FÜDPharma & life sciences
Around Roche and Novartis: regulatory submission dossiers, clinical studies, summaries of product characteristics and patient information leaflets – German ⇄ English, terminology-consistent and regulatory-precise.
Translation Agency Basel.
Certified document translations in Basel and the tri-border region by qualified translators, notarised on request and accepted by Swiss authorities — plus professional translation for local businesses in pharma and life sciences, chemicals, law and public administration. From CHF 89 incl. notarisation and shipping, certified PDF up front and originals by post.
70+languages – native-speaker professional translators for Basel
50+industries – professional translation & interpreting service
60 minfixed-price quote – reply on working days, depending on scope
ISO 17100certified project management with a quality guarantee
Translation Basel
Certified translation in Basel for public authorities, professional translation for business.
As a translation agency in Basel we deploy native-speaker professional translators – for certified translations submitted to public authorities and professional translations for business. Urgent jobs run on an express basis after a feasibility check. Whether you need a translation agency or a translation service for Basel: we handle your documents certified, in the native language and on deadline.
Certified versions are produced by qualified professional translators; on request they are notarised (notariell beglaubigt) and recognised throughout Switzerland. For every language and every subject area we assign the right specialist.
Reviewed by subject specialists · FÜD editorial team · continuously updated
Basel as a business location
Professional translation Basel: pharma, life sciences & law.
Switzerland's centre for pharma and life sciences – home to Roche and Novartis, plus chemicals, medical technology and research at the University of Basel. In the tri-border region on the border with France and Germany, this mix shapes translation demand. We assign the right specialist to every job.
Chemicals & medical technology
For chemical and medtech companies: safety data sheets, technical documentation and conformity documents for international markets.
Law & certification
For law firms, notaries' offices and public authorities: certified documents, contracts and certificates by qualified professional translators, notarised on request.
Cross-border commuters & civil status
In the tri-border region: certified translations of documents, certificates and records for cross-border commuters from France and Germany.
Research & university
For the university, hospitals and research institutes: scientific publications, studies and regulatory documents – translated by the right specialist.
Certificates & professional recognition
For Basel's international workforce: certified translations of diplomas, transcripts and professional certificates for recognition and employment.
Languages we translate into and from German
Translators in Basel for 70+ languages – in the right variant.
We translate in both directions; every job goes to a native-speaker professional translator who gets the right regional variant – for public authorities, a qualified professional translator produces the certified version. The strongest demand in Basel is for English, French, Italian, Turkish, Spanish and Portuguese.
Certified German translation
Which authority in Basel is responsible for what?
Who is responsible for certification and the apostille depends on the type of document and the canton. In the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the State Chancellery of Basel-Stadt issues the apostille on public documents; certified translations are super-legalised by a notary's office on request. FÜD provides the translation in a form the receiving body will recognise – the apostille itself is always issued by the competent authority, never by FÜD.
| Matter | Competent body for Basel | What FÜD handles / what to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Certified translation | Fachübersetzungsdienst Basel Qualified professional translator (recognised throughout Switzerland) | We produce the certified translation with a certification note (Bestätigungsvermerk) – notarised on request, recognised throughout Switzerland. |
| Apostille for public documents | State Chancellery of Basel-Stadt (Staatskanzlei Basel-Stadt) Rathaus, Marktplatz 9, 4001 Basel | Covers commercial-register extracts, notarial and judicial documents and super-legalised documents. We translate the document including the note. FÜD does not issue apostilles. |
| Civil-status documents (birth, marriage, death) | Civil Registry Office of Basel-Stadt (Zivilstandsamt Basel-Stadt) | We produce the certified translation of the document; the international (multilingual) certificate is issued directly by the Civil Registry Office. |
| Residence, naturalisation, foreign nationals | Migration Office Basel-Stadt (Migrationsamt Basel-Stadt) | Certified translation of the required documents – language direction and purpose confirmed in advance. |
| Recognition of foreign university diplomas | swissuniversities, Berne regulated professions via the SBFI/SEFRI | Certified translation for the procedure; the competent body decides on equivalence. |
| Recognition of regulated professions (e.g. medicine) | The competent professional body, e.g. MEBEKO for medical professions | We deliver a formally correct translation of the diploma, transcript and professional certificate. |
| Criminal record extract for use abroad | Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), Berne; apostille via the State Chancellery | Certified translation of the criminal record extract including any apostille note. |
Order for the apostille
If the receiving body requires an apostille, it belongs before the translation: it is affixed to the original document first, and we then translate the document including the apostille note.
Responsibility is regulated at cantonal level: in the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the State Chancellery of Basel-Stadt issues the apostille on public documents; translations and copies are super-legalised beforehand at a notary's office. If you are unsure, we review your case and name the competent body – issuing the apostille always stays with the authority, not with FÜD.
24 hexpress
Express translation Basel – when it has to be fast.
