Who can do a sworn translation in Italy: there is no register of sworn translators

In short

• Italy has no national register of sworn translators. The Court of Pisa says so in black and white: «Al traduttore non è richiesto alcun titolo particolare di studio o professionale: in Italia non esiste un albo o collegio professionale dei traduttori», that is, no particular academic or professional qualification is required of the translator, because no professional register of translators exists in Italy.
• The figure of the «sworn translator appointed by the Ministry» does not exist: anyone presenting it to you as an official qualification is describing something Italian law does not provide for.
• What really counts is a single requirement, and it applies in every court: the translator must be unconnected with the document. You cannot translate and swear your own documents, not even if you are a professional translator.
• For a document issued abroad, Italian law (Presidential Decree 445/2000, art. 33) speaks of an official translator without defining the term: that is the route by which a sworn translation produced abroad by a translator sworn before a court of appeal is filed in Italy.
• With us a sworn translation costs 30 euros per page and arrives as a signed and stamped PDF by email in 24 to 48 working hours. Our translators are sworn before the competent courts of appeal.

«Who can do a sworn translation?» is one of the most searched questions on the subject, and one of the worst answered. The reason is that the honest answer is awkward for anyone selling: Italian law has never built a professional register of translators, so there is no qualification to display. What does exist are precise procedural rules on who may sign an oath statement, before whom, and with which exclusions. This guide lines them up, with the sources, and explains what to ask a provider before paying.

There is no register of sworn translators

Let us start with something many people discover with surprise: in Italy the profession of translator is not a regulated profession. There is no professional body, no state examination, no registration number a translator can show you the way a lawyer shows theirs.

The institutional pages of the courts are the most direct source. The Court of Pisa, in its page on asseverazioni, writes that no particular academic or professional qualification is required of the translator, because no professional register or association of translators exists in Italy. The Court of Rieti adds that the translator may be registered or unregistered, as long as they are «diverso dall'interessato e non parente», different from the person concerned and not a relative.

This has two opposite consequences, and they belong together. The first: nobody can claim an official title of «sworn translator» issued by the Italian State, because that title does not exist. The second: quality is not guaranteed by a register, so it has to be checked by looking at the work, at the responsibility the provider takes on, and at their experience with the type of document and the language pair you need.

Wordings to read carefully

Three promises circulate that do not stand up when you read the law:

• «Sworn translators appointed by the Ministry» or «licensed by the State»: there is no ministerial appointment of translators in Italy.
• «Translators on the register of sworn translators»: the register of sworn translators does not exist. What exists is the albo dei consulenti tecnici d'ufficio (CTU), the court experts' register of each individual court, and the ruolo periti ed esperti of the chambers of commerce, which are different things and, as we shall see, not always required.
• «Translation accepted by all authorities»: no provider can guarantee that, because the final decision always belongs to the office receiving the document. We do not write it anywhere, and we suggest you distrust anyone who does.

How asseverazione before an Italian court works

The asseverazione is the act by which a translator swears before a public official that the translation is faithful to the original text. It is not a stamp: it is a written statement, signed and recorded, which is attached to the translation and to the source document. If the difference between asseverata, giurata, certificata and legalizzata is not clear to you, our guide to the differences between sworn, asseverated, certified and legalised translation sorts it out.

The requirement that applies in every court: being unconnected with the document

The Court of Milan, in its page on the asseverazione of expert reports and translations, sets it as a condition: the translator «deve essere estraneo all'atto da lui tradotto», must be unconnected with the document being translated. The Court of Rieti adds the degree of kinship. In practice:

• you cannot swear the translation of your own diploma, your own birth certificate, your own divorce judgment;
• a member of your family cannot do it either, not even a professional translator;
• neither can the lawyer or the adviser who is a party to the case.

This is why universities reject translations made by the applicant: our guide to enrolling at an Italian university with a foreign qualification comes back to it, because it is the mistake that costs students the most time.

Before whom the oath is taken, and what it costs

The oath is taken before a court clerk, before a giudice di pace or before a notary. The arrangements are set by each office: the Court of Rieti, for example, limits the number of translations to four per appointment and requires the signature in front of the clerk.

The tax cost is the duty stamp. The courts of Milan and Pisa indicate a 16 euro duty stamp for every 4 pages of the statement and the translation, plus 2 euros per annex according to Milan. Some procedures are exempt under Table B of Presidential Decree 642/1972: adoption, foster care, employment and social security cases, to name the most frequent. The exemption has to be declared in the statement, citing the provision. The cost items of a complete procedure are explained in our guide on how much a sworn translation costs.

The CTU register: useful, not required by law

Many courts ask, in practice, that the translator be on the register of court experts of that court or on the ruolo periti ed esperti of the chamber of commerce. Others, like Pisa and Rieti, state expressly that no qualification is required. There is no national rule: practice varies from court to court, and the only way to know is to read the page of the court concerned.

