Certified Translation Ireland
Sworn vs Certified Translation in Ireland
Ireland has no state 'sworn translator' register. INIS, the Passport Office, the HSE, universities, and Irish courts accept certified translations from qualified translators. Here is when 'sworn' matters and when it does not.
The Short Answer for Ireland
Ireland does not have a state 'sworn translator' system. The words 'sworn translation' and 'certified translation' get used interchangeably in everyday conversation in Ireland, but only one of them describes what Irish authorities actually accept, and it is the certified translation.
What Irish authorities need is a translation from a qualified translator that carries a signed Statement of Accuracy, the translator or provider's name and contact details, the date, and a stamp on the physical copy where required. Every certified translation we issue for INIS, the Passport Office, the HSE, the Courts Service, universities, and the General Register Office carries all four. There is no separate 'sworn' tier available in Ireland because the state does not maintain one.
If someone in Ireland tells you a document 'needs to be sworn', what they almost always mean is one of two things. Either the document is being sent out of Ireland to a country whose authorities require a sworn translator from their own system (Spain, France, Poland, Germany, Italy). Or the document arrived in Ireland already sworn (say, a Spanish Traductor Jurado translation) and they are asking what the Irish authority expects on top of that. Both cases are handled below.
What 'Certified' Means in Ireland
A certified translation for Irish use is a translation that the receiving authority can rely on as an accurate rendering of the source. The four elements are:
- Full and accurate translation of the source. Every stamp, seal, marginal note, handwritten correction, and signature block on the source is described in the translation. Skipping the marginal notes is a common failure mode of low-cost translations; INIS and universities catch it.
- Signed Statement of Accuracy. A statement, in English, in which the translator or provider certifies that the translation is a true and accurate rendering of the source.
- Translator or provider identity. The name of the certifying translator or provider, contact address, email, and date.
- Stamp or seal where required. The physical certified copy carries a visible stamp. Receiving authorities such as INIS accept scanned PDFs of the stamped copy; other authorities (some universities and some court filings) still want the wet-stamped hard copy by post.
Every certified translation Tatkowski issues carries all four elements. The certifying name we use is 'Tatkowski Certified Translator', with our Irish contact address and the date. INIS, the Passport Office, universities, HSE bodies, and the Courts Service accept this format.
What Ireland does not require is that the translator be personally sworn in front of a court or listed on a Ministry of Justice register. Ireland has never built that system. Anyone who tells you otherwise is confusing Ireland with the continental European jurisdictions covered next.
What 'Sworn' Means in Continental Europe
Five continental European jurisdictions have state-appointed sworn translators. If you are dealing with a document coming from one of them, or going to one of them, the sworn concept becomes real.
France — Traducteur Assermenté (Traducteur Expert)
A Traducteur Assermenté is registered with a Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) after being appointed as a court expert. The translator's stamp and signature give the translation legal weight in French administrative and judicial proceedings. Any document going to French authorities (préfecture, tribunal, université, consulate) is typically expected in French through a Traducteur Assermenté. A UK or Irish certified translation is not accepted as a substitute for most French administrative uses.
Spain — Traductor Jurado
The Traductor Jurado is appointed by the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (MAEC) after passing state examinations. The translator's stamp and signature make the translation an 'official' document in Spanish law. Documents going to Spanish authorities (Extranjería, MAEC, Registro Civil, Ministerio de Educación, universities, notaries) are expected through a Traductor Jurado. Documents arriving in Ireland from Spain that were translated by a Traductor Jurado are accepted at face value in Ireland, though sometimes a certified Irish-side annotation is added to help the receiving authority.
Poland — Tłumacz Przysięgły
The Tłumacz Przysięgły is registered with the Ministry of Justice (Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości) after passing a state examination and being sworn in. The translation carries a unique registered number (numer w rejestrze) and a specific stamp. Polish authorities (USC, sąd, uniwersytet, notariusz, MSZ) require Tłumacz Przysięgły translations for administrative and judicial use. Polish documents arriving in Ireland with a Przysięgły translation are accepted in Ireland.
Germany — Beeidigter or Vereidigter Übersetzer
Appointed by a state court (Oberlandesgericht). Each federal state (Bundesland) maintains its own register. The translation carries a specific certification formula and the translator's court-appointed stamp. German authorities (Bürgeramt, Amtsgericht, Universität, Standesamt) expect German translations through a beeidigter Übersetzer for administrative use.
