Official translation within Greece
Official translations are certified translations of documents that can be submitted to Greek authorities or bodies such as the Tax Office, Public Services, City Hall, etc.
The certification of official translations in Greece is done exclusively by:
- Graduates of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting of the Ionian University (Presidential Decree No 169),
- Lawyers who meet specific criteria (Article 36, Law 4194/2013/FEK 208/27.09.2013/vol. A’ Code of Lawyers),
- Online via the link (formerly named as Translation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
It is worth noting that all parties above carry the same weight and all translations validated by any of them are equally accepted.
Having graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting of the Ionian University, I cannot only offer you an official translation but also help you to get it easier, faster and cheaper! In addition, I can advise you on anything you need and thus avoid having to deal even more with the Greek bureaucracy.
Please send me your message and you will receive my quotation as soon as possible!
Official translation in the UK for submission to Greece
In the UK, things are different.
Official translators are members of recognised organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
In addition, particularly for Greek, the only translators who can undertake such a translation, must be approved by the Greek Embassy in London upon providing an authentic sample of their signature. For more information please follow this link.
As a full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists and an approved translator by the Greek Embassy in London, I will be happy to assist you with your translation needs.
Please send me your message and you will receive my quotation as soon as possible!
The Hague Apostille: what is it, when do I need it and who provides it?
The Hague Apostille authenticates the authenticity of the signature and the capacity of the institution that signed the document but does not certify the content of the underlying public document and does not add any additional legal force.
Adding the Apostille stamp to a document is called legalisation. If your document comes from a public body in Greece, then it must bear the Apostille stamp. This step precedes the translation because we have to translate the content of the Apostille too once it has been added to the document. To obtain it, you can follow this link or contact a solicitor/law office in your city.
The translation process
I hope this FAQ has shed some light on the procedures and general requirements of the translation process. I always recommend that you consult the nearest Greek embassy or Consulate prior to proceeding with any translation.
Regarding the steps of assigning a translation project to me:
- You can send me the documents to be translated online via my form or email (I do not need the original documentation). However, the quality of the images must be high, otherwise they are unreadable when zoomed in. I suggest scanning the document or using an application like CamScanner. If neither of these are available, you can use your phone, but it may take multiple uploads/images to ensure I have all the information I need. Please make sure you always check the back of the original pages to see if there is text there that will need translating as well.
- The cost and timelines will depend on the number of documents, the volume of each document, your deadline, my current workload, etc.
My aim is to provide you with the cost and time needed for the translation within 24 hours at the latest.
Please send me your message and you will receive my quotation as soon as possible!