documents: signature circulars, trade registry certificates, articles of association, certificates of activity, authorisation documents.
• Powers of attorney and undertakings: particularly where they will be used in title deed, company and litigation matters.
• Vehicle and registration documents: registration certificates, ownership certificates, authorised service and conformity letters.
• Judicial documents: court decisions, criminal record certificates, enforcement and official notification papers.
• Medical documents: reports and medical board decisions that will form the basis of an official procedure.

Cases where sworn translation is usually enough

Not every document calls for notary costs. In practice, sworn translation on its own is accepted for the following: translations intended for information within an organisation, technical documentation and user manuals, commercial correspondence and tender files, information-only annexes to academic papers and application files, and website and promotional copy. Drawing this distinction at the outset removes unnecessary notary expense outright.

The chain for documents to be used abroad

1. 1

   The original document

   The document is obtained from the competent authority with a current date. Older extracts are turned away by most institutions.

2. 2

   Sworn translation

   The translation into the target language is made; the spelling of names must match the passport exactly.

3. 3

   Notarial certification

   The translation is certified by a notary public. Notarised translation page explains the process.

4. 4

   Apostille or consular legalisation

   If the document will be used in a country party to the Apostille Convention, an apostille is needed; if not, consular legalisation. Apostille and consular legalisation page sets out the detail.

Institution by institution: who asks for what?

Presidency of Migration Management: in residence permit and citizenship files, foreign official documents are expected to carry a notarised translation and a complete certification chain. Universities and equivalence units: notarial certification for diplomas and transcripts; for some programmes, consular legalisation in addition. Trade registry: notarised translation is the rule for the documents of foreign shareholders and head offices, while sworn translation is enough for information-only annexes. Land registry offices: notarial certification is mandatory for powers of attorney and identity documents; at the time of the transaction, an accompanying interpreter is also required. Courts and enforcement offices: notarial certification for foreign documents submitted to the file, and at the hearing, court interpreting. Banks: for identity and address documents at account opening, requirements vary with each bank's own policy; confirming with the branch before applying is the quickest route.

Timing and delivery planning

For most documents the translation itself takes little time; what sets the calendar is how busy the notary's office is, the authority to be approached for the apostille, and the courier time for documents coming from abroad. For that reason we build the sequence backwards: if the date of your application appointment is known, we count back to work out the day each document has to be in hand. In multilingual files we keep a term list so that the same term is rendered the same way in every document; the spelling of personal and institutional names is fixed to a single reference (the passport).

The most frequently made mistakes

Names spelled differently. One spelling in the passport, another in the document — this is what sends a file back. Taking the steps out of order. The apostille does not simply come after the translation; which document is annotated at which stage depends on the type of document. Partial translation. The stamps and annotations on the reverse are part of the translation too. Unnecessary notary costs. If the institution is satisfied with a sworn translation, the notary step can be skipped.

The cost side depends on the number of documents, the language pair and the notary's official fees; because official fee amounts are updated every year, we do not quote figures here. Send us the list of your documents and, at the consultation, we will tell you in writing which of them genuinely needs notarial certification and what the total comes to.