Honest, experienced, and highly reliable, a sworn translator in France is a translator approved by a Court of Appeals of the French judiciary. His work consists in establishing certified translations of all documents submitted to him. He stamps every document he translates to make it official or legal. In this article, we will see in greater details what this profession entails, its prerequisites, and how exactly can you become a sworn translator in France.

Being a sworn translator

A sworn translator translates the document himself, then officially validates that his translation is the certified translation of the original copy he received. He transposes a document, from one language to another, and approves it with his stamp. This procedure is required in a few situations, mostly to meet the requirements of the French administration, or another country. Which means that a sworn translator works first for the administration. That includes Courts, the police, customs and brigades (French gendarmerie).

His services can also be needed in contexts requiring an translation or an interpretation: hearings, detention/custody, examinations, investigations, phone-tapping, file translation, and more.

A sworn translator is not working only in the public sector. His private clients is just as important and often makes up most of his market share.

He can be asked to translate various documents, sucha as:

• Driver's license
• Birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates
• Degrees
• Company Status
• Financial records
• Passport
• Naturalization application
• Family reunification application
• Wills, rulings, notarial contract, private agreements, etc.

The prerequisites to be a sworn translator

To become a sworn translator in France, you must be over 18 and under 70 years old. Of course, you must master perfectly your languages, easily express yourself, enjoy doing research, go through training courses, like learning about languages and culture, and like getting messages across..

A sworn translator needs to prove he as experience as a translator. Usually holding a degree in languages, the translator knows how to speak, read and write in French, and in other foreign languages.

Each language is particular. And the more you learn one, the more you realize how complex it can be. Therefore, it is important to avoid any mistake, to be careful and well documented.

We can easily understand a language but yet not know how to speak, write, translate or interpret it. Knowing is language is learning about the complexity of its idiomatic expressions and being able to translate them properly.

In France, the most popular working languages are, as follows: English - which is a safe bet -and German. You can't exactly choose what to translate, as you need to meet the client's needs. Therefore, you must be open-minded while choosing your languages, being curious, motivated and cultivated.

Whether of French nationality or from the European Union, in France, a Sworn Translator is recognized as a legal expert. He takes an oath by the Court of Appeals and must follow some procedures to obtain this title.

What's the procedure to become a Sworn Translator in France?

Your experience as a translator is not enough to be sworn in. In order to be registered in the official list of Sworn Translators , made available by public authorities, the prerequisite is to apply to the Tribunal de Grande Instance of your district. You must reside in the administrative district of the Court of Appeal you're applying to, but once you get appointed, you can work all over France.

Each session takes place every year, in March. Any document proving your training, your experience or your motivation can be useful for your application: you need "to sell" yourself!

Votre dossier justificatif peut être constitué de l’ensemble de vos titres ou diplômes, les formations que vous avez suivies, vos travaux scientifiques, techniques et professionnels, les différentes fonctions que vous avez remplies et la nature de toutes les activités professionnelles que vous exercez avec. Le cas échéant, indiquez le nom et de l’adresse de vos employeurs.

In your application, you need to specify your specialty(ies) you wish to apply with, the foreign languages of your specialty and, most of all, if you wish to be registered as a translator only, interpreter only, or as both.

You must attach to your application samples of your translations to prove your experience and your knowledge. The application is to be addressed to the Public Prosecutor of the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) who processes your request as soon as he receives your application.

The Public Prosecutor checks and confirms that you meet all requirements and orders the Police or the French Gendarmerie to perform a "background check" on you. You'll then be summoned to the Police station for a little inquiry and to provide some information regarding your personal environment and your professional life.

At last, the Police will transfer your application to become a Sworn Translator and Interpreter to the Court of Appeals of your district. Depending on the result, the Court of Appeals validates your capacities to translate/interpret, and invites you to take the oath during a special meeting.

You will be granted the title of Sworn Translator valid all over the country, for a renewable five-year term. You can then begin using your title and work as a Sworn Translator. If this is your first registration, there will also be a trial period of 3 years.

Your stamp will include your name and details, the Court of Appeals to which are attached, and the number given to every document you've translated.

Finally, you will be able to join trade union or translation-interpreter association in France such as the Société Française des Traducteurs (SFT), the first trade union dedicated to the interest of its translators and interpreters.

We'll take a closer look at these entities very soon!