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Certified translation services, accepted by every authority.

Certified translation in Switzerland means a qualified translator renders your certificate, diploma or official record and adds a signed certification statement — notarised on request — that the receiving Swiss authority or canton can check against its requirements. There is no federal sworn-translator register in Switzerland, so acceptance rests on the translator's qualification and, where asked, notarisation of the signature. The price is a binding fixed CHF 89 upward, certification and postal shipping included.

  • Certification note & stampwith signature
  • Accepted by authorities & courtsnationwide
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Qualified translators · certification or notarisation in the form required by the intended Swiss authority and canton · fixed price incl. shipping · 24-hour express where feasible

DIN EN ISO 17100certified · Reg. 7U517
Prepared for Swiss authoritiesform checked for the intended authority and canton
Price up frontfixed price incl. shipping
24-hour expresswhere feasible

Certified translation in Switzerland

What a certified translation is — and who recognises it.

Reviewed by specialists · FÜD editorial team · kept current

A certified translation confirms the accuracy and completeness of a document against its original. It is produced by a qualified translator, with notarisation where required by the intended Swiss receiving authority and carries a certification statement, stamp and signature — so it can be used before authorities, courts, universities and in many international procedures.

Whether it is accepted in the individual case is decided by the receiving office. We check its formal requirements in advance — whether a particular form, the original or an apostille is needed — and, if an office raises a formal objection within the agreed scope, we correct it free of charge.

When you need a certified translation in Switzerland

When you need a certified translation.

Most people reach this page because an office in Switzerland has asked for a foreign-language document in German — or a document from Germany for use abroad. A certified translation covers both.

For a registry office or authority

Birth, marriage and death certificates, certificates of good conduct and registration certificates for the civil-status office, the immigration office or a naturalisation file — issued abroad, they need a certified German translation with names transferred exactly as in your passport.

For recognition of qualifications

School and university diplomas, transcripts and reference letters that a credential-evaluation body (swissuniversities / SERI), a university or an employer requires as a certified translation before a foreign qualification can be recognised.

For use abroad

German certificates, contracts, powers of attorney and rulings that have to be presented to an authority, court or partner in another country — in certified form, and often with an apostille that the competent authority issues on the original.

For courts, notaries and business

Commercial-register extracts, contracts and court decisions where legal terminology, dates and stamps have to be precise. We assign a translator authorised for the language and field you actually need.

Sworn and authorised German translators

Who is allowed to issue a certified translation.

Switzerland does not use the German Landgericht authorisation model as a nationwide rule. Requirements for official translations can depend on the receiving authority and canton; for example, cantonal authorities may operate their own accreditation procedures for written translation.

FÜD therefore checks the intended receiving body and required form before the assignment. We select the appropriately qualified translator and coordinate certification or notarisation where the applicable procedure requires it. The receiving authority decides acceptance.

Which office requires what

Document, authority, certification & apostille — at a glance.

Whether a certified translation is enough or an apostille is also needed depends on the document, the requesting authority and the destination country. This is the overview we work from — in case of doubt, the requesting authority decides.

Which authority requires a certified translation and when an apostille is also needed
DocumentTypical authorityCertified translation?Apostille for use abroad?
Birth, marriage, death certificateCivil registry office (Zivilstandsamt)Authority-specific certified formOften — from the issuing office
Residence permit, visa, citizenshipMigration office (Migrationsamt)YesRarely (domestic use)
School / university diploma (recognition)Credential evaluation (swissuniversities / SERI)YesDepends on country / university
Driving licence (exchange)Driving-licence authorityYes (usually)No
Certificate of good conduct (abroad)Destination authority abroadYesYes — via the competent authority
Commercial register, contracts, rulingsCourt / notaryYesDepends on country

Apostille order — a common mistake

If your destination requires an apostille, the order matters: first the apostille on the original (or the certified copy), then the translation — including the apostille text. Translating first and apostillising afterwards often means the apostille has to be translated in a second round. The apostille itself is issued by the competent cantonal state chancellery — the FÜD does not issue apostilles. It replaces the more cumbersome legalisation among the signatory states of the Hague Apostille Convention; China joined in November 2023. We check in advance what your destination country requires.

One document. One fixed price. A translation accepted without a follow-up query.

If an office raises a formal objection within the agreed scope, we correct it free of charge — so one authority appointment does not turn into two.

Certified German translation

What has to appear on a certified translation.

Reviewed by specialists · FÜD editorial team · kept current

The certification statement is not free text — it is shaped by law. Swiss certification and notarisation practice requires the translator to certify the accuracy and completeness of the translation and to give the place, the date and their position; the statement must be signed and stamped. In this form, the translation is presumed correct and complete — with counter-evidence still admissible.

If one of these details is missing, it is not a cosmetic flaw: registry, probate and civil-status offices reject the document and the process starts over. We check every statement before delivery against the requirements of the intended Swiss receiving authority and applicable cantonal practice, because the required certification or notarisation form can differ by canton and use case. Stamps, marginal notes, apostille text and handwritten additions are translated too; a translation that renders only the running text is an incomplete document.

Use cases

Certified translations: three typical cases from practice.

Document type, target country and the requesting office decide the terminology and the form of certification. Three common jobs — from the starting point to the result.

Registry office & family

Birth & marriage certificate for a Zivilstandsamt

Starting point
For a marriage or naturalisation, a foreign civil-status certificate is needed in German — with the name in its original spelling.
Process
A qualified translator renders the certificate and transfers the name exactly as in the passport; any required certification or notarisation is prepared in the form expected by the receiving office.
Result
A certified translation the registry office accepts, its name spelling identical to the ID — no follow-up query.

