The short answer: a sworn translation ends with the translator's signature and seal; a notarised translation adds the notary public's certification on top of that. Which one you need is decided not by you, but by the institution the document is going to.
Getting this straight at the outset matters, because ordering the wrong one usually means starting the process again — and paying twice.
What is a sworn translation?
A sworn translation is produced by a translator who has taken an oath before a notary public. That translator is personally responsible for the translation's fidelity to the source text, and delivers it bearing their own signature and seal.
Not every translator can produce one. The translator must hold a sworn oath record at a notary for the language in question.
What is a notarised translation?
A notarised translation is a sworn translation with the notary's certification added on top. The notarisation does not replace the sworn translation — it is a layer added to it.
The notary does not review the content of the translation. They certify that the translator is sworn before them and that the signature belongs to that translator.
When is each required?
The only thing that decides this is what the receiving authority asks for.
- Some institutions accept a sworn translation as sufficient.
- Certain official procedures require notarisation.
- Documents going abroad often require an apostille in addition to notarisation.
So the right question to ask before sending anything is: "Who am I submitting this to, and what exactly do they require?"
Where does the apostille come in?
An apostille is a certificate confirming the validity of a public document between countries party to the Hague Convention.
The order depends on the destination country. For Turkish documents being sent abroad, the apostille is usually obtained first, and the translation produced afterwards. Doing it the other way round can leave the apostille itself untranslated and force the process to be repeated.
How is the price calculated in either case?
Translation fees are calculated per page on the basis of the Turkish Act of Fees No. 492. One page is taken as 20 lines, which in digital form corresponds to roughly 1,000 characters without spaces, or 150–200 words.
Notarisation is a separate cost item, charged according to the official notary tariff.
If you are unsure
Send us the document along with the name of the institution it is going to. We will clarify which one you need and help you avoid an unnecessary notary fee.