Swearing a translation at the Court of Rome

Swearing a translation means making it official: the translator appears before the clerk with the original and the translation, declares under personal responsibility to have translated faithfully and signs the record of the oath. In Rome the oath is taken at the Expert Reports and Translations Office of the Civil Court, and only the translator may take it, never the person concerned. This page explains who is admitted to swear, where and how the formality takes place and which rules the bundle must meet to be accepted.

Who may swear a translation

The oath is a personal act of the translator. Whoever takes it declares to know both languages and to have translated completely and faithfully, and answers for it under criminal law: an unfaithful translation sworn before a public officer constitutes the false statement by a private person in a public deed provided for by article 483 of the Criminal Code. For this reason the clerk’s office does not admit to the oath the person to whom the document refers, nor a relative, even one who knows the language perfectly: whoever has an interest in the content cannot guarantee its fidelity.

The law does not require registration in a professional register in order to swear, but the authorities that receive the translation, and the court offices themselves, give weight to the qualification of the signatory. The translators of MMW are entered in the register of court experts of the Court of Rome and in the roll of experts of the Chamber of Commerce: the record states the particulars of the registration and the translation is accepted without objection by comuni, universities, police headquarters, consulates and notaries. Translators who are not citizens of the European Union must produce their original residence permit to be admitted to the oath.

Where the oath is taken in Rome

The Expert Reports and Translations Office of the Civil Court of Rome is at Viale Giulio Cesare 54/b, a short walk from our office, and since 15 October 2026, until further notice, it receives translators directly at the counter without booking, from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 13.00, public holidays excluded, and returns the sworn bundle the same day. The online booking system in use since 2023, which limited each appointment to fifteen bundles, is suspended: the translator goes to the counter and waits for his or her turn. For information the office answers on +39 06 3577388.

The office receives the oath but neither performs nor checks translations: the quality of the text and the formal correctness of the bundle are the sole responsibility of the translator. As an alternative to the court, the oath may be taken before the Justice of the Peace or a notary, with the same legal value throughout Italy. The practical aspects of swearing in Rome, with updated opening hours and directions, are kept by our operating division for sworn translations in Rome.

How the oath is taken

The translator prepares the bundle, original document or copy, translation and record of the oath, in that order and firmly bound, applies the revenue stamps due and signs every page of the translation, with a joining stamp between the pages. The translator then goes to the counter during opening hours with a valid original identity document and, where required, with proof of registration in the register. The clerk identifies the translator, receives the oath, signs and stamps the record and cancels the revenue stamps at the counter. The bundle is returned to the translator and from that moment has the value of a sworn translation.

The form of the record is the one prepared by the court: it is downloaded as a PDF from the court’s website or collected in photocopy at the office. It contains the particulars of the translator, the source and target languages, the number of pages and the formula of the oath, and must be completed in every part before going to the counter.

Revenue stamps and exemptions

Stamp duty is due on the sworn translation: one revenue stamp of 16 euro for every four pages, or every one hundred lines, counted on the translation and the record together. The stamps are applied before the oath and cancelled by the clerk. Some purposes are exempt by law, and the exemption must be declared on the bundle with the reference to the statute: among the most frequent cases are adoption files, scholarship applications, employment and social security proceedings, separation and divorce proceedings, the transcription of death records and school enrolment. The full list is on the page on stamp duty exemptions.

Rules of the bundle the clerk’s office verifies

The translation must reproduce the entire document, stamps and signatures included: graphic elements such as seals, logos or coats of arms are described in square brackets and not reproduced. Parts of the same document in more than one language require a double oath, one for each source language. When a copy is attached instead of the original, the record must state whether it is an original, a certified copy or a plain copy. A translation from one foreign language into another foreign language cannot be sworn: the route always passes through Italian, with two translations and two oaths. After the oath the bundle cannot be separated: original, translation and record remain joined and are delivered to the authority as they are.

The formal rules laid down by the courts are collected on the page on the court rules for sworn translations. The legal meaning of the act and the content of the record are explained on the page on the translator’s oath.

How the firm works

The firm receives the document by email or on WhatsApp at +39 335 679 2461, sends a written quote within one working day, translates, prepares the bundle, swears at the court and returns the sworn translation at the office or by courier throughout Italy and abroad. When the document must be valid outside Italy, the same bundle goes on to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the legalisation or apostille. The client does not have to attend the court or book anything: the translator who signs takes care of it.

Frequently asked questions

Does the clerk check that the translation is correct?

No. The clerk identifies the translator, receives the oath and verifies the formal regularity of the bundle and of the stamps. The fidelity of the text is guaranteed only by the liability of the person who swears, which is why the qualification of the translator matters.

Can I ask a friend who knows the language to swear for me?

A third party unconnected with the document may in theory swear, but answers under criminal law for every error, and many authorities require the translator to be entered in a register. Entrusting the oath to an official translator avoids rejections and repetitions.

Is a booking still needed to swear at the Court of Rome?

No. Since 15 October 2026, until further notice, the office receives translators at the counter without booking, from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 13.00, and returns the bundle the same day. The client does not attend in any case: the oath is taken by the firm’s translator.

Is an oath taken before a notary worth as much as one taken at the court?

Yes. The oath has the same value before the clerk, the Justice of the Peace or the notary. Costs and timing differ: at the court only the revenue stamps are paid, at the notary’s the fee for the deed is added.

What happens if the document bears stamps in a third language?

Every language present in the document must be translated and sworn separately, with a record for each source language. A stamp in English on a document in French therefore means two oaths.