Sworn, certified, or standard — which translation do you actually need?
The type of translation a French or foreign authority will accept depends on who’s asking. Here’s the difference, in plain language, before you order.
Sworn vs certified vs standard, compared
| Sworn | Certified | Standard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A translation carried out, stamped and signed by a translator registered with a French court of appeal (Cour d’Appel). | A professional translation with the translator’s or agency’s signed statement of accuracy — not court-registered. | A professional translation with no attached certification. |
| Who produces it | A sworn translator (traducteur assermenté), officially registered. | A professional translator or agency, without Cour d’Appel registration. | A professional translator. |
| What proves it | The translator’s stamp, signature and a formal certification statement, physically attached to a copy of the source document. | A signed certificate of accuracy, not a Cour d’Appel stamp. | Nothing beyond our own two-pass quality process — no certificate, no stamp. |
| When it’s required | French courts, prefectures, most notaries, and many foreign authorities that specifically ask for a “certified true translation” from a sworn translator. | Many universities, employers and some foreign authorities that accept a certified (but not sworn) translation. | Internal use, marketing, technical documentation, contracts for commercial (not evidentiary) use. |
| Typical uses | Civil status documents, diplomas, court documents, official filings. | Academic applications, employment files, some visa applications outside France. | Manuals, marketing copy, internal reports, contracts for signature between commercial parties. |
| On this site | Certified & Sworn Translation, from €39.00/page | A variant of Certified & Sworn Translation — ask when you order | Legal, Business & Financial, Technical, Medical, Marketing, Digital Localization |
If your document is also going abroad: apostille and légalisation.
A sworn translation gets you a document a French authority can trust because of who signed it. If the document — or its translation — is going to a country outside France, some receiving authorities also want proof that the original signature and stamp are themselves genuine. That’s what an apostille or légalisation does.
France’s relationship with the destination country under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention determines whether you need an apostille (simpler) or full légalisation (more steps). We handle this for you as an add-on — Apostille & légalisation handling, €95.00 per document.
When you need which
-
Applying for French residency or citizenship
→ Sworn -
Enrolling at a French university with a foreign diploma
→ Sworn or Certified -
Submitting a foreign diploma to an employer abroad
→ Certified -
Signing a commercial contract with a French counterparty
→ Standard (Legal Translation) -
Marrying in France as a foreign national
→ Sworn -
Using a foreign court document in French proceedings
→ Sworn
What we deliver
- Every sworn translation is stamped, signed and paired with a copy of the source document — the format French authorities expect.
- A PDF scan is sent the same day the translation is complete; the stamped paper original follows by tracked post.
- If we get the format wrong and your document is rejected on a formatting point we didn’t flag, we redo it at our cost.
- Ask us before you order if you’re not sure which type your recipient needs — it costs nothing to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Often, yes — many embassies use "certified" loosely to mean a sworn translation. Tell us which authority is asking and we’ll confirm before you order.
Often yes, sometimes with an apostille or légalisation attached — see the diagram above, or ask us directly.
Yes, because of the additional certification, stamping and postal delivery involved — see Certified & Sworn Translation for exact pricing.
It depends on the destination country’s status under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Tell us the destination when you order and we’ll confirm.