Legal strucure
- sworn translator for source/target languages: English and Slovak appointed for English language and registered in the Roll of expert witnesses, interpreters and translators as administered by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic under No. 970860 since june 2007
- I am not VAT payer
Legal regulations governing my position
- Act No. 382/2004 on sworn experts, interpreters & translators in its consolidated wording as Act No. 65/2018 is the fundamental legal regulation
- Decree by MoJ SR No. 228/2018 to administer Act No. 382/2004 and to specify — among other and together with the Act — requisites of a sworn-translation project
- Decree by MoJ SR No. 491/2004 on fees & other eligible reimbursements of sworn experts, interpreters and translators in its wording in force of 01 August 2018
Insurance against losses caused to clients
- Under Article 9 of Act No. 382/2004 I have made an insurance contract with Allianz Insurance Company against eventual losses caused to my clients as the result of my activity of sworn translator.
Instructions & terms for delivery of documents to be translated and for the delivery of completed sworn translation projects
- delivery of the original, its copy authenticated by a notar public of the document to be translated and with an appostille attached thereto (i.e. including any & all seal imprints); I will always make a copy for my own archive; the completed and bound project is taken over personally as agreed
- delivery and shipment of both the document to be translated and the completed project by registered mail or a courrier
- files with the scanned documents to be translated (i.e. including any & all seal imprints and the apostil) scanned, sent to me by electronic mail or via another Internet tool - in such cases I use to prepare the translation beforehand; eventually, Client delivers the document alone to be finally checked and bound while he/she waits or dispatched as required
- I come to translate either directly or to bring the beforehand translated document, to bind the project, where and when agreed upon with my Client
- in the event to request an electronic version of the translation, just provide me with the document to be translated in hardcopy or in electronic version accompanied and −when the case may be − with the authentication clause, the qualified electronic signature and the qualified electronic time seal attached thereto; in any case, I need to know the number of counterparts to be made, as each counterpart is assigned its respective unique authentication tool; then, I will either provide you with the translation in hardcopy or send it to you by electronic mail, accompanied by my qualified electronic signature and qualified electronic time seal
Modes of payment and translation rates
- account statements (not invoices) are the documents for taxation purposes in respect of this activity performed under Act No. 382/2004 (i.e. under the Commercial Code, this is not a business)
- the basic rate for completed sworn translation project is 20 euros per standard page in the target language, i.e. 1 standard page (SP) equals 1,800 characters and words (30 lines typed with 60 characters and words each)
- according to the requested delivery deadline and the nature of the document to be translated, the price for urgently made sworn tanslation project is charged with extras of between 50 % and 100 %
- each another counterpart of the completed translation is made for a flat price of 3 euros; however, in such event I need the relevant number of the originals or copies of the document to be translated
- each another copy of the completed translation is made for a flat price of 5 euros; however, in such event I need the relevant number of the originals or copies of the document to be translated; all translated projects must be archived for a 10 years’ period; in my journal, the copy is assigned a new serial number
- the minimum rate is for 1 standard page
- I prefer bank transfers, cash deposits or payments via payment gateway, however, in exceptional cases you can pay cash, if it may be better and more convenient for you
- each translation project made under Act No. 382/2004 (i.e. not duplicates of the same project) is a separate document; it is entered under its own, unique serial number in my translator’s diary; owing to this fact, be so kind not to ask for any discounts based on quantity, otherwise I would act contrary to the law
Based on not only my personal experience gained since my registration as legal translator, I feel obliged to draw your kind attention to the following:
You do not need a go-between to get a legal translation!
Provisions of Section 22 (1) (a) of Act No. 382/2004 provide that sworn translator shall carry out his entire translation job, including to bind and seal the translation it, personally.
Legal translations are considered public judicial documents, which are documents either issued or authenticated by national bodies or public officers acting under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. Have you ever seen or imagined any public officer, who may entrust to any go-between without scruples blank sheets of paper with his signature thereto and his official seal with the intention to have public judicial documents bound and sealed in his absence and on his behalf?
Provisions of Section 23 (2) of Act No. 382/2004 Act No. 382/2004 and Section 19 of Decree 228/2018 specify the requisites of legal translations. Thus, when the imprints of the sworn translator's seal do not overlap the sealing label on its both opposite edges, then such „legal translation“ often provided even by a „renown translation agency“ (!) for an „interesting“ or dumping price may be with a high probability level nothing more than a imitation, even though a perfect one. No translation agency can present a proof that such „legal translation“ has indeed been made by the undersigned sworn translator (!). If such translation was really personally made by the undersigned sworn translator, he would also have personally sealed it.
