A sworn translation is made by a translator who has taken the oath before a Dutch court and is listed in the Register of Sworn Interpreters and Translators (Rbtv). The translator binds the translation to a copy of your document and adds a signed, stamped statement of accuracy, which is what makes it valid for official use in the Netherlands.
What is a sworn translation?
Dutch authorities accept a translation of an official document only when a sworn translator has produced it. A sworn translator has taken the oath before a district court and is entered in the Register of Sworn Interpreters and Translators, which Bureau Wbtv keeps on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Security. That registration is what gives the translation its legal standing.
Who is allowed to make one
Only a translator registered in the Rbtv for the language pair you need may produce a sworn translation. A translation you make yourself, a machine translation, or work from a translator without that registration will not be accepted by the IND, a gemeente or a court.
What you receive
You receive the translation bound to a copy of your source document, together with the translator's signed statement of accuracy and official stamp. We deliver it as a PDF by default, and a printed copy sent by registered post is available as an option.
Sworn vs certified translation — is there a difference?
In the Netherlands these terms describe the same product. The legal term is sworn translation (beëdigde vertaling); certified translation is the label most international clients use for it. The element that carries legal weight is the sworn, Rbtv-registered translator who signs and stamps the work. If a body in the Netherlands has asked you for a certified or official translation, a sworn translation is what they mean.
Sworn translations for the IND and other Dutch authorities
Most expats need a sworn translation because an official body asked for one. The requirement is the same across the bodies you are likely to deal with, even though the documents differ.
The IND
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) requires foreign-language documents in a residence, MVV or naturalisation application to be translated by a sworn translator into Dutch, English, French or German. A birth certificate, a marriage certificate or a criminal-record extract is a common example.
Gemeente, DUO, courts and notaries
A gemeente or Burgerzaken needs a sworn translation to register a foreign birth or marriage. A university or DUO asks for one when assessing a foreign diploma, and courts and civil-law notaries apply the same standard to the documents they handle.
Acceptance
We work only with Rbtv-registered sworn translators, so the translation meets the requirement of the body that asked for it. This is backed by our acceptance guarantee: if a Dutch authority rejects a translation we produced on quality grounds, we correct it at no charge until it is accepted.
Languages and direction (Dutch ↔ English, French and more)
Dutch ↔ English and Dutch ↔ French are our most-requested pairs, and we cover more than sixty other languages. We translate in both directions: a foreign document into Dutch for use here, or a Dutch document into another language for use abroad.
Which documents we translate
We translate the civil-status, academic and legal documents that Dutch authorities ask for most often.
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Diplomas and academic transcripts
- Criminal-record extracts (VOG)
- Driving licences and passports
- Contracts and notarial deeds
What a sworn translation costs
From €39 for the first page for Dutch ↔ English and Dutch ↔ French; from €59 for the first page for other languages; €75 per following page. The base price covers the translation, the sworn statement, the official stamp and our acceptance guarantee.
A digital copy (PDF by email) is an optional add-on for €9.95. Registered shipping within the Netherlands is €9.95, free from €299 (subtotal, Netherlands only). An apostille is €99 per document (optional, all-in: court fee and court application included).
Delivery time
Standard delivery is 5–7 working days. Need it faster? Express (2–3 working days, +50%, minimum €55) and same-day (+100%, minimum €75, Dutch ↔ English/French only, ordered before 12:00) are available as options in the order form.
Do you also need an apostille or legalisation?
A sworn translation makes your document readable and official in another language; an apostille is a separate certificate that confirms its authenticity for use abroad. Depending on the destination country you may need both, and we can arrange the apostille together with the translation.
How to order a sworn translation online
Upload a clear scan or photo of your document, choose the language pair and any options, and you receive a fixed quote before you confirm. Once you order, a sworn translator starts on it and you receive the finished translation within the delivery time shown above.
