Almost everyone asking this question needs certified. Sworn is required only where a specific legal system demands one of its own appointees — and where it is not demanded, it adds cost and delay and nothing else. There is also a third level, cheaper than both, that is right when nobody will ever file the document.
Answer one question first
Look at what the receiving office actually wrote. That sentence decides everything, and the wording is more reliable than any general rule about countries.
| If your instructions say | You need | Because |
|---|---|---|
| “Sworn”, traductor jurado, traduttore giurato, assermenté, beeidigt, yeminli | Sworn | The office wants a translator on its own national register. Nothing else substitutes, however well translated. |
| “Certified”, “official translation”, “translation with a statement of accuracy”, “certificate of accuracy” | Certified | Three names for one deliverable: a complete rendering with a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and the translator’s competence. |
| Nothing — the document is for reading, negotiating, or internal review | Uncertified professional translation | Nobody is attesting to anything, so you are paying only for the translation. Priced per word and the cheapest of the three. |
| “Notarised” or “apostilled” | Certified, plus a separate step you obtain elsewhere | Neither is a translation service. A notary attests to a signature; an apostille authenticates the original and comes from a government authority. The three distinguished. |
If the letter is ambiguous — and consular instructions often are — send it to us. We read these every week and will tell you what the office means before you order anything.
Where they actually differ
Both carry a signed statement of accuracy, both name the person responsible, both are produced to the same standard of care. Listing those as differences would be padding. What genuinely separates them is this:
| Question | Certified | Sworn |
|---|---|---|
| Who may produce it | Any competent translator. No licence exists in most countries, which is why who signs matters more than any badge. | Only a translator appointed by a court or ministry and entered on its register, under a number. |
| Where its authority comes from | The completeness and accuracy of the work, attested by a named philologist who can be held to it. | The appointment itself. The authority is conferred by the institution, not earned by the document. |
| Does it cross borders | Generally yes. A certified translation is judged on its contents wherever it is read. | No. The appointment is national, so a Spanish jurado translation has no standing before an Italian court. |
| Who asks for it | Universities, employers, credential evaluators, registries, immigration authorities including USCIS — the great majority of destinations. | Courts and certain ministries in civil-law jurisdictions: Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Türkiye, much of Latin America. |
| How long it takes | Most documents within a few hours, up to a day. Same-day available at checkout. | Longer, and not fully within anyone’s control: it depends on an appointed translator’s availability and, in Italy, on a court appointment for each document. |
| Who provides it here | EnLatin directly, with three readers and a verifiable order code. | Placed with an appointed translator in the destination jurisdiction. EnLatin holds no court appointment and does not claim one. |
The third option nobody mentions
Certification exists so that a stranger can rely on a translation. If no stranger will — you are reading a contract before signing, reviewing a counterparty’s papers, working through a document in a language you do not have — then you are paying for an attestation nobody will read.
Uncertified professional translation is the same philologists doing the same work without the certification apparatus, priced per word rather than per page. We will tell you when it is the right answer, even though it is the cheaper one.
What we will not tell you
That either level guarantees acceptance. Institutions set their own rules and change them, sometimes by department. What we can promise is that the translation will not be the reason for a refusal — and that if it is, we correct it or refund you.
That you need the more expensive one. If your instructions say certified, we will not sell you sworn; if they say nothing at all, we will ask what the document is for before taking your money.
Before you order
- Send the instruction letter, or the page on the authority’s website stating the requirement. Its wording answers the question.
- Name the country and the specific office — not “for Spain” but which consulate, court, or registry.
- Send the complete document: every page, stamp, seal and marginal note, including anything printed on the reverse.
- If sworn turns out to be required, allow longer than for certified work.
Frequently asked questions
Is sworn better than certified?
No — it is different, not higher. Sworn confers legal standing before a particular institution; certified attests to accuracy and completeness. Where an office wants certified, a sworn translation is not “extra safe”, merely slower and dearer. Where an office wants sworn, the finest certified translation in the world is refused.
Can EnLatin provide both?
Certified we produce ourselves — rendered by a specialist, checked by a reviser, certified by a senior philologist. Sworn we place with a translator appointed in the destination jurisdiction, because EnLatin holds no court appointment and will not pretend to. Either way we confirm which you need before anything begins.
Will a certified translation be accepted abroad?
In most places, yes: certified translation is the international default, and it is what USCIS, universities and credential evaluators require. The exceptions are the civil-law courts and ministries listed above. Tell us the destination and we will say which you are dealing with.
I have been asked for a “notarised translation”. Which is that?
Usually certified, plus a notary’s attestation of the signature — and often it is not needed at all. USCIS does not require notarisation, and neither do most consulates. A notary confirms who signed, not whether the translation is right. Send us what you were told and we will tell you what it actually means.
Read next
Send the letter, not the guesswork.
Forward what the office told you, with the document, and you will have a straight answer about which level you need before you order. salve@enlatin.net