Does a residence permit application require a sworn translator?

Yes. French prefectures require a translation produced by a translator registered on the list of a court of appeal. The translation bears the translator's signature, stamp and registration reference, together with a copy of the original document. A translation by a relative, an online tool or a non-sworn agency is rejected even when it is accurate.

Which documents should be translated first?

Usually the birth certificate, the marriage certificate where relevant, the criminal record extract from the country of origin, and the family record book or divorce decree establishing family status. Depending on the ground for the permit, diplomas, employment contracts or property deeds may be added. Send the list of documents requested by your prefecture: I will tell you which ones must be translated and which do not need to be.

Must the document be apostilled before translation?

In most files, yes: the apostille or legalisation is obtained in the country where the document originates, before translation. Some prefectures nevertheless accept the civil-status record alone. Because practice varies from one office to another, check the list attached to your appointment: it is your original documents that must be authenticated, not the translation.

How long is a translated criminal record valid?

The translation itself does not expire: the original document is what carries the date. Authorities frequently ask for an extract less than three months old when the file is submitted. If your extract is older, a new one must be requested in the country of origin and translated again — a translator's stamp cannot make a document younger.

Which languages do you work in for these files?

Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English into French, and the reverse. These are the four languages of Indian, Pakistani and British civil-status documents. If your document is in another language, I will point you to a colleague who can handle it.

Residence permit: which sworn translations?

What the prefecture actually checks

A residence permit file is rarely refused because the translation is poor: it is refused because one document is not in the right form. The prefecture checks three things on every foreign document: that it is authenticated (apostille or legalisation, depending on the country), that it is translated by a sworn translator registered on the list of a court of appeal, and that it is recent where a time limit applies. The translation itself must reproduce the document exactly: stamps, handwritten notes, register numbers, with a copy of the original attached.

The documents to translate

Birth certificate — the basic document of any file, in its full version with parentage. See birth certificate translation.
Marriage certificate — required as soon as family status is relied on, including for a spouse still abroad. See marriage certificate translation.
Criminal record from the country of origin — requested for most residence permits and for any naturalisation. See criminal record.
Divorce decree — where a marriage was followed by a divorce, the decree and its marginal mention. See divorce decree.
Diplomas and training certificates — for a student permit, a talent passport or an employment-based application. See diplomas.
Supporting documents — employment contract, lease, property deed, accommodation certificate: translated only if the case officer asks for them.

The order of operations

1️⃣

Authenticate in the country of origin

Apostille (Hague Convention, 1961) for India, issued by the Ministry of External Affairs; consular legalisation for a non-signatory country such as Pakistan. This step happens before the document is sent.

2️⃣

Translate in France

The sworn translation is produced from the authenticated document, with a copy of the original attached, signature, stamp and the registration reference of the Versailles Court of Appeal.

3️⃣

Submit the complete list

The prefecture compares the translation with the copy of the document: any missing page (reverse side, marginal note, stamp page) sends the file back.

The three levels of formality are explained here: legalisation and apostille of a sworn translation.

Four mistakes that cost a month

Translating a document that is not authenticated, then finding out the prefecture required the apostille: the translation has to be redone from the apostilled document.
Translating a blurred photocopy: register numbers and stamps must be legible. A 300 dpi scan is enough; a crooked phone photo is not.
Forgetting marginal notes: a divorce or an acknowledgment recorded in the margin changes how the file reads.
Filing an old criminal record: the date that matters is the one on the original, not the date of the translation.

What I provide

The sworn translation of each document, ready to file, with a copy of the original attached.
A free quote within 24 hours on receipt of the document as a photo or PDF — no rates are published, as every file differs in length and languages.
A prior check of the document list in your appointment letter: I tell you what must be translated and what must not, to avoid unnecessary expense.
Languages: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English.

A question about timeframes or accepted documents? The FAQ covers the most common cases.

Send my document

Residence permitwhich sworn translations?