Certified translations

Certified translations

also called: official translations, translations "with a circular stamp"

Certified translations are used for official proceedings, but they may also be required by foreign employers or for the purpose of admission in schools abroad; they are also necessary in the process of importing cars, changing permanent residency, etc. Only translators with a so-called "circular stamp" are authorised to issue such translations. REMEMBER TO SUBMIT the original document or its notarised copy, since it must be hole-punched and bound to the translation using the tri-couloured Slovak national string. The institution which requires a certified translation will inform you whether you need to have the original document or a notarised copy bound to the translation. If a plain copy is sufficient, you can send us a scanned copy of the document.

Within Slovakia

  • birth certificate
  • marriage certificate
  • death certificate
  • driving licence
  • signature verification
  • extract from police records
  • extract from the Register of Companies
  • certificate
  • contracts
  • school report
  • diploma
  • court ruling
  • delegation of powers and power of attorney
  • conformity declaration

Abroad with an apostille

An apostille is the authentication of the signature and stamp on a public document, so that it can be used in one of the states which are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (so-called Hague Convention). An apostille replaces superlegalisation.
It means that an apostillised foreign public document can be used without additional legalisation in any other state which is party to the Convention and for any of its bodies. It is attached to public documents. An apostille is issued in the official language of the state where it is necessary for the document to be translated into the second language. A certified translation is therefore usually necessary to be submitted in the state of destination.

When is an apostille necessary?
When you need to use a public document abroad. If you are in a state which is party to the Hague Convention, in order to prove the authenticity of a public document, the document needs to be apostillised.
According to the Convention, public documents are all documents issued by a person or body acting in official capacity, such as judicial and notary documents, administrative documents and official certificates.
Private documents are not legalised, but official documents which are civil status documents, such as birth certificates or marriage certificates, can be apostillised, as well as commercial documents such as extracts from the Register of Companies or documents proving the registration of a trademark.

An apostille is placed directly on the public document or on a separate slip of paper, the allonge, which is attached to the legalised document. The apostille must include the following required information:
• state of origin
• identification of the person who issued the public document,
• place and date of authentication,
• information of the competent authority issuing the apostille,
• identification number of authentication,
• stamp and signature of the person who issued the apostille.

Common situations which require apostillised public documents include:
• You want to get married abroad and you need to produce your birth certificates or IDs
• You want to enlist your children in a school abroad and you need to submit their birth certificates
• You are returning to your home country after studying abroad and you want to be able to use your diplomas or school certificates
• You are applying for a job abroad and you need to submit documents proving your education
• You want to authorise someone to act on your behalf abroad and the authorised person needs to produce a Power of Attorney
• You want to buy real estate abroad or to participate in judicial proceedings and you need to identify yourself
• A person died abroad and you need to submit their death certificate, e. g. in order to receive insurance settlement
• You want to open a branch or a bank account for your company abroad

If you are in a state which is not party to the Convention, documents need to be legalised at the embassy or consulate of that state.