Certified translations in Austria: who may issue them and what they must contain

In Austria a certified translation is tied to a person, not to an agency. Only someone who is entered in the list of the Federal Ministry of Justice as an allgemein beeidete und gerichtlich zertifizierte Dolmetscherin or Dolmetscher (generally sworn and court certified interpreter) may issue one. The word Dolmetscher is the legal umbrella term from the Austrian Act on Experts and Interpreters and covers both oral interpreting and written translation. In everyday language people say court interpreter or sworn translator, but it is the same registration.

Registration takes place at a regional court after a certification procedure that tests language skills, legal knowledge and professional experience. The certification is limited in time and has to be renewed at regular intervals. Each language requires its own entry, so a person certified for Arabic may not automatically certify French as well.

Whether a person is actually registered can be checked online in the ministry's list of court interpreters. This check is worth doing, because designations such as state examined, sworn or certified from other countries have no effect in Austria. For certified translations, Fachdolmetscher works with generally sworn and court certified translators for Arabic who hold exactly this registration.

A certified translation consists of three elements: the translated text, the certification clause and the binding with the source document. If one of them is missing, the document is formally not a certified translation, even if the translation itself is flawless.

The certification clause appears at the end of the translation. With it, the translator confirms under reference to their oath that the translation corresponds exactly to the document presented. The clause must state whether an original, a certified copy or a simple copy was presented. This is not a detail: some authorities only accept translations made from the original.

In Austria the translation is firmly attached to the document it was made from. The usual methods are stapling with a seal or an eyelet, so that the sheets cannot be separated without leaving a trace. This makes it clear to every reader which source the translation is based on.

Whether the original or a copy is attached depends on the document and its purpose. For documents you need to keep, such as a passport or a university diploma, a copy is usually attached and described as a copy in the clause. For documents that are destined for an authority anyway, the original can be attached. Settle this question before the translation is made, because the binding cannot be changed afterwards without issuing the certification again.

For Arabic documents this has a practical consequence: if the original carries an apostille or legalisation, it should be in place before translation, so that the translation also covers the authentication stamps. Otherwise you may need a second translation.

For some years now, certified translations in Austria may also be issued electronically. The translation is combined with the scanned source document in a PDF and signed with the qualified electronic signature of the certified person. The signature replaces stamp and handwritten signature, the certification clause stays the same.

Many courts and authorities now accept the electronic form without difficulty, especially when the document is filed via the electronic legal communication system or an official portal. Other bodies, above all abroad, still insist on paper with an original signature. A printout of a signed PDF is no longer a certified translation, because the signature cannot be verified on paper.

A translation issued by a generally sworn and court certified translator is recognised in Austria by courts, authorities, registry offices, universities and most companies without any further formality. An additional certification of the translation itself is usually not required within Austria. What the receiving body checks is generally something else: whether the source document is genuine and whether it needs an apostille or legalisation.

Translations made abroad are a special case. A translation into German certified in Cairo, Amman or Damascus is formally not a certified translation under Austrian law. Some authorities accept it nonetheless, many require a new translation or at least a confirmation by a person certified in Austria. Ask before commissioning a translation in the country of origin whether the effort is worthwhile.

If an Austrian certified translation is to be used abroad, for instance for a marriage in Jordan or a company formation in the Emirates, the translator's stamp is usually not sufficient on its own. The signature of the certified person can then be authenticated by the regional court that keeps the list in which they are entered. For states party to the Hague Convention this is followed by the apostille, for other states by legalisation through the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and the embassy concerned.

Which chain is required in a specific case is determined by the receiving state. Clarify this in advance, because each step takes time and the order cannot be reversed.

Most rejections we see have nothing to do with the quality of the translation, but with the procedure. These points can be avoided in advance: