Sworn translation
Sworn translation and certification of translations
Three routes — a notary, the agency seal, a sworn translator of the destination country — and how to tell which one you actually need.
How we work
The question of which translation you need causes more confusion than anything else, because the same words mean different things in different countries. In Ukraine the official route is a translation certified by a notary, and it matters what the notary actually certifies: not the content of the translation but the signature, the identity and the qualification of the translator who produced it. The second route is the agency seal: it is not regulated by Ukrainian law, yet it is used the world over, and foreign institutions often give it more weight than notarial certification. The third is a sworn translator — an institution that exists in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain and elsewhere, where the translator certifies the work with their own seal. Ukraine has no such institution, but a sworn translation can still be ordered from Kyiv: what matters is that the translator is on the register of the country in question, not where they physically are. We do this where it is possible — availability depends on the country and the language pair, and the manager will say plainly whether it is available for your case.
Kyiv office and remote orders
Order at our office at 40/2 Volodymyrska Street, office 5, Kyiv, or remotely from Ukraine and other countries. Finished documents can be collected, delivered digitally or sent worldwide through postal operators.
What you can order
- Notarial certification of the translation
- Certification under the agency seal
- Sworn translation for the destination country, where available
- Apostille on the original or on a notarial copy
- Translation bound to the original document
- Translation bound to a notarial copy
- Translation bound to a plain copy or scan
- A check on the specific institution's requirements
What you receive
- The institution's requirement established before work starts
- The three routes explained without pushing the dearer one
- A plain answer when a sworn translator is not available
- Binding in the form the recipient requires
- One spelling of names across the whole file
- Remote handling
Related services
Frequently asked questions
Which translation counts as official in Ukraine?
One certified by a notary. The notary certifies not the translation itself or its quality but the signature, identity and qualification of the translator — confirming that the work was done by someone entitled to do it. This is a common misunderstanding: the notary does not check the content and is not answerable for it.
Is the agency seal worse than notarial certification?
Not worse, simply different. It is not regulated by Ukrainian law, but it is used everywhere in the world, and foreign institutions often give it more weight: what matters to them is the agency's responsibility rather than a notary's involvement. There are institutions that accept only a translation under the agency seal and refuse a notarial one. Dearer does not mean more correct.
Can a sworn translation be ordered from Kyiv?
Yes, where the translator is on the register of the country you need — physically they may be in Ukraine or abroad, which makes no difference to the validity of their seal. Availability, though, depends on the country and the language pair: for some directions we have such a translator, for others we do not. The manager will say so plainly rather than take the order on spec.
What is the translation bound to?
A separate question that is often forgotten and often decisive: the translation is bound to the original document, to a notarial copy, or to a plain copy or scan. Institutions differ, and a file bound the wrong way is returned. Clarify this together with the form of certification.
Why do the requirements vary so much?
Because they are set by the particular institution, not by the country. They differ even within one country — between universities, courts, migration services and municipalities. That is why we always advise checking with the place of submission: which certification, what to bind to, whether an apostille is needed. Five minutes on that question saves weeks of redoing.