Italy — Traduzione Giurata (Asseverazione)
Italy is different from the other four. There is no state register of sworn translators as such. Instead, an ordinary translator produces the translation and then formally swears (asseverazione) before a judge, court officer, or notary at the local tribunale. The sworn oath, translator's signature, and the court or notarial stamp on the record book give the translation legal weight.
When Ireland Accepts Certified, and When You Actually Need Sworn
Documents being submitted TO an Irish authority
A certified translation from a qualified translator, with the four elements above, is what INIS, the Passport Office, the HSE, universities, the Courts Service, the General Register Office, the Companies Registration Office, and the Legal Services Regulatory Authority accept. No sworn translator is needed. This covers 95%+ of Ireland-inbound work.
Documents going FROM Ireland TO a continental European authority
Here the receiving country's rules apply. If the receiving country is Spain, France, Poland, or Germany, a sworn translator from that country's system is usually required. We can produce a certified Irish translation and arrange sworn certification in the destination country through a partner sworn translator. Otherwise the document may not be accepted by the foreign authority even with an Irish apostille attached.
Documents arriving in Ireland that were already sworn abroad
A Polish Przysięgły translation, a Spanish Jurado translation, a French Assermenté translation, or a German Beeidigter translation, arriving in Ireland with a proper foreign stamp and apostille, is accepted by Irish authorities. Where the foreign sworn translation is into the origin language (say, Spanish into Portuguese for Spanish authorities), and the document needs to work in Ireland, we produce an additional certified Irish translation into English so the Irish authority can act on it.
Documents heading to non-European destinations
Countries outside the Hague Convention (or where Hague is not sufficient) require embassy legalisation on the original and the translation. UAE, Egypt, Vietnam, and China each have specific legalisation chains. We flag which chain applies at quote time and price it at the actual embassy rate.
How the Hague Apostille Fits In
The Hague Apostille Convention of 1961 legalises the origin of a public document for use in another Convention country. It does two things and does them clearly:
- It confirms that the signature or stamp on the source public document is genuine and issued by an authorised body in the origin country.
- It removes the need for the destination-country embassy or consulate to legalise the document separately.
What Hague does not do is say anything about the translation. Whether the translation is certified in Ireland or sworn in Spain is a matter for the receiving country's rules, not for the Hague Convention.
In Ireland the Department of Foreign Affairs (Consular Section, Dublin) issues apostilles on Irish public documents and on translations produced in Ireland when a foreign authority asks for one. The rate is EUR 40 per document at the DFA published rate; we pass this through at cost, with a fixed handling fee if you want us to lodge and collect on your behalf.
Non-Hague countries (or countries where a specific reservation applies) require full embassy legalisation. We quote per country because the fees and processing times vary.
Pricing
A page is 250 source words or one A4 side, whichever gives the lower count. INIS, Passport Office, HSE, and Courts Service accepted on every document. B2B invoicing available on 30-day terms.
How to Order (Our Process)
Four steps from upload to certified translation delivered.
Send Us the Document
Upload a scan or photo, or WhatsApp us the file. Tell us the destination authority (INIS, Passport Office, HSE, university, foreign consulate). We identify at intake whether a certified Irish translation is all you need, or whether a sworn translation in the destination country is required.
Fixed Quote, Then Payment
Quote shows page count, add-ons, apostille or embassy legalisation where relevant, and any sworn-translation liaison for a foreign destination. You pay by card or on B2B invoice. Order reference issued as TIR-IE-YYYY-NNNN.
Translation and Certification
Qualified translator produces the translation. Second reviewer checks names, dates, references, and terminology. Statement of Accuracy attached with translator name ('Tatkowski Certified Translator'), signature, contact details, and date.
Delivery
Certified PDF by email within 24 to 48 hours for standard orders. Hard copy by An Post the same day where ordered. Apostille and embassy legalisation follow the government processing time and are tracked to delivery.
What Our Clients Say
"Confused whether my Spanish diploma needed a sworn translation or a certified one. Uploaded it, got a clear answer inside 15 minutes: certified translation for the Irish employer, sworn back-translation only if the qualification is being registered with a Spanish body. Saved me from paying twice."
