Guide to sworn translation at the Court of Rome

A sworn translation is a translation to which legal effect is attributed. Translating a document correctly is not enough: for the translation to be valid before an Italian or foreign authority, the translator must take an oath before a court officer, assuming civil and criminal liability for the fidelity of the text. This guide explains how the oath is taken at the Court of Rome and how the file is prepared.

Who may swear a translation

The oath is taken by the translator who produced the work. At the Court of Rome the service is provided by the Expert Reports and Translations Office, Viale Giulio Cesare 54/b, ground floor, room 6, open to the public Monday to Friday (ordinary hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; from 15 October 2026 until further notice, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with direct access at the counter, no booking required). The updated rules are on the page Court of Rome rules. Engaging a translator registered with the Register of Court-Appointed Experts and with the Register of Experts of the Chamber of Commerce offers an additional guarantee, because the qualification is verified and recognised by the judicial authority. Our translators are registered with the Register of Court-Appointed Experts of the Court of Rome and listed on the Ministry of Justice portal.

The file to be presented

At the time of the oath the file consists of three elements, bound together in the prescribed order by stapling or binding, with no loose sheets.

• The source document, in original, certified copy or photocopy, with the nature of the document stated in the record.
• The complete and faithful translation, without undeclared omissions, describing the stamps, seals and signatures on the original.
• The oath record, in the form prescribed by the Court, which the officer completes and signs together with the translator.

The stages of the oath

1. The full translation of the document is prepared, reproducing every element of the source text and marking any untranslated parts with "omissis".
2. Document, translation and record are bound together and the revenue stamps are applied, €16 for every 100 lines of translation, except in the cases of exemption provided by law, which must be stated on the document with the legal reference.
3. The translator attends the office, by appointment, with a valid identity document whose details are entered in the record.
4. Before the court officer, after being warned of the criminal liability for false statements (art. 483 of the Criminal Code), the translator takes the oath by repeating the prescribed formula.
5. The officer cancels the revenue stamps with the Court's seal, records the document under a progressive chronological number and signs it together with the translator.
6. For documents intended for use abroad, the officer's signature is then apostilled or legalised at the Public Prosecutor's Office.

The office's complete rules, with the opening hours, the requirements of form and the rules for translations between two foreign languages, are set out on the page Court of Rome rules for sworn translations.

The oath record

The record is the act by which the oath is put in writing. An example is reproduced below, so that what happens at the counter and what is signed is transparent. The variable data, such as the chronological number and the details of the identity document, are completed at the time.