Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Who needs a sworn translation?

You need a sworn translation when an authority or another receiver asks for an official translation of a document. For example, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) asks for one with a residence permit application. A notary, a school or a foreign authority can also ask for an official translation. In Estonia, only sworn translators make official translations (Sworn Translators Act, § 7(1)). If you are not sure, ask the receiver whether it needs a sworn translation.

Can you make a sworn translation into Estonian?

No. Sworn translator certificate no. 21 covers sworn translations from Estonian into English and Russian, from Russian into English, and from English into Russian. It does not cover translation into Estonian. For a sworn translation into Estonian, you can find a sworn translator in the list kept by the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs. Tell us what the document is and where you need to submit it, and we will tell you what we can do.

What is a digitally signed translation (.asice)?

It is a translation in a file that the sworn translator signs with a digital signature. The file comes in a digital signature container (.asice). The digital signature replaces the seal and the handwritten signature. You can open the file and check the signature in the DigiDoc4 app. Before you order, ask the authority whether it accepts a digitally signed translation.

How is the price set?

A standard one-page document, such as a birth certificate, has a fixed price. For longer texts, the price depends on the number of standard pages. The price also depends on the language direction. Urgent work and work outside working hours have a surcharge. The prices page shows all prices incl. VAT and the surcharges. We confirm the final price in writing before work starts.

What does "standard page" mean?

One standard page is 1,800 characters with spaces. We use it to price longer texts, such as an agreement or articles of association. A standard one-page document has a fixed price that does not depend on the number of characters. To get an exact price, send your document with the get-a-price form.

Do I need to come to the office?

Most clients pick up the translation on paper at the office at Tornimäe 5, 2nd floor, 10145 Tallinn, Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00. A sworn translation on paper carries the sworn translator's signature and seal. If the authority accepts a digitally signed translation, we send it to you as a file, and you do not need to come.

Does the PPA accept the translation?

The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) requires foreign-language documents to be translated into Estonian or English, and a translation made in Estonia must come from a sworn translator. Dmitri makes sworn translations from Russian into English, so a document in Russian, such as a birth certificate, can be translated into English for the PPA. The PPA website lists the exact requirements. Check them before you apply.

Can I order the certification of a copy or a printout?

Yes, together with a translation. A sworn translator certifies a copy or a printout when you must submit it with the translation, for example a printout of a commercial register extract. The price per page is on the prices page.

Do you translate legal texts without certification?

Yes. A translation without certification is enough when no authority needs a sworn translation, for example when you only need to understand an agreement. The sworn translator does not certify it with a signature, and it costs less than a sworn translation. The price per standard page is on the prices page.

How do I check that a translator is sworn?

The Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs keeps the list of sworn translators. The list shows sworn translators by language, with contact details and a certificate. The certificate states the language directions in which the sworn translator may make sworn translations. Dmitri Šmorgun is on the list with certificate no. 21.