Client, Cork — engineering role
"Sent a French administrative document to a préfecture from Ireland. Tatkowski produced the Irish certified translation, arranged the Traducteur Assermenté in France, and lodged the apostille. Préfecture accepted the bundle."
Client, Dublin 4 — French residence renewal
"Advised our team on a Polish Przysięgły translation that had come in with an existing client bundle. Explained what INIS would need on top, produced the certified Irish translation of the marginal notes, invoiced on 30-day terms. Clean handling."
Immigration solicitor, Dublin 2
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ireland have sworn translators?
No. Ireland does not maintain a state register of sworn translators the way France, Spain, Poland, or Germany do. Irish authorities (INIS, the Passport Office, the HSE, the Courts Service, third-level admissions offices, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority) accept certified translations issued by a qualified translator or translation service, with a signed Statement of Accuracy. The word 'certified' in the Irish context has a specific operational meaning that is different from the continental European 'sworn' or 'jurado' status.
So what does 'certified translation' actually mean in Ireland?
A certified translation for Irish use requires four things: (1) an accurate translation of the entire source document, (2) a signed Statement of Accuracy from the translator or provider, (3) the translator's or provider's name, contact details, and date, and (4) a stamp or seal on the physical copy where the receiving authority requires it. Every certified translation we issue carries all four elements, with 'Tatkowski Certified Translator' as the certifying name, our contact address, the date, and the stamp. INIS, the Passport Office, universities, and the Courts Service accept this format.
When do Irish authorities accept a certified translation without more?
For visa and immigration applications through INIS, passport applications through the Passport Office, hospital admissions and medical registration through the HSE, school and university admissions, Companies Registration Office filings, birth / marriage / death registration through the General Register Office, and most Irish court filings, a certified translation from a qualified translator is accepted. No further legalisation of the translation itself is needed. Any additional apostille or legalisation applies to the foreign original, not to the translation.
When is a sworn translation from abroad required?
Two typical situations. First, when the foreign country of origin required a sworn translation to be produced there before the document was submitted for further legalisation (for example, a Spanish document that was translated by a Traductor Jurado in Spain and then apostilled). In that case the Irish receiving authority accepts the sworn-and-apostilled foreign document with a certified Irish-side translation only where needed. Second, when the document is going out of Ireland to a country whose authorities require a sworn translator from their own system (Spain, France, Poland, Germany, Italy, etc.). In that case we can produce a certified translation and arrange sworn certification in the destination country through a partner.
What is a Traductor Jurado, Traducteur Assermenté, or Tłumacz Przysięgły?
These are state-appointed sworn translators in specific continental European jurisdictions. Spain's Traductor Jurado is appointed by MAEC (the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores). France's Traducteur Assermenté (or Traducteur Expert) is registered with a Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel). Poland's Tłumacz Przysięgły is registered with the Ministry of Justice (Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości). Germany's beeidigter or vereidigter Übersetzer is appointed by a state court (Oberlandesgericht). Italy's traduzione giurata is produced by an ordinary translator whose translation is then formally sworn (asseverazione) before a judge or notary at the local tribunale. All four systems give the sworn translator a state-conferred authority Ireland has never adopted.
How does Apostille and the Hague Convention fit into this?
The Hague Apostille Convention of 1961 legalises the origin of a public document for use in another Convention country. It says nothing about who translates the document. In Ireland the Department of Foreign Affairs (Consular Section) issues apostilles on Irish public documents and on translations produced in Ireland when a foreign authority asks for one. An Irish certified translation of a foreign document, and an Irish apostille where the foreign authority requires it, is the standard export combination. The Irish apostille costs EUR 40 at the DFA rate and we pass this through at cost.
Common misconceptions
Two we hear often. First, that INIS 'requires a sworn translator': it does not, and never has. INIS accepts certified translations from qualified translators, and this is written into INIS guidance. Second, that a sworn Polish or Spanish translation done abroad is 'not valid' in Ireland: it is, but if the document has moved from the foreign jurisdiction into Ireland and needs to be submitted to an Irish authority, a certified Irish-side translation or annotation is usually still needed so the Irish receiving authority can act on the document.
