Does Australia have sworn translators?

No. Sworn translation is a civil-law concept used in countries like France, Spain and Germany. Australia's equivalent, accepted by its authorities, is NAATI certified translation.

I was asked for a sworn translation for use overseas. What do I do?

Clarify the destination country's exact requirement. Depending on where the document is going, you may need a NAATI certified translation plus notarisation and an apostille, rather than a sworn translation in the strict sense.

Certification and standards

Sworn translation

A sworn translation is one produced by a translator formally authorised by a court or government, who is empowered to certify translations with legal force, often with a personal seal. It is the system used in many civil-law countries in Europe and Latin America. Australia does not use sworn translators; its equivalent is NAATI certified translation.

How it works

In a sworn-translation system, the state or a court authorises specific translators and grants their work legal standing directly. A sworn translator signs and seals the translation, and that seal, not a separate certification step, is what makes it official.

The model is common across civil-law countries. Common-law countries like Australia and the United Kingdom take a different route, relying on a translator's professional certification rather than a court appointment.

How SourceTarget uses it

Australia does not have sworn translators, so SourceTarget provides NAATI certified translation, the equivalent Australian authorities accept. For documents bound for a country that requires sworn translation, the right path is usually confirmed against that country's rules before starting.