Official translator in Italy

Clients abroad often ask for a “sworn translator” or an “official translator” in Italy, expecting a State licence like the one that exists in Spain, Germany or France. Italy works differently. There is no national register and no State examination: the title of official translator is used for translators entered in the register of court experts (Albo dei consulenti tecnici d’ufficio) of a Court and in the roll of experts of a Chamber of Commerce, after a check of their qualifications and experience by a committee chaired by the President of the Court. Michela de Julio, founder of MMW Traduzioni, has been on the register of the Court of Rome since 11 December 1995 with number 1404 and on the roll of the Rome Chamber of Commerce with number 2183.

What the registration means

The register of court experts exists so that judges can appoint technical consultants, translators and interpreters among them, in civil and criminal proceedings. Admission requires a demonstrated professional competence, an unblemished record and residence or professional domicile in the Court district, and is decided by a committee made up of the President of the Court, the Public Prosecutor and a representative of the professional category. Once admitted, the translator is bound by the duties of a court auxiliary and can be struck off for misconduct. The roll of experts of the Chamber of Commerce has a similar function for commercial and extrajudicial matters. Neither registration is a mere formality, and together they are what Italian authorities look for when they ask that a translation be made by an official translator.

In practice the registration matters at three moments. At the Court, where some offices, Rome among them, admit to the oath only registered translators. Before the receiving authority, where the record of oath and the translator’s stamp show the registration numbers that the official checks. Abroad, where a foreign authority receiving an Italian document accepts more readily a certification signed by a translator whose status can be verified on an official register. The firm’s certifications and records of oath always state both registration numbers.

How to verify an official translator

The Italian Ministry of Justice publishes online the registers of court experts of every Court, searchable by Court, category and name, and the Chambers of Commerce publish their rolls of experts. Anyone, including a foreign authority, can check that the translator who signed a document is listed. The firm gives the registration numbers in every quote and on every translation, and provides on request a certificate of registration issued by the Court. Membership of professional associations completes the picture: the founder is a qualified member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and of the Chartered Institute of Linguists in the United Kingdom and a member of the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs, bodies whose directories are also public.

What an official translator does

Beyond translating, the official translator is the person who gives the translation its legal form. For Italy, that means the sworn translation before the Court, with the record of oath, the stamp duty and the binding of the file according to the rules of the Court. For English-speaking countries, the certified translation with the translator’s statement and credentials. For both, the subsequent apostille or legalisation of the translator’s signature when the destination requires it. The official translator is also appointed as interpreter before notaries, in court hearings and at civil weddings when a party does not speak Italian, and signs the written translation attached to the notarial deed.

Because the firm is directed by a translator with a law degree who is also a legal consultant for the recognition of foreign qualifications, the translation is prepared with the procedure in mind: the terms chosen for a degree, a court order or a company document are those the Italian authority expects, and the client has one point of contact for the translation and for the administrative procedure that follows, described on the pages on the recognition of foreign qualifications and the EU Blue Card.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Italian official translator the same as a sworn translator in Spain or Germany?

The function is the same, the system is different. In Spain and Germany the translator holds a personal appointment and certifies translations with a stamp. In Italy the translator is registered with a Court and swears each translation individually before a public official. Both forms are recognised by the authorities of the respective countries, and in cross-border cases the firm advises which one the receiving authority will accept.

Can any translator swear a translation in Italy?

The law of 1922 does not restrict the oath to registered translators, and some Courts admit any adult who is not the holder of the document. The Court of Rome and several others reserve the service to translators on the register of court experts or the roll of the Chamber of Commerce. A registered translator is admitted everywhere.

Does the official translator take responsibility for the content of my document?

No. The oath and the certification cover the faithfulness of the translation to the document presented, not the authenticity or truth of the document itself. A false or altered original remains the responsibility of whoever produced it. The translator is however bound to refuse documents that show evident signs of alteration.

Can you act as interpreter at a notary’s office in Rome?

Yes. When a party to a notarial deed does not understand Italian, the notary requires an interpreter who takes an oath and signs the deed. The firm provides the interpreter and prepares in advance the translation of the deed to be attached, in English, French, Spanish and the other languages of its network.