Attested translation

Information on the certified translation of documents

This guide gives you key information on the certified translation of foreign documents for use in Hungary and of Hungarian documents for use abroad.

If you want to submit a foreign document to any Hungarian authority or institution, you must arrange for a Hungarian translation. In most procedures, Hungarian authorities and institutions only accept foreign language documents together with a certified translation.

In Hungary a certified translation of any foreign document may only be prepared by Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation Ltd. (OFFI Ltd.). OFFI appends an authentication clause to all certified translations to attest that the translated text is identical with and equivalent to the original document for content and sense. Certified translations are printed on special, numbered security paper which bears the coat of arms of the Republic of Hungary and unique identification, and is only used by OFFI Ltd. Certified translations are inseparably attached to the original documents or their certified true copies. (For more details, see Decree 24/1986 (26 June) of the Council of Ministers on technical translation and interpretation, and Decree 7/1986 (26 June) of the Minister of Justice.)

Hungarian consuls practicing abroad may also prepare certified translations of foreign documents. Foreign documents may also be translated into Hungarian by the competent government agency of the particular state. In this case you should first find out whether such translation will be acceptable in Hungary.

The same applies to Hungarian documents issued in Hungary for use abroad since the above laws also authorize OFFI Ltd. to prepare a certified translation of Hungarian documents.

A foreign language certified translation may be prepared of certain documents by notaries and Hungarian consuls practicing abroad, and of corporate documents by duly authorised technical translators. Before you use any Hungarian document abroad, you should find out about the kind of translation which the competent foreign authority accepts in its official procedure.

OFFI Ltd. is a state-owned company which certifies translations for a fee, but it does so as a public duty under the relevant laws and not as a market activity. Certified translations issued by OFFI Ltd. are accepted in every country and may be used in all official procedures.

OFFI Ltd. holds liability insurance and an ISO 9001:2008 certificate, and operates a data protection system which guarantees that personal and other data included in the documents shall not be disclosed to unauthorized persons.

For continuous, regular and detailed information on our activity, visit www. offi.hu or OFFI’s customer service centres.