In practical terms: registration as a court expert is an element of reliability, not a statutory qualification. If a provider presents it as the only valid way to produce a sworn translation, they are simplifying to their own advantage.

What if the document was issued abroad?

This is where most real cases sit: a Brazilian birth certificate, a Romanian criminal record certificate, an Indian degree to be filed in Italy. Article 33 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 provides that foreign documents be accompanied by an Italian translation certified as conforming by the diplomatic or consular mission, or by an official translator. The law does not define who the «official translator» is: it is an open formula, and in practice it is the route by which a sworn translation produced abroad by a translator sworn before a court of appeal is filed in Italy.

Also worth knowing:

• for civil status records issued in a country of the European Union, Regulation EU 2016/1191 allows a multilingual standard form to be attached, which in many cases removes both the legalisation and the translation: ask for it at the authority issuing the record, it can save you the whole expense;
• outside the European Union you need the apostille for countries party to the Hague Convention, or consular legalisation for the others. It goes on the original before the translation: our guide on apostille and sworn translation explains the order of the steps;
• if the document has to be registered with an Italian town hall, the procedure is the one described in our guide to registering a foreign record in Italy.

A point of honesty. There is no Italian source stating explicitly and in general terms whether a sworn translation produced abroad is always accepted: article 33 does not define the «official translator», and office practice varies. That is why the only correct answer is: ask the office that will receive the document which form of translation it accepts, before ordering. If you like, write to us and we will check it with you.

The questions to ask a provider

1. Who signs the translation, and in what capacity? The answer should name a translator and the type of oath, not a brand.
2. Is the price per document or per page? This is the main source of surprises on quotes. With us it is per page, written out on our prices page.
3. Is the duty stamp included? The question only makes sense if the translation is sworn in Italy. In a PDF made from a scan, duty stamps do not come into it.
4. Will I get a PDF, a paper original, or both? Our guide on when the PDF is enough and when the original is needed helps you work out what you need.
5. What happens if the office challenges the translation? A clear answer on corrections and timing is worth more than any promise of acceptance.

How we work

Our translators are sworn before the competent courts of appeal, chosen for the language pair and for the type of document. You upload the scan, we translate, sign and stamp, and you receive the PDF by email in 24 to 48 working hours, at 30 euros per page: the quantity to enter in the order is the number of pages. The full route is on our how it works page, and the paper copy by post is an option you can add whenever you want.

If your procedure expressly requires asseverazione before an Italian court, we can arrange it on quote: this happens above all for Italian documents intended for use abroad and for a few particularly strict offices. Write to us before ordering and we will check together what your office asks for.

The documents we handle most often are collected by type in the our services collection, and by procedure in the collections documents for Italian citizenship, civil status documents, documents for university and documents for work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I translate and swear the translation of my own documents?

No. The translator must be unconnected with the document: the Court of Milan writes it, and the Court of Rieti adds that it cannot be a relative either. This applies even if you are a professional translator.

Do you have to be on the court experts' register to swear a translation?

Not under national law. Many courts ask for it in practice, others state expressly that no qualification is required. It depends on the court: it has to be checked on its own page.

Can a foreign translator produce a translation valid in Italy?

Article 33 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 provides for a translation made by an «official translator» without defining the term, and that is the route by which sworn translations made abroad are filed in Italy. Since no Italian source defines it explicitly, ask the receiving office to confirm before ordering.

Who translates a document into a language other than Italian?

A translator sworn for that language pair. We work in Italian, English, Spanish, French, German, Romanian and Arabic, and between these six languages. For another language write to us for a quote.

What is the difference between a sworn translator and a translation agency?

The oath is a personal act: it is taken by a translator, not by a company. A serious agency tells you who translates and in what capacity; our role is exactly that, connecting your case with the sworn translator who covers it.

How much is the duty stamp?

According to the guidance of the courts of Milan and Pisa, 16 euros for every 4 pages, plus 2 euros per annex according to Milan, with the exemptions of Table B of Presidential Decree 642/1972. It concerns asseverazione in Italy: our PDF made from a scan, at 30 euros per page, involves no duty stamps.

How do I choose, then, if no register exists?

Look at three things: who signs and in what capacity, whether the price is per page or per document, and what happens if the office asks for a correction. The rest, acceptance included, depends on the receiving office, and no provider can guarantee it. Further answers are in our frequently asked questions and on the page which translation to choose.

Sources: Court of Pisa, asseverazioni; Court of Milan, asseverazione of expert reports and translations; Court of Rieti, sworn asseverazioni of expert reports and translations; Presidential Decree 445 of 28 December 2000, art. 33; Presidential Decree 642 of 26 October 1972, Table B; Regulation EU 2016/1191.