Certified or Notarized Translation: A Practical Guide to Choosing Right

A certified (or authorized) translation is produced by a translator licensed by the Ministry of Justice and carries that translator's stamp and signature. A notarized translation is a certified translation whose translator's signature has been legalized by a notary public, turning it into a document that authorities formally recognize. In short: every notarized translation is also certified, but not every certified translation is notarized. The difference costs time, money and, sometimes, whether the document is accepted at all.

What a Certified (Authorized) Translation Is

A certified translation is produced by a person listed in the Register of Authorized Translators and Interpreters kept by the Romanian Ministry of Justice, under Law 178/1997 on the authorization and payment of interpreters and translators used by judicial bodies. The translator applies their personal stamp (with name, language pair and authorization number), signature, and a certification statement confirming that the translation is faithful to the original. This type of translation carries official weight in many administrative settings, with no notary required.

In the Republic of Moldova, the equivalent role is filled by authorized translators listed in the Register of the Ministry of Justice of RM, under Law 264/2008 on the authorization and payment of interpreters and translators engaged by the Superior Council of Magistracy. The procedure is similar: personal stamp, signature and a certification note.

What a Notarized Translation Is

A notarized translation is a certified translation on which a notary public legalizes the translator's signature. The notary does not check the linguistic content — they only confirm that the signature belongs to an authorized translator who is registered with that notarial office. The procedure is governed by Law 36/1995 on notaries public (Romania) and Law 246/2018 on notarial activity (Moldova). The notary adds a legalization statement, stamp and signature, logs the document in the notarial register and issues a unique number. The list of active notaries is available at [unnpr.ro](https://www.unnpr.ro) (Romania) and on the portal of the Chamber of Notaries of RM.

Comparison Table: Notarized vs. Certified

When You Need a Certified Translation (Without a Notary)

Many everyday situations can be handled with a plain certified translation. It is enough whenever the receiving institution accepts the translator's professional liability without requiring additional signature verification. The most common cases are:

• Diplomas and transcripts submitted to a private employer in Romania or Moldova
• Internal commercial contracts between two companies that jointly accept the translation
• Documents for the recognition of professional qualifications at some authorities (check in advance)
• Medical records used internally at clinics or for private insurance
• Technical manuals, product sheets, internal project documentation
• Official correspondence with EU partners who do not require notarized form
• Documents for employment offices or pension funds (often) — always confirm with the clerk
• Tax certificates for internal tax authority procedures (increasingly accepted)

When You Need a Notarized Translation (With a Notary)

Notarized translation is mandatory whenever the document has strong legal effect or is going to a strict state authority. The notary becomes the guarantor of the chain of trust: authorized translator → verified stamp → notarial register. See the full list of services and procedures on our [notarized translations](/en/notarized-translations) page.

• Civil status documents (birth, marriage, death certificates) for civil status offices
• Documents for obtaining Romanian or Moldovan citizenship
• Powers of attorney, notarial declarations, civil contracts with legal effect
• Documents for courts (lawsuits, divorces, inheritance)
• Documents for embassies and consulates (visas, repatriation, recognition)
• Academic records for recognition at CNRED (Romania) or ANACEC (Moldova)
• Documents for opening bank accounts or mortgages abroad
• Real estate purchase agreements, gift contracts, wills
• Documents for international adoption or minor custody

Estimated Costs in 2026

Rates vary by language, complexity and urgency. For an exact quote on your document, use the instant calculator on our [pricing](/en/pricing) page — you upload the file, the system counts words with OCR and shows you a price in seconds. The benchmarks below reflect average market prices in the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

Step-by-Step Procedure for a Notarized Translation

1. Prepare the original document (or a notarized copy if the original cannot leave the issuing institution)
2. If the document is foreign, check whether it needs a prior apostille or legalization under the procedure on [mae.ro](https://www.mae.ro)
3. Send the scanned document to the translation office for evaluation and a price quote
4. The authorized translator produces the translation and applies the stamp plus signature
5. The translation is presented to the notary together with the source document; the notary verifies the translator's identity in their own register
6. The notary applies the legalization note, logs the document and issues your copies
7. If the document is bound for another country party to the Hague Convention, take it to the Chamber of Notaries for an apostille on the notary's note

Common Mistakes That Lead to Document Rejection

• Confusing 'certified translation' with 'notarized translation' when placing the order
• Presenting a simple photocopy instead of an original or notarized copy
• Missing apostille on the source document when it comes from a third country
• Using an authorized translator for the wrong language variant (e.g. EN instead of the specific EN-US required by some institutions)
• Name mismatch between the ID document and the transliteration in the translation — check the ISO 9 standard for Cyrillic
• Using a translation older than 6 months at institutions that require a 'recently issued' document
• Missing page numbering and binding seals (required by some banks and embassies)

Special Cases: Medical, Technical and Judicial Documents

For medical documents used abroad, especially in the context of treatment or insurance, authorities almost always require a notarized translation plus an apostille. Technical documents (construction projects, homologations, patents) can be accepted as certified translations, but when submitted to intellectual property offices or similar bodies, notarization is also required. In court, judges only accept translations produced by translators on the Ministry of Justice's official list — verify directly on [just.ro](https://www.just.ro) that your translator is active.

How to Check That a Translator Is Genuinely Authorized

In Romania, the official list of authorized translators is published on the Ministry of Justice website (just.ro) — searchable by name, language and county. In the Republic of Moldova, the register is kept by the Ministry of Justice of RM and is available online. Check the authorization number, the languages for which the translator is licensed and whether the license is active (not suspended or revoked). A serious translator will share their authorization number up front, on the quote and on the invoice.

Conclusion: Which One to Choose

The simple rule: if the document is going to a strict state authority, a court, a bank, an embassy or abroad, choose a notarized translation. If it is for a private employer, a business partner or internal use, a certified translation is almost always enough, and cheaper. When in doubt, ask the receiving institution explicitly and keep the reply in writing. The cost of asking the right question is almost always lower than the cost of a double trip and extra fees.