Recognition & careers

Diploma & transcript for recognition

Starting point
A professional applies to a German employer or a credential-evaluation body and needs a diploma, transcript and reference letters rendered accurately.
Process
Degrees, subjects and titles stay in the original with an explanatory equivalent; terminology is handled by a specialist in the field.
Result
Documents an evaluation body can place correctly — without misrepresenting a foreign qualification.

Law & trade

Contract & power of attorney for use abroad

Starting point
A German company signs a contract with a foreign partner; legal form, deadlines and terminology must be precise — and an apostille is often required first.
Process
The apostille goes on the original, then the certified translation includes the apostille text; a legal specialist checks the terminology.
Result
A contract that is legally readable abroad without replacing German legal institutions with foreign ones.

24-hour express

Certified translation in 24 hours, when it has to be.

When a deadline is tight, a 24-hour express certified translation is possible after we confirm feasibility. You receive the certified translation digitally as a PDF within 24 hours; the signed and stamped original follows by post. For larger volumes we coordinate teams so the deadline still holds.

The clock is honest: the 24-hour deadline starts once the documents are complete, we have confirmed feasibility, you have placed the order and the payment condition is met. The postal run is separate from the digital completion. Whether the digital PDF alone is enough or the paper original is required is decided by the receiving office — we clarify that with you in advance.

Rare languages are the exception: for them, availability of a suitably qualified translator who can meet the required formalities — not the price — is the limiting factor. We check availability before promising a date and say so openly when a language needs lead time. All languages →

What a German translation costs

What does a certified translation cost?

We review volume, field, language direction and file condition and name a binding fixed price. Standard certificates are usually a flat fee per document; longer texts are priced per standard line — certification, advance PDF and postal delivery included.

Binding fixed price
from CHF 1.09 / standard linestandard certificates at a flat fee per document
Price up front · no unannounced extra costs
Professional translation✓included
Required certification or notarisation✓included
Advance PDF✓included
Postal delivery of the original✓included
Quality assurance & final check✓included

A standard line is 55 characters incl. spaces; the exact fixed price depends on volume, field, language combination, file condition and deadline — in Switzerland plus VAT. A required apostille is issued by the competent cantonal state chancellery and is not part of our service. How the price is made up →

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FAQ

Certified translation — frequently asked questions.

Do I need a certified translation?

In most cases yes: authorities, registry offices and courts accept foreign-language documents almost exclusively as a certified translation in the form required by the intended Swiss receiving authority. For private use a standard translation is often enough — we tell you which you need before you order.

Who may issue an official translation for use in Switzerland?

The required form depends on the receiving authority and can be canton-specific. FÜD checks the intended use first, assigns the appropriately qualified translator and coordinates certification or notarisation where the applicable procedure requires it.

What has to appear on a certified translation?

The required certification statement or notarisation form depends on the intended receiving authority and applicable cantonal practice. FÜD checks the required elements before delivery, including how accuracy, date, signature and any formal certification are to be documented.

Do I also need an apostille?

Sometimes, for use abroad. The apostille confirms the authenticity of the original and is issued by the competent cantonal state chancellery — the FÜD does not issue apostilles. We advise whether your destination country requires one and deliver the translation in a recognisable form.

What does a certified translation cost?

Standard certificates are usually a flat fixed price per document; longer texts are priced per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces) from CHF 1.09. Certification, the advance PDF and postal delivery are included; in Switzerland plus VAT. We name the exact price after a brief review. How the price is calculated →

How fast can I get it — is there a 24-hour express?

After we confirm feasibility, digital completion within 24 hours is possible. The deadline starts once documents, our confirmation, your order and payment are complete; the postal run is separate. You receive the PDF in advance and the sealed original by post.
Diploma uploaded in the morning, fixed price by midday, the certified translation as a PDF the next day — the original followed by post. The university accepted it without a single query.
★★★★★

Katharina R. · master's certificate, recognition · express

Documents we translate into German

Certified translations by document type.

Services

Interpreter serviceRevision serviceWeb content translationScientific translation

Specialist fields

Chemical & pharma translationMarketing translationFinancial translatorTechnical documentation

Documents

Birth certificate translationMarriage certificate translationDivorce certificate translationAcademic certificate translation

Languages

Certified English–German translationTamil translationCertified Arabic translationArmenian to German translation

Next

Where to go next: services, fields, documents and languages.

Certified & fields

Certified translation onlineMedical translationProfessional translation overview

Languages

Certified German translationSerbian–German translationArmenian to German translation

Document types

Translate a marriage certificateDivorce certificate translationAcademic certificate translationStudent discountOfficial document translationAll languagesCV & résumé translation

Work with us

A native speaker with a field? Specialise in formal and certified translation.

If you grew up bilingual, the language is not the hurdle — the profession is. To take on certified work for Swiss authorities you need German at C2 level, a proven specialist field and the qualifications or accreditation required for the intended assignments under the applicable cantonal and receiving-authority practice. We work continually with qualified translators, employed or freelance.

The path

German to C2, plus a field

A second native language is your starting capital; the market rewards what you build on top. German at C2 — the level at which you read a German ruling or medical report without hesitation — is the real gate, because certified work means rendering official German with precision, not just understanding it. Add a field you can defend (law, medicine, technology, finance) and its terminology. That combination, not language alone, is what a registry office or a court actually relies on.

Why it holds up

Authorisation, and the expertise behind it

For official use in Switzerland, the required form depends on the receiving authority and may involve a cantonal procedure. FÜD checks the intended use first, assigns the appropriately qualified translator and coordinates certification or notarisation where that procedure requires it. And certified documents are exactly where a specialist earns their place: names, dates, place and authority names, stamps and marginal notes are where precision prevents the errors that would otherwise cause rejection — and the confirmation of accuracy is signed at the end by a person, under their own name. For the broader choice of service model, see our agency, freelancer and machine translation comparison.

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