Translation · Guide
In the Czech Republic, you almost always need a "sworn" (úředně ověřený) translation when handing a foreign document to any government office, court, registry or notary. A regular translation is fine for internal use — sending a contract draft to a colleague, getting the gist of a letter. A "notarised" translation is a regular translation whose translator's signature has been notarised — it is rarely what authorities want, despite the name sounding official. This page explains the difference clearly so you stop paying for the wrong one.
if you need to understand a document, draft a contract, or share it internally with colleagues. No legal weight.
if any Czech authority will see it: OAMP, court, registry, tax office, university, employer's HR. This is what 90% of expats actually need.
only when explicitly requested. The notary certifies the translator's signature, not the translation's accuracy. Rare in practice.
on the foreign original (not on the translation). Needed when bringing a document from one apostille country to another for legal use.
Most will say "úředně ověřený překlad" — that means sworn. If they say "obyčejný překlad" — regular is fine.
Foreign government documents (birth certificates, criminal records, court decisions) usually need an apostille from the issuing country before the sworn translation is bound to them.
Only a translator on the Czech Ministry of Justice register can produce a sworn translation. Regular translation agencies cannot.
The sworn translator physically binds the translation to the document with a seal. Once bound, it cannot be separated without invalidating the certification.
Regular translation
Quoted per page
For internal use, drafts, comprehension. No certification.
Sworn translation
Quoted per page
For authorities. Court-certified, bound to the original, stamped. Firm quote within an hour.
You get a firm quote for your specific case within an hour of sending the task. No surprises, no hidden fees.
FAQ
OAMP (immigration), Czech courts, registry offices (marriages, births, name changes), notaries, the tax office (in formal proceedings), the trade licensing office, universities (for diploma recognition / nostrification), some banks for opening business accounts with foreign founders.
An apostille certifies that the original document is genuine. It does NOT eliminate the need for a sworn translation. You typically need both: apostille on the original, then sworn translation of the original (and usually of the apostille text too).
Razítko literally means stamp. In Czech bureaucracy it means certification by an authority — a sworn translator's seal is a razítko, the notary's seal is a razítko, the OAMP confirmation is a razítko. When a Czech office asks for something "s razítkem", they want the formally certified version, not just a printout.
The translation itself does not expire. But it is bound to the underlying document, and the underlying document may. A criminal record extract for OAMP, for example, must be less than 6 months old. If you reuse the same translation later, check whether the original is still in date.
No. A notary certifies signatures and copies. The translation has to be done by a translator registered with the Ministry of Justice. The notary can certify a copy of your original, which the sworn translator then binds to the translation — that's a common workflow when you need to keep the original.
Only if you are personally on the Ministry of Justice register of sworn translators. Otherwise, your translation has no legal weight, no matter how perfect.
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