We handle urgent jobs through our express translation service – after a brief feasibility check we confirm a binding deadline and fixed price. For the most requested combinations we agree the delivery date with you beforehand so the right specialist is available:
- French ⇄ German
- English ⇄ German
- Italian ⇄ German
Basel & region
Basel and our translators.
Basel is the centre of Switzerland's life sciences and pharmaceutical industry: home to Roche and Novartis, plus chemicals, medical technology and a dense research environment around the University of Basel, the oldest in Switzerland. As a tri-border region on the border with France and Germany, the area – with around 175,000 residents – has a strongly international character, an environment from which we mainly translate regulatory, medical and technical documents as well as contracts.
Beyond the city, we are active across the entire tri-border region: clients in Liestal, Muttenz and Rheinfelden use the same digital process; Allschwil and Riehen reach us through the same order workflow.
Translation agency for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
How we work for Basel.
Translation Agency BaselSubmit originals. Please book an appointment.
Fachübersetzungsdienst GmbH
Email: basel@fachuebersetzungsdienst.ch
Phone: +41 44 5868 297
Email: basel@fachuebersetzungsdienst.ch
Phone: +41 44 5868 297
More than 98% of translation jobs for Basel run entirely online: upload your document or send it by post, and we deliver the finished version – sealed, in the case of certified translations – throughout Switzerland by post. In-person submission is possible by appointment.
Recognised throughout Switzerland
Certified translations are produced by qualified professional translators; on request they are notarised and recognised throughout Switzerland. For use abroad, the State Chancellery of Basel-Stadt adds the apostille – we also translate the apostille note.
What a German translation costs
What does a translation in Basel cost?
No subscription, no hidden items: we review length, subject area and language direction and give you a binding fixed price in Swiss francs, VAT included, before you order – certified on request, postage included. Once confirmed, it stands.
- Native-speaker professional translation in the relevant field
- Certification by qualified professional translators – on request
- PDF in advance & sealed original by post
- Delivered throughout Switzerland · free correction in the event of a formal objection
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about certified translations in Basel.
Do you offer certified translations in Basel?
Yes. For public offices, courts and authorities in the Canton of Basel-Stadt, qualified professional translators produce certified translations with a certification note (Bestätigungsvermerk). On request they are notarised and recognised throughout Switzerland; for use abroad, the State Chancellery of Basel-Stadt adds the apostille.
Who issues the apostille in Basel?
Not FÜD. In the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the State Chancellery of Basel-Stadt (Staatskanzlei Basel-Stadt) issues the apostille on public documents. We tell you whether and where you need an apostille, and we translate the apostille note along with the document.
Do I have to come to Basel to place an order?
Not necessarily. You upload your document online or send it by post; we deliver the finished translation throughout Switzerland, digitally and by post. In-person submission in Basel is possible by appointment.
Do you also translate regulatory and medical documentation for the Basel pharma hub?
Yes. For pharma, life sciences, chemical and medtech companies, professional translators translate regulatory submission dossiers, clinical studies, summaries of product characteristics and patient information leaflets, and technical documentation – terminology-controlled and regulatory-precise.
Will my certificate translation be accepted for recognition in Switzerland?
The certified translation by qualified professional translators meets the formal requirements of the recognising bodies. The competent body decides on the substantive equivalence of a foreign qualification – swissuniversities for university diplomas, the SBFI/SEFRI or the relevant professional body for regulated professions (e.g. MEBEKO for medical professions).
What does a translation in Basel cost?
The price depends on length, subject area, language direction and deadline – for orientation, from CHF 1.09 per standard line, with standard certificates usually at a flat rate. After a quick review we quote a binding fixed price including certification, an advance PDF, VAT and postage.
Next
Where to go next: services, fields, languages and nearby cities.
Certified & fields
Certified document translation in BaselPharma translatorMedical translationAutomotive translatorLanguages
English to German translationCertified Spanish translationTamil–German translationNorwegian to German translationCareer & training
Becoming a translator in Basel?
The path into the profession is rarely a straight line: what counts is native-level language skill, solid subject knowledge in a field such as law, medicine or technology – and, for certified translations, the relevant qualification and, in Switzerland, notarisation of the translator's signature. Anyone wanting to lay the foundations in Basel and the surrounding region will find suitable options locally and nearby.
Learning languages & further training in Basel
Build and certify your language skills
To get started or refresh a working language, Basel offers well-established options:
- Migros Klubschule Basel – language courses following the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), from first steps through job-related specialisation.
- Language Centre of the University of Basel – language courses and German as a foreign language for students and international specialists.
Study within reach
Philology, linguistics & translation studies
For a degree in linguistics or translation studies, the nearest universities are in the region:
- University of Basel – the oldest university in Switzerland, with philological and linguistic degree programmes such as German Studies, English Studies and Romance Studies.
- ZHAW Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED), Winterthur – Switzerland's leading institute of applied linguistics, with BA and MA programmes in professional translation and conference interpreting.