Certified translations of documents

There may be times when you need a written certified translation of documents. For example, you might need to present them to government agencies, offices, courts or educational institutions.

Sprachen Koll translation agency can professionally and expertly translate your official documents such as patents, birth certificates, police clearance certificates, school and work certificates, apostilles and court documents – and this is only a small selection of official documents – into the desired language, including the mentioned certification formula, signature and round seal.

Get your documents certified translated

Who is allowed to certify translations?

Only sworn/authorised translators are allowed to certify a translation. It is not possible for a notary public, for example, to certify a translation. A notary may only certify the authenticity or a copy of a submitted document.

Sprachen Koll GmbH has a pool of permanent and freelance translators with an eye for detail, who are publicly appointed and sworn, and are therefore allowed to certify a written translation that has previously been prepared in person and thus make it official.

With a signature and round seal, the translation becomes an official document, and the authorised translator is liable for the accuracy of its content. For this reason, we reject third-party translations for certification.

When do translations need to be certified?

Officially certified translations are required when authorities or offices need documents in another language to confirm their authenticity officially. With signature, date, certification formula and round stamp, the translator legally confirms that the translation is true and fully corresponds to the original.

It is important to note here that both the source document and the certified translation must be presented in the original. A copy of the translation is not legally valid. To produce the translation for you as quickly as possible, we need the complete original document from you.

The procedure for certified translations

How can I imagine the process of a certified translation?

You submit your complete original document to us. After review by our project managers, it will be submitted to the appropriate sworn translator, who will expertly translate it into the appropriate language.

Please note that, as with all translation and interpreting services, Sprachen Koll is bound by confidentiality and will not disclose the contents of your personal documents to third parties and will always treat them confidentially.

When the translation is completed, the translator will add the certification formula, a round seal, a signature and a date. This completes the process on our side, and you will receive your official translation and the original document back from us.

Legally, there is no time-limited validity period, but there may be variations for certain documents. Please check this in advance with the relevant authority requiring the certified translation.

The cost of certified translations

We will happily provide you with a cost estimate for your certified translation by our translation agency Sprachen Koll GmbH. Quickly and without obligation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a quotation for a certified translation of my documents?

Please send us an email to office@sprachen-koll.at or use our contact form. We will reply within an hour. It is important that you send all documents that need to be translated so that we can give you a precise and obligation-free quotation. It is important that you provide us with information regarding the target language, your desired delivery date, and the type of certification (see below paragraph “How do I know whether I need to have an original or a copy certified?”)

Process

You send us your request with all the necessary documents and information. Please clarify the following points beforehand:
- Has it been clarified with the relevant authority whether they require certification with the original document, a copy, or digital certification?
- Must the documents first be provided with an apostille before certification so that this can be translated and certified together with the other documents (see “What is an apostille and where do I get this?”)
We will provide you with a quote including delivery time.
You accept our quote, and we start with the translation.
We will send you the certified translation by mail, or we can arrange collection at one of our offices.
With the delivery of the certified documents, an invoice with our banking details will be included. You also have the option of paying by credit card or cash when collecting the documents.

What is the difference between an original document and a copy?

The original document is the hard copy of the document that you hold in your hand, e.g. your original birth certificate or your passport. If we must certify an original document, you must send it to us by mail or hand it in at one of our offices (the latter only by making an appointment). In many cases, we can certify directly there so that you can take everything back with you straight away. Otherwise, we will be happy to send everything to you by mail.

The copy of a document is a photograph or a scan which you send us by email. In this case, we attach our certified translation to the print-out of your copy. Here too, you have the option to collect the documents personally or have them sent to you by mail.

There is also the option of certifying your documents digitally, in other words, with an electronic signature (see “What is a digital certification or an electronic signature?”)

How do I know whether I need to have the original or a copy certified?

This must be clarified with the respective authority beforehand. Unfortunately, we cannot make this decision for the client.

All authorities in Austria must accept digital certifications, therefore a hard copy is not strictly necessary. For any other country, please clarify the guidelines beforehand.

Please note that identity documents such as your identity card, driver’s license or passport cannot be certified in their original format. The certification of originals requires that the translation can be attached to them. Identity documents can therefore only be certified digitally or as a copy of the original.

What is a digital certification or an electronic signature?

First, we would like to point out that a digital certification is not possible with an original document, this can only be done with a copy or a scanned-in document. The digital certification is sent to you via email in PDF format and is therefore the fastest and most inexpensive option.

Digital certifications with an electronic signature must be accepted by Austrian. If the translation is issued for another country, please check with the respective office whether a digital certification is accepted.

Can I receive the certified translation digitally as well as in hard copy?

Yes, that is no problem. Our quote is always for one version only, in other words, digitally or in hard copy. Should you require further copies (digital or hard copy), an additional certification fee will be charged.

When does a “scan in advance” make sense for my certified translation?

With a hard copy version, we are happy to send you a scan (for a small fee) before we send it by post.

A scan of the certified translation must not be confused with a digital certification. The scan has not got an electronic signature and is merely a scanned-in version of your source document and our translation including the certification clause and stamp.

Where do I send my original documents?

We have three offices in Austria: in Grammastetten (head office), in Linz and Vienna. Please discuss with us where you would like to submit your documents or where you would like to collect them and make an appointment with us beforehand.

You are welcome to drop your documents in our letterbox at any time. However, please attach a note with your name and telephone number to the documents so that we can allocate the documents immediately. If you want to hand in your documents in person, please contact us shortly beforehand so that we can ensure that they can be received.

Grammastetten office (Head office):
Marktstrasse 35A
4201 Grammastetten
Tel.: +43 (0) 676/5490054

Here you may drop your documents into our letterbox at any time.

Linz office:
Marienstrasse 7 / Top 7
4020 Linz
Tel.: +43 (0) 676/5490054

There is no accessible letter box for clients here, therefore it is essential that you make an appointment with us for the handing over and/or collection of the documents.

Vienna office
Währinger Strasse 168 / Top 3
1180 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (0) 676/4831161

There is no accessible letter box for clients here, therefore it is essential that you make an appointment with us for the handing over and/or collection of the documents.

Postal dispatch/DHL You have three options to send your documents domestically:

Normal mail: delivery within 2 – 3 working days
Registered mail: delivery within 1 – 2 working days (with tracking and tracing)
Express or EMS: Delivery by 13:00 on the day after posting.

Naturally, we can also send your documents to any other country within or outside the EU on request.

We are happy to inform you about the postage costs with our quotation, as this depends on the destination country and the desired option.

You also have the option to assign a courier service or DHL (at your own cost) to collect your documents at one of our offices.

Please take note that we are not responsible for delivery from the time of handing over to the post office, the courier service or DHL; we therefore can only provide the postal service’s estimated time of arrival of the delivery.

What is an apostille or a supplementary attestation?

The apostille for the original certificate confirms the authenticity of the document and thus enables it to be recognised internationally. The apostille for the original certificate must always be obtained by the issuing authority and cannot be obtained by the court interpreter. The apostille must be attached to the document before it is translated.

Certified translations for abroad
If the requested document must be submitted abroad (outside the EU), an additional attestation or apostille of the translation is required. This confirms that the translator is certified by the regional court where the court interpreter is registered and that their certification is valid.

We are also happy to see to the translation of the supplementary attestation.

It is best if you inform yourself in advance from the office to which you want to submit your translation whether an apostille and a supplementary attestation are required. The Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs can also inform you which steps are required in your case.