Sworn Translation Services
Official Translations You Can Trust
Need a Certified Translation?
EuroMinds Linguistics offers both sworn translation and certified translation services for legal and official documents such as birth certificates and diplomas. It’s important to always check with the specific institution or organisation requesting the translation to confirm their exact requirements for certified or sworn translations. If requested, we also provide assistance with legalisation.
Sworn Translation Services
Sworn translations are necessary for legal proceedings, immigration purposes, or any situation where the translated document needs to be recognised by a court, government or any official body.
A sworn translation is carried out and authenticated by a translator accredited by the Court of Justice, who signs, stamps and dates the document to affirm its accuracy and authenticity. As a result, the completed sworn translation holds the same legal value as the original source document.
Official authorities and academic institutions commonly require sworn translations to guarantee that the translation is a true version of the original document.
Certified Translation Services
Certified translations are suitable for situations where you need a verified and accurate translation, but legal validity might not be the primary concern (e.g., business documents, educational transcripts). In this case, the focus is on verifying the accuracy and completeness of the translation itself. Typically, a professional translator performs the translation, but a formal accreditation by the Court of Justice is not required. The certified translation includes a signed statement from either the translator or EuroMinds Linguistics attesting to the accuracy of the translation.
Legalisation/Apostille
Belgium
Belgium has a two-tiered system for legalising translations:
National Use: Since December 2022, a sworn translation with an eID signature from a sworn translator registered in Belgium is valid nationwide. No further legalisation is required.
International Use: For translated documents intended for use abroad, legalisation by the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (FPS) is mandatory. Additionally, some countries may require an apostille.
Not all countries require an apostille. Check the Belgian Foreign Affairs website to see if an apostille is necessary for your target country.
Germany
A translation of an official document carried out by a translator sworn in by a German court is sufficient for use in Germany. The translator confirms the accuracy of the translation with a signature and stamp, and no additional legalization is necessary.
If the translated document is intended for use in another country, however, you might need an apostille. Whether an apostille is required depends on the target country and whether it is part of The Hague Convention.
An apostille authenticates the translator’s sworn status and authority to perform the translation, but it does not certify the accuracy of the translation itself. It’s important to verify the specific requirements of the destination country before proceeding.