FÜDInternational organisations & NGOs
For the UN, WHO, WTO, ICRC and numerous NGOs: reports, resolutions, contracts and publications – French ⇄ English, terminology-consistent and multilingual.
Translation Agency Geneva.
Certified document translations in Geneva by qualified translators, notarised on request and accepted by Swiss authorities — plus professional translation for local businesses in international organisations, private banking, the watch industry and commodity trading in a Francophone environment. From CHF 89 incl. notarisation and shipping, certified PDF up front and originals by post.
12Qualified professional translators in Geneva for certified documents
50+industries – professional translation & interpreting service
60 minfixed-price quote – depending on scope
ISO 17100certified project management with a quality guarantee
Translation Geneva
Certified translation in Geneva for public authorities, professional translation for business.
As a translation agency in Geneva we deploy 12 permanent 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 Geneva: 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
Geneva as a business location
Professional translation Geneva: law, finance & diplomacy.
As an international city, the organisations of the UN family, private banking, the watch industry and commodity trading shape the translation demand – from reports and contracts to compliance documentation and certificates. We assign the right specialist to every job.
Private banking & wealth management
For private banks such as Pictet and Lombard Odier: contracts, compliance, KYC and reporting documentation – confidential and precise.
Watch industry & luxury goods
For manufacturers and maisons in the region: technical documentation, certificates, warranty and marketing texts for the global market.
Commodity trading & law
For trading houses and law firms: trade contracts, transport and customs documents, and arbitration documentation.
Certificates & recognition
For Geneva's international workforce: certified translations of diplomas, transcripts and professional certificates for recognition and employment.
Law & certification
For public offices, courts and law firms: certified documents, contracts and certificates by qualified professional translators.
Languages we translate into and from German
Translators in Geneva 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 Geneva is for French, English, Arabic, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Certified German translation
Which authority in Geneva is responsible for what?
Geneva is a cantonal capital and home to many international organisations. Who is responsible for certification and the apostille depends on the type of document – in Switzerland, the cantonal State Chancellery issues the apostille, in the Canton of Geneva the Chancellerie d'État du canton de Genève; for documents from federal bodies, the Federal Chancellery. 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 Geneva | What FÜD handles / what to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Certified translation | Fachübersetzungsdienst Geneva Qualified professional translator (recognised throughout Switzerland) | We produce the certified translation with a certification note (Bestätigungsvermerk) – notarised on request, recognised throughout Switzerland. |
| Apostille for cantonal & notarial documents | Chancellerie d'État du canton de Genève Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville 2, 1204 Genève | Covers commercial-register extracts, notarial documents and cantonal certificates, for example. We translate the document including the note. FÜD does not issue apostilles. |
| Apostille for civil-status & administrative documents | Chancellerie d'État du canton de Genève For documents from federal bodies: Federal Chancellery, Berne | The cantonal State Chancellery apostilles civil-status, residence-registration and other administrative documents. We tell you whether an apostille is needed, and we translate the note along with the document. |
| Civil-status documents (birth, marriage, death) | Service cantonal de l'état civil, Genève Route de Chancy 88, 1213 Onex | We produce the certified translation of the document; the international (multilingual) certificate is issued directly by the Civil Registry Office. |
| Recognition of foreign school certificates | Département de l'instruction publique (DIP) of the Canton of Geneva / swissuniversities | Certified translation for the procedure; the competent body decides on equivalence. |
| Recognition of foreign professional qualifications | State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI); for medical professions the MEBEKO | 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 for federal documents via the Federal Chancellery Bundesrain 20, 3003 Bern | Certified translation of the criminal record extract including any apostille note. |
| Residence, naturalisation, civil status | Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM), Genève Geneva | Certified translation of the required documents – language direction and purpose confirmed in advance. |
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.
In Switzerland, the Chancellerie d'État du canton de Genève issues the apostille – for cantonal, notarial and civil-status documents; for documents from federal bodies the Federal Chancellery is responsible. 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 Geneva – 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 ⇄ English
- French ⇄ German
- English ⇄ German
Geneva & region
Geneva and our translators.
Geneva is Switzerland's second-largest city and a centre of international cooperation – home to the European headquarters of the UN as well as the WHO, WTO, ICRC and numerous NGOs. With around 203,000 residents in a strongly Francophone, multilingual environment, private banking, the watch industry and commodity trading also shape the city. From this environment we mainly translate reports, contracts, financial and compliance documentation – often French ⇄ English.
Beyond Geneva, we are active across the wider region: clients in Lausanne, Nyon and Carouge use the same digital process; the rest of the Lake Geneva region reaches us through the same order workflow.
Translation agency for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
How we work for Geneva.
Translation Agency GenevaSubmit originals. Please book an appointment.
Fachübersetzungsdienst GmbH
Email: genf@fachuebersetzungsdienst.ch
Phone: +41 44 5868 297
Email: genf@fachuebersetzungsdienst.ch
Phone: +41 44 5868 297
More than 98% of translation jobs for Geneva 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, whichever canton the translation was produced in. For use abroad, we also translate the apostille note.
What a German translation costs
What does a translation in Geneva 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 Geneva.
Do you offer certified translations in Geneva?
Yes. For public offices, courts and authorities in Geneva, qualified professional translators produce certified translations with a certification note (Bestätigungsvermerk). On request they are notarised and recognised throughout Switzerland, whichever canton the translation was produced in.
Who issues the apostille in Geneva?
Not FÜD. In the Canton of Geneva, the Chancellerie d'État du canton de Genève issues the apostille – for cantonal and notarial documents as well as civil-status documents (e.g. birth, marriage and death certificates from the Service cantonal de l'état civil); for documents from federal bodies the Federal Chancellery is responsible. 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 Geneva 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. Geneva has a local point of contact for document submission – in-person hand-over is possible by appointment.
Do you also translate for international organisations, banks and companies in Geneva?
Yes. For international organisations, private banks, the watch industry and commodity trading, professional translators translate reports, contracts, compliance and financial documentation – terminology-consistent, mainly French ⇄ English.
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 MEBEKO for university-level medical professions.
What does a translation in Geneva 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 and postage.
Next
Where to go next: services, fields, languages and nearby cities.
Certified & fields
Certified document translation in GenevaLegal translatorFinancial translationMedical translationLanguages
English–German translationCertified Croatian translationCertified Albanian translationAzerbaijani translationCareer & training
Becoming a translator in Geneva?
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, with versions notarised on request. Anyone wanting to lay the foundations in Geneva and the surrounding region will find suitable options locally and nearby.
Learning languages & further training in Geneva
Build and certify your language skills
To get started or refresh a working language, Geneva offers well-established options:
- Migros Klubschule Geneva – language courses following the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), from first steps through job-related specialisation.
- ifage – Fondation pour la formation des adultes, Genève – language and further-training courses, including German and French for international specialists.
Study within reach
Philology, linguistics & translation studies
For a degree in linguistics or translation studies, the nearest universities are in the region:
- Université de Genève – FTI – the Faculté de traduction et d'interprétation, one of the most renowned training institutions for translation and interpreting worldwide.
- Université de Genève – philological and linguistic degree programmes in a Francophone environment.