Legal translators/interpreters

Since 1 July 2019 certified translations in Cyprus have been subject to the rules laid down in Law 45(I)/2019 on the registration and regulation of services provided by sworn translators.

Under this Law, any private or public body that requires a certified translation should turn directly to a sworn translator entered in the Register of Sworn Translators of the Council of Sworn Translators.

The law defines «certified translation» as a valid and accurate translation of a written text or document from a foreign language into Greek or Turkish, and vice versa, or from Greek into Turkish and vice versa, which is duly stamped and bears the public seal of the Republic of Cyprus.

Sworn translators translate documents intended for official public use in Cyprus or abroad, such as education certificates, marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, criminal record disclosure certificates, passports, identity cards, bank accounts, title deeds, corporate documents, medical reports and legal documents.

Languages covered: Arabic, Armenian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, French, German, Georgian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian into Greek, and vice versa.

DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR TRANSLATION

1. All documents submitted for translation must be authentic and duly legalised either by means of an apostille or by means of a foreign affairs ministry seal (diplomatic certification). The documents must be legalised before they are translated. With regard to EU countries, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 provides that it is up to the party submitting the document whether or not to affix an apostille. The newsletter of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order provides further information on the certification of documents and lists the states that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention.
2. As regards documents which do not require an apostille but must be legalised by means of a diplomatic seal, the party submitting the document for translation should contact the relevant department of their foreign affairs ministry for additional information.
3. Information on the translation of upper secondary school leaving certificates can be found here.

For further information please call the Press and Information Office at +357 22801105 or +357 22801133 or send an e-mail message to: translations@pio.moi.gov.cy

Information on translation fees can be found here.

The 2019 Law on the registration and regulation of services provided by sworn translators in Cyprus can be found here.

Information about the Council of Sworn Translators can be found here.