Who authorizes sworn translators?

Sworn translations are an often-requested type of professional translation. They facilitate communication between two administrations or jurisdictions who speak different languages. Sworn translators translate official documents from a source to a target language.

However, far from being a simple transcription, sworn translations require a high level of expertise and authorization from presiding organizations. Find out about how sworn translators are authorized and the institutions where they must apply to become one.

L'habilitation à la traduction assermentée par des organismes spécialisés-1

What organizations govern the sworn translation field?

Governments are the main authorizing organizations that regulate the sworn translation field. Translators obtain authorization from:

  • Ministries of Foreign Affairs where they work as officials;
  • Courts where they work as court officers;
  • Courts of appeal where they are nominated;
  • Courts of cassation which deliver their authorization.

How can a translator become authorized to deliver sworn translations?

From gaining membership in a professional translator association to being authorized to deliver sworn translations, translators must undertake a four-step process.

Gain membership in a professional translator organization

To become a sworn translator, you must first be a professional translator. No formal education is required to join a professional translator organization. The profession is generally open to anyone over the age of 18 who is fluent in at least one foreign language.

Meet the eligibility conditions for becoming a sworn translator

When someone wants to become a sworn translator, they must demonstrate not only language skills but also legal skills. This can be done by earning at least one master´s degree in foreign languages from a university or a specialized school.

In addition, candidates must meet the following conditions:

  • Be 18 to 70 years of age;
  • Have no conviction of any crime involving a violation of honor, honesty or public decency;
  • Never have declared bankruptcy;
  • Be independent and available;
  • Have a clean criminal record.

Have sufficient professional experience

Just having a master´s in foreign languages and being a professional translator is not enough to guarantee that you´ll be authorized to provide sworn translations. You must have a foundation and gain professional experience by working for a professional translation agency to participate on different projects and become familiar with the requirements of the translation profession.

If you haven´t worked in a professional translation office or as a translator generally, you need to at least have worked for some time in a related profession such as teaching or have worked using a foreign language generally.

You need to have at least five years of professional experience to become authorized as a sworn translator.

Apply to the Procureur de la Republique (French District Attorney)

To apply for authorization to work as a sworn translator in France, you must apply at Tribunal de Grande Instance (a French superior court) in your district. This application must mention your education, professional experience and include a letter of motivation. In France, you should address it to the Procureur de la Republique au Tribunal de Grande Instance (superior court prosecutor) before 1 March each year. After you deliver your application, the police will undertake an investigation of your character and verify certain information.

After this investigation, your application to be a sworn translator-interpreter will be delivered to the chief judges of the Tribunal de Grande Instance, the Tribunal de Commerce (commercial court), the Conseil des Prud´hommes (labor court) to hear the opinions of their general assemblies. The application is then transferred to the procureur general (attorney general). Finally, it is delivered to the president of the Cour d´appel (court of appeals) to be examined by the generally assembly of said court.

Swear an oath

When your application is accepted, you are summoned by the court of appeals where you reside to swear an oath. By entering service, you commit to:

  • Contribute to justice;
  • Fulfill the translator´s mission;
  • Provide reports and opinions to the best of your knowledge and belief.

At that point you become a sworn translator whose work carries legal weight in all of France.

Translators are appointed & bonded for a renewable period of five years and are registered on the national official list of sworn translators. Said list is published in December each year and is presented in the directory of sworn translators-interpreters who are expert witnesses in the courts of appeal in France.

After three years, sworn translators can request authorization from the procureur general pres la Cour de cassation (prosecutor at the Court of appeals).

What do authorized translators do?

After having sworn an oath, sworn translators are recognized as officers authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They collaborate with the courts, police and customs whenever they need translations or interpretation in the following cases:

  • Police custody;
  • Interrogations;
  • Investigations;
  • Hearings;
  • File translations;

Sworn translators also work with administrative and legal authorities to provide translations of official and legal documents, especially during criminal proceedings.

They also work for the public, translating official documents such as:

  • Drivers’ licenses
  • Vital records such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates;
  • Diplomas;
  • Articles of incorporation;
  • Accounting documents;
  • Wills;
  • Rulings;
  • Notary contracts;

L'habilitation à la traduction assermentée par des organismes spécialisés-2

How to tell if a translation was done by a sworn translator?

Sworn translations can be distinguished from normal translations thanks to their unalterable legal weight. The fact that a sworn translator is authorized to deliver sworn translations gives him or her a unique status as the only expert authorized to certify that a translation is an accurate reflection of the original document.

To achieve this, translators sign, seal and note their unique registration number on their translations. With these elements, their translations are deemed authentic and are considered to have legal weight by foreign authorities and governmental organizations.

Why should you choose an authorized translator?

Professional translators participate whenever a document must be presented in a foreign administration.

For economic reasons or to shorten translation delivery times, you may be tempted to use the services of a free translator, in other words a professional, non-sworn translator. Bear in mind that you shouldn´t do this when you need to translate official documents.

For an official or legal translation to be certified as a true and correct copy of the original document and thus maintain its legal weight in a foreign administration or jurisdiction, it must contain a sworn translator´s seal. This is the case for administrative acts, vital records and legal instruments.