UK Certified Translation or French Sworn Translation: Which Do I Need in France?
If you are British and need to submit a UK document to a French authority, you may be asked for a certified translation, an official translation or a sworn translation.
These expressions can be confusing because the United Kingdom and France do not organise official translations in the same way.
A translation that is considered certified in the UK is therefore not necessarily the same thing as a French traduction assermentée.
Understanding the difference before ordering your translation can help you provide the type of document expected for your procedure in France.
What is a certified translation in the UK?
The United Kingdom does not have a system of sworn translators equivalent to the French system.
For official purposes in the UK, a translator may certify a translation by confirming that it is a true and accurate translation of the original document, dating it and providing their name and contact details.
The UK system therefore differs from countries where translators are officially appointed or registered by a judicial or governmental authority.
See the UK Government information on translators and certified translations.
This means that the expression “certified translation” has a particular meaning in the British context and should not automatically be treated as the equivalent of a French sworn translation.
What is a sworn translation in France?
France uses a different system.
For French administrative purposes, an approved translator (traducteur agréé) is a judicial expert registered on a list established by a French Court of Appeal.
Service-Public.fr identifies an approved translator in France as a judicial expert registered on one of these official lists.
See the official French information on approved translators.
The Court of Cassation also provides access to the official lists of judicial experts, where translators can be found under the interpreting and translation categories.
Consult the official lists of experts registered with French Courts of Appeal.
This is the system commonly referred to in France as traduction assermentée.
Is a UK certified translation automatically accepted in France?
Not necessarily.
This is probably the most important point if you already have an English document that was translated or certified in the United Kingdom.
A UK certified translation and a French sworn translation are produced under different systems.
Whether a particular translation will be accepted ultimately depends on the French authority or organisation receiving your documents and on the procedure concerned.
If an administration specifically asks for a:
- traduction assermentée;
- traduction par un traducteur agréé;
- traduction effectuée par un expert judiciaire;
you should check carefully whether the translation you already possess meets that requirement.
When in doubt, ask the authority processing your application before ordering a second translation.
Which UK documents commonly require translation in France?
British documents are regularly submitted to French authorities for administrative, civil, academic, professional or legal procedures.
They may include:
- birth certificates;
- marriage and civil partnership certificates;
- final orders and divorce documents;
- death certificates;
- criminal record and police certificates;
- degrees and academic transcripts;
- legal and notarial documents;
- documents relating to inheritance and property transactions.
The precise requirements depend on the procedure. It is therefore preferable to check what the receiving authority requires rather than assuming that every English-language document must automatically be translated.
Do I also need an apostille?
A sworn translation and an apostille serve different purposes.
A translation makes the contents of your British document understandable and usable in French.
An apostille, when required, authenticates the origin of the public document. It does not translate the document and does not replace a translation.
Conversely, having a document translated does not replace an apostille when one is required.
For a UK document that needs an apostille, it is generally preferable to complete the authentication procedure before the translation, so that the apostille itself can also be translated.
You can read our dedicated guide:
UK and US apostilles: what you need to know before translation.
I live in France. Do I need to find a translator near me?
Not necessarily.
The French system of judicial experts does not mean that you have to use a translator located in your own département or city.
The French Court of Cassation has held that registration in the translation category on a Court of Appeal’s list of judicial experts is not subject to the requirement that the expert reside or principally practise within that court’s geographical jurisdiction.
See the decision of the French Court of Cassation of 25 May 2023.
This is particularly relevant for British residents living outside major French cities: the translation process can be handled remotely.
Can I send my UK document as a scan?
For the preparation of a quotation and, in many cases, the translation itself, you can send a complete and clearly legible colour scan of your document.
Make sure that you include:
- every page;
- the complete document without cropped edges;
- stamps and seals;
- signatures;
- handwritten annotations;
- the reverse side if it contains information;
- the apostille, if one has already been attached.
This is particularly important for civil status documents and legal documents, where information appearing outside the main body of the document may also need to be reproduced in the translation.
Need a French sworn translation of a UK document?
Claudia Florentin, sworn translator-interpreter and judicial expert, provides English-French and French-English sworn translations of official, administrative, legal and academic documents.
Documents can be submitted remotely for review, so you can request a translation regardless of where you live in France.
Request a quote for my document
More information
English-French sworn translation services in France
Sworn translation of birth, marriage and civil status documents
Documents British residents may need translated in France
Information checked against official French and UK sources at the time of publication. Administrative requirements and procedures may subsequently change. Before submitting your documents, check the current requirements of the authority processing your application.