Regulation 1191/2016: Certified Translations for Citizenship Application No Longer Needed?

Although the process varies greatly depending on the country you wish to become a citizen of, you will often have to start by translating some paperwork. Amongst the usually required documents are birth/marriage certificates, employment letters, proof of residency, etc. This type of translation is usually referred to as ‘certified translation’ or ‘official’ translation’.

The Regulation on Public Documents (Regulation 2016/1191), which applies from 16 February 2019, aims at cutting red tape and costs for citizens when they need to present in an EU country a public document issued in another EU country.

• The Regulation abolishes the obligation for citizens to provide a translation of their public document. If the public document is not in one of the official languages of the EU country requesting the document, citizens can ask for a multilingual standard form, available in all EU languages, from the authorities of the EU country which issued the public document. This form can be attached to the public document to avoid translation requirements. When a citizen presents a public document together with a multilingual standard form, the receiving authority can only require a translation of the public document in exceptional circumstances. As not all multilingual standard forms are issued in all EU countries, citizens can check which forms are issued in their EU country here;
• If the authorities of the receiving EU country require a certified translation of the public document presented by the citizen, they must accept a certified translation made in any EU country.

The Regulation covers public documents issued in the following areas:

• birth
• a person being alive
• death
• name
• marriage, including capacity to marry and marital status
• divorce, legal separation or marriage annulment
• registered partnership, including capacity to enter into a registered partnership and registered partnership status
• dissolution of a registered partnership, legal separation or annulment of a registered partnership
• parenthood
• adoption
• domicile and/or residence
• nationality
• absence of a criminal record
• the right to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal elections and elections to the European Parliament.

The multilingual standard forms to be attached as translation aids to public documents can be requested in the following areas:

• birth
• a person being alive
• death
• marriage, including capacity to marry and marital status
• registered partnership, including capacity to enter into a registered partnership and registered partnership status
• domicile and/or residence
• absence of a criminal record.

Multilingual standard formsClick here to see the multilingual standard forms issued by authorities in each EU country.

Information communicated by EU countries (pursuant to Article 24 of the Regulation)
Italy has communicated that there are no lists of official translators, however, there are lists in the Courts were translators can be registered. These registered translators are called CTU, and I am one of them. 

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