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Become a translator: study, training and the route into the profession.
Becoming a translator in Switzerland runs through three routes — a degree in translation studies, admission to the professional association ASTTI, or lateral entry — set out here with programmes, professional recognition, the path to a qualified, notarised translator, sought-after fields and realistic pay ranges. It is evidenced, without marketing promises. Court and authority work here rests on the translator's qualification, not a federal sworn register.
“Translator” is not a protected job title in Switzerland — the profession is defined by qualification, subject knowledge and practice · a degree is not the only route
Become a translator
How do you become a translator?
There is no single route — but three recognised ones. The most direct is a degree in translation or translation studies (a Bachelor, usually followed by a Master). The second runs through professional recognition: admission to ASTTI, the Swiss association for translation, terminology and interpreting, on the basis of documented professional experience rather than a state exam. The third is lateral entry, since “translator” is not a protected job title in Switzerland.
Anyone who makes a living from it needs more than one foreign language: subject knowledge, clean terminology, the right tools and reliability. That is exactly why specialisation later decides success — and anyone who wants to translate official documents then takes the route to a qualified translator (with notarial certification). Looking instead to have your own translated for study abroad? Those we produce as certified translations.
Overview
The three routes into the profession — and where they lead.
Degree, examination and lateral entry start differently but all lead to the same point: a credible subject specialisation. Only on that does court authorisation build — if wanted.
Simplified schema. Order and duration vary by canton, language and prior education; authorisation is only needed if you want to produce officially certified translations.
1 · Degree
The academic route via a Bachelor and Master. It teaches translation theory, two working languages, professional translation and often language technology. Ideal for a plannable direct entry — details under Study.
2 · Professional body
Reaching recognition without a full degree: admission to ASTTI, the Swiss association for translation, terminology and interpreting, on the strength of documented professional experience rather than a state exam. More under Professional recognition.
3 · Lateral entry
For people with subject and language competence from another profession. Realistic but demanding: quality must be demonstrable. How it works is under without a degree.
Route 1
Studying translation: degree programmes & universities.
The German-speaking area offers a dense range of degree programmes in translation, translation studies and specialised communication — from Bachelor to research-oriented Master.
A Bachelor (usually six semesters) lays the foundations: two working languages at a high level, translation studies, text competence, cultural and area studies, and first fields. The Master (two to four semesters) deepens professional translation, language technology and — depending on the programme — interpreting. The University of Geneva's MA in Translation carries the EU quality label EMT (European Master's in Translation) of the Directorate-General for Translation; the ZHAW's IUED holds EMT observer status, and both are members of CIUTI, the international conference of university translation and interpreting institutes.
Admission and your language combination are decisive: many programmes are open-admission but require language certificates or an aptitude assessment, and you choose your languages from the start (e.g. German ⇄ English plus a second foreign language). If you want to work in writing, watch for the translation focus; the spoken counterpart we treat separately under Interpreting.
| University | Institute | Focus | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences | Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED), Winterthur | BA in Applied Languages; MA in Applied Linguistics with a Technical Translation or Conference Interpreting specialisation | CIUTI member, EMT observer status |
| University of Geneva (CH) | Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI) | BA/MA translation & interpreting | Internationally renowned, near UN/EU institutions; EMT label, CIUTI founding member |
| University of Vienna (AT) | Centre for Translation Studies (ZTW) | BA transcultural communication, MA Translation | Largest location in Austria |
Not a ranking, but orientation
The list names established locations in Switzerland and the wider German-speaking area but is not complete or evaluative — the course offer changes, and other universities and universities of applied sciences also offer relevant programmes. Always check course content, language combination and degree directly with the institution.
Route 2
Professional recognition without a full degree.
Not every route runs through university. Anyone who already brings languages and a field can reach professional recognition through documented practice — building toward membership of Switzerland's national association.
Building a portfolio
Career changers close the gap with targeted further training and real assignments — collecting references, a track record and, where useful, sector-specific coursework. This groundwork is what professional-body admission is later measured against.
Associate membership (ASTTI)
ASTTI, the Swiss association for translation, terminology and interpreting, admits associate members with at least two years of documented professional experience — no state exam, no degree required.
Certified membership (ASTTI)
After four years of professional experience (or four years as an associate member), translators can apply for certified membership — recognised by clients as evidence of quality, alongside DIN EN ISO 17100 process certification.
| Feature | Degree (BA/MA) | ASTTI associate membership | ASTTI certified membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree required | yes (is the degree) | no | no |
| Typical qualifying period | 3–5 years | 2 years of professional experience | 4 years of professional experience |
| Recognised by clients as proof of quality | usually yes | yes | yes |
| Academic level | high | occupational | occupational |
| Possible while working | in part | yes | yes |
Targeted further training and real, documented assignments suit above all career changers on the way to professional-body admission. Make sure verifiable experience stands behind the membership — a mere certificate of attendance does not replace it.
Route 3
Becoming a translator without a degree — lateral entry.
Lateral entry is expressly possible and common in practice — precisely because many specialist texts require deep domain knowledge that a language degree alone does not provide.
