Writing and translation · Delivered online · anywhere in Ireland
Document translation
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Document translation: what the job involves
Translating documents between English or Irish and other languages — certificates, legal and immigration papers, business documents, websites and manuals — including certified translations that Irish authorities accept. Ireland has no statutory register of translators, so the receiving body’s own requirements decide what counts.
Also asked for as: translator · birth certificate translation · translation for immigration · Polish translator · legal translation
How the job is usually done
- Agree the languages, the documents, the word count and what the translation is for
- Check with the receiving body — immigration, a court, a college, a registry office — exactly what form of translation it requires
- Send clear scans or copies of the originals through a secure channel
- Translation by a professional translator working into their native language
- Review by a second linguist, where agreed
- Certification, where needed: the translator’s signed and dated statement that it is a true translation, with their name, occupation, address and phone number
- Delivery as signed paper copies, PDF or editable files, as agreed
Document translation: what is included
Usually included
- Translation of the agreed documents
- Layout that follows the original closely enough to compare
- A certification statement, where certified translation is agreed
- Secure handling and deletion of the documents after the agreed period
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Getting the original document authenticated, apostilled or notarised
- A solicitor’s or notary’s certification, where a body asks for one
- Posting originals, or courier charges, unless agreed
- Interpreting at appointments or in court
- Translating copyrighted works for publication without the rights holder’s permission
Materials and who supplies them
- Clear copies of the original documents — supplied by the customer
- Glossaries, previous translations and a style guide for business work — supplied by the customer
- Translation tools and dictionaries — the translator’s
How long it takes
A certificate or short document usually takes one to three working days; long or technical documents take a week or more, and rare language pairs or posted originals add time.
When to book
Order official translations as soon as you know you need them — certified copies by post and rare language pairs can take longer than expected.
Document translation: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
For immigration and citizenship applications, documents not in English or Irish must be translated, and a certified translation is one signed and dated by a recognised translator or translation company as a true translation of the original — with "Certified to be true copy/translation of the original seen by me", their printed name, occupation, address and phone number.
Applies to: the applicant, and the translator certifying the translation
Department of Justice — Immigration Service Delivery · irishimmigration.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Civil-status documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates issued by an EU country do not need an apostille in another EU country, and a multilingual standard form issued with them can make a translation unnecessary. The receiving authority can still ask for a translation in some cases.
Applies to: the person presenting the document
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on public documents · eur-lex.europa.eu · Checked 10 October 2026
A writer or translator who receives documents containing personal data — CVs, certificates, medical or legal papers — must process them lawfully, keep them secure, use them only for the job and not keep them longer than needed. Where they act on behalf of a business, a written processing agreement is required.
Applies to: the writer or translator, and the business that hires them
General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Articles 5, 28 and 32 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Checked 10 October 2026
A translation is an adaptation of the original work, and making one is an act restricted by copyright. Translating your own documents, certificates and letters is fine; translating a book, article, website or software someone else wrote, for publication, needs the permission of whoever owns the copyright in it.
Applies to: the customer, and the translator
Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, sections 37 and 43 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
The author of a written work — the copywriter, CV writer or translator — is the first owner of its copyright, unless they write it as an employee in the course of employment. Paying a freelancer does not by itself transfer the copyright to the customer.
Applies to: the writer, and the customer who commissions the text
Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, section 23 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
What document translation costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Word count, or number of standard documents such as certificates
- Language pair — rarer languages cost more
- Specialist content: legal, medical, technical
- Certified translation, or a solicitor’s or notary’s involvement
- Second-linguist review
- Urgency
What you should get at the end
- The translation, signed and dated on each page or with a certification page, where certified
- PDF and, for business work, editable files
- The translator’s name, contact details and professional membership, where relevant
- Confirmation that copies of the originals have been deleted at the end of the agreed period
What the provider should hand over
- Deliver signed copies by post or as PDF, as agreed
- Explain any parts that could not be read or were translated with a note
- Delete copies of the documents at the end of the agreed period
Safety
- Ask the receiving body what it accepts before ordering — a translation it does not accept is wasted money and time
- Never send original passports or certificates by ordinary post: scans are enough for most translations, and use registered post if originals are needed
- Machine translation is not acceptable for official documents and can change the meaning of legal and medical text
Document translation: before you hire
Questions to ask before you hire
- Will your certified translation be accepted by the body I am sending it to?
- Are you a member of a professional association, such as the ATII?
- Do you translate into your native language?
- How will you keep my documents secure, and when will you delete them?
- Will names be spelled as in my passport?
What you can do yourself
Official bodies generally expect a translation certified by an independent translator, not by you; for personal understanding, a free machine translation is fine, but never for official or legal use.
What to put in your task
- From which language into which?
- What is the translation for?
- Does it need to be certified?
- How many pages or words?
- When do you need it?
Photos that help
- A clear scan or photo of every page of each document, including stamps and the back
- The instructions from the body that will receive it, if you have them
- Spelling of names as in your passport, for certificates
- Glossary or previous translations, for business documents
Writing and translation
Need document translation? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals anywhere in Ireland reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about document translation
Does document translation need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.irishstatutebook.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
What is a certified translation in Ireland?
There is no state register of translators in Ireland. For immigration and citizenship, a certified translation is one signed and dated by a recognised translator or translation company, stating it is a true translation of the original, with their name, occupation, address and phone number. Other bodies, such as courts, may set their own requirements, so check with them first.
Is there a register of qualified translators?
Not a statutory one. The Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland (ATII), a professional body, keeps a register of its certified legal translators and a directory of members. Membership is a good sign of competence, but it is not a legal requirement.
Do I need to translate an EU birth certificate?
Often not, if you also get a multilingual standard form from the issuing country under the EU public documents regulation. The form is a translation aid issued with the certificate. If you do not have one, a translation into English or Irish is usually needed.
Is a sworn translation the same as a certified one?
Not quite. Several European countries have sworn translators appointed by a court; Ireland does not. Where a body abroad asks for a sworn translation, check whether it will accept an Irish certified translation, perhaps with a solicitor’s or notary’s certification.