Sworn translation, legalisation of signature, apostille: three different formalities, often confused. Here is the one that is actually required depending on whether your document stays in France or goes abroad.
Request a quoteAn application is rarely refused because the translation is poor: it is refused because the authentication requested is not the right one. Many people have a document legalised or apostilled when it did not need it, or file a plain translation where an apostille was required. The three levels below apply in order, but each is only needed in certain situations.
A sworn translation is produced by a translator registered on the list of a French court of appeal. The translated document bears the translator's signature, stamp and the reference to that registration, and is almost always accompanied by a copy of the original. It is this registration that gives the translation its value before a French authority: no other formality is needed for it to be accepted in France.
More on this framework: sworn translation.
Legalisation does not concern the content: it certifies that the signature affixed is genuine. It is requested when the receiving authority is foreign and wants an additional guarantee. In France, the court of appeal — the public prosecutor's office of the translator's district — legalises the signature of a sworn translator: my translations therefore fall under the Versailles Court of Appeal.
The apostille is a formality introduced by the Hague Convention of 1961, which replaces chains of legalisation between signatory countries with a single certificate. It is issued by the competent authority of the country where the document originates. For a sworn translation produced in France, the court of appeal of the translator's district affixes it; for a diploma, the authority in charge of higher education; for other public documents, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Between European Union countries, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 removes legalisation and apostille for a number of public documents (birth, marriage and death certificates, criminal record extracts, among others) circulating from one member state to another. If your file stays within the EU, the question usually does not arise.
Countries that are not signatories to the Convention (Pakistan, for example): the apostille does not exist there; the route is consular legalisation, which takes longer, with one step at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of origin and another at the consulate of the destination country.
Indian, Pakistani or British record filed in France: apostille or legalisation to be obtained in the country of origin, then sworn translation in France. Once translated, the file can be filed at the prefecture, the education authority or the court with no further formality.
French record, judgment or translation to be produced abroad: sworn translation, then legalisation or apostille, depending on whether the destination country is a signatory to the Hague Convention.
Civil status records and criminal record extracts between member states: neither legalisation nor apostille, thanks to Regulation (EU) 2016/1191.
Most frequent documents: birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, criminal record extract and diplomas.
In the vast majority of applications filed in France (prefecture, family allowance office, university, employment office, town hall), no: a sworn translation produced by a translator registered with a court of appeal is sufficient, with no legalisation or apostille. An apostille is only requested when the document has to take effect in a foreign country.
The apostille is affixed by the competent authority, depending on the nature of the document. For a sworn translation, the court of appeal of the district where the translator is registered is competent — my translations therefore fall under the Versailles Court of Appeal.
It depends on the authority receiving the file. India is a signatory to the Hague Convention: an Indian document can be apostilled locally by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) before it is sent, then translated in France by a sworn translator. Other countries, such as Pakistan, are not signatories: there, the route is consular legalisation.
A sworn translation is generally delivered within 48 to 72 working hours. Legalisation of signature and the apostille are added afterwards, with the processing time of the authority that issues them: tell me your deadline and I will confirm the total timeframe before starting.
More questions about timeframes, accepted documents or the oath? See the full FAQ.
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