Because “translator” is not a protected job title, in principle anyone may call themselves one. That is both an opportunity and a responsibility: clients and authorities do not rely on the title but on demonstrable quality. The route is especially promising for people with a genuine specialist background — lawyers, doctors, engineers, IT professionals — who command a language at a high level and know their field's terminology from the inside.
Realistically that means: closing the language gap in a targeted way (further training, and where appropriate ASTTI membership), specialising in a field, building a portfolio and references, and learning the tools of the trade. Anyone who delivers cleanly, on time and consistently in terminology prevails — even without a diploma. Excellent foreign-language skills are, per ASTTI, only one aspect and not enough on their own.
Honestly placed
Without a degree, entry is possible but no walkover: building a solid client base takes time, and for certified translations before authorities you normally need a formal qualification as the basis for certification and notarisation. An internship or first collaboration — in the network of a specialised translation service, say — shortens the learning curve markedly.
Legal status
From qualification to a certified, notarised translation.
Switzerland keeps no sworn-translator register. Official translations — for courts, registry offices or authorities — are produced by a qualified translator with a certification statement, notarised on request. The route there builds on your qualification.
Prove qualification
The basis is a recognised qualification: a relevant degree or ASTTI membership. It evidences your language and subject competence.
Personal suitability
In addition, notaries and clients look for personal reliability — evidenced for instance by a certificate of good conduct and an obligation to secrecy.
Certification statement
The qualified translator adds a signed certification statement to the translation, confirming its completeness and accuracy. Practice is organised at cantonal level.
Notarisation on request
Where required, a notary public notarises the certification statement — the step that gives the translation official standing before authorities.
Use the terms correctly
In writing the correct term is “certified” or “authorised” — not the blanket “sworn”, since Switzerland keeps no sworn-translator register. The result is a certified translation, notarised on request. What that means in detail and which office is responsible for what, you can read under who may issue a certified translation.
Profession & skills
What defines the profession — and where the demand is.
The day-to-day has little to do with the cliché of the “language talent”. Translating is skilled work: researching, formulating precisely, managing terminology, mastering tools — and knowing where machine translation reaches its limits.
Specialisation beats breadth
The most reliable demand lies where errors are expensive: law & contracts, medicine and medical devices, technology, IT and finance. Anyone who truly masters a field is more sought-after than the all-rounder.
Tools & terminology
Professionals work with CAT tools (Trados, memoQ), translation memories and maintained terminology. They do not translate for you but secure consistency and speed — a core craft of professional translation.
AI & post-editing
Machine translation is everyday — and needs human control. Post-editing (MTPE) lifts raw text to publication level; with numbers, negations and technical terms, professional judgement decides.
Accuracy & responsibility
A translation is binding. Care with numbers, names and technical terms, fidelity to the source and confidentiality are not optional but a professional duty — with us embedded in processes to DIN EN ISO 17100.
Freelance or employed
Both are common. Employment gives predictability and onboarding, freelancing more freedom and specialisation — at the cost of acquisition and self-organisation. Many start employed and switch later.
Continuing education stays mandatory
Language, law and technology change. Professional bodies such as ASTTI offer seminars, terminology and networks; those who keep at it secure quality and commissions. Proofreading and revision are part of the craft too.
Knowing a language is the start — not the profession.
You become a translator only through subject knowledge, terminology, clean tools and responsibility for every word.
Entry & pay
What translators earn.
Robust figures instead of promises: the figures below come from jobs.ch's Swiss salary benchmark for full-time employees, based on real reported salaries. They apply to full-time employees — freelance incomes scatter far more widely.
For employed translators, jobs.ch's salary benchmark gives an average gross pay of around CHF 84,500 a year — about CHF 7,040 a month — for full-time work in Switzerland, based on 379 reported salaries; earnings vary considerably by canton, employer and experience.
Those who work freelance bill by lines, words or projects; income depends on specialism, language combination, client base and utilisation and cannot be seriously generalised. As a rule of thumb: the scarcer and more demanding the field-language combination, the higher the achievable fee.
| Metric (full-time) | Translator (Switzerland) |
|---|---|
| Average gross annual pay | approx. CHF 84,500 |
| Approx. gross monthly equivalent | approx. CHF 7,040 |
Source: jobs.ch Swiss salary benchmark (2026, 379 reported salaries). For a personalised, region- and experience-adjusted estimate, use the Federal Statistical Office's Salarium wage calculator, based on the official Swiss earnings structure survey. Figures rounded; regional and sector differences are considerable.
I came into professional translation through an internship — before my degree was even finished. What advanced me most was clean work with terminology and revision. You don't learn that from a video, only on real commissions.
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Career starter · professional translation, law · internship & first commissions · 4.9 / 5 from 268 reviews (as of 08/2026)
Just starting out yourself?
The FÜD works with a network of qualified professional translators in over 70 languages. Students and career starters get an insight via an internship — write us briefly which field and which languages you bring. Get in touch →
FAQ
Becoming a translator — frequently asked questions.
How do I become a translator?
Do you have to study translation to become a translator?
Where can you study translation in Switzerland?
What is the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
How do you become a qualified translator (with notarial certification)?
What does a translator earn?
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