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The correct official name for this translation in Slovakia is an úradný preklad (official translation), although people more often google the older term súdny preklad — it is the same document. Only a translator who has passed a state exam and is listed in the official register kept by the Slovak Ministry of Justice may produce it; Slovak authorities will not accept any other translation. In particular, a Ukrainian notarized translation is NOT valid in Slovakia. The Etalon translation bureau prepares úradný preklad into Slovak for Ukrainian documents remotely from Ukraine — together with the apostille, without your presence.
Súdny vs úradný preklad — it is the same document
Many Ukrainians search for súdny preklad (court translation) because that is what the service used to be called and how people still refer to it informally. However, the current official term used by the Slovak Ministry of Justice (Ministerstvo spravodlivosti SR) is úradný preklad — an official translation. You will also see equivalent names: úradne overený preklad, súdne overený preklad, overený preklad or preklad s pečiatkou. They all mean the same thing: an official translation bearing the seal of an authorized translator. So if a Slovak authority asks you to bring a súdny preklad, know that they mean an úradný preklad.
Who may produce an úradný preklad
Only an úradný prekladateľ may produce an úradný preklad — a translator who has passed a special qualifying exam and is entered in the official register Zoznam znalcov, tlmočníkov a prekladateľov. This register is maintained by the Slovak Ministry of Justice; it is public and available online at justice.gov.sk, so a translator's entry is easy to verify. A translator without such an entry, however experienced, legally cannot affix the Slovak official seal — their translation will have no force before state authorities. Etalon works specifically with translators entered in this register.
When Slovak authorities require an úradný preklad
An úradný preklad is needed almost anywhere Ukrainian documents are submitted to Slovak state authorities. Most often this means: applying for a residence permit or visa through the cudzinecká polícia (foreigners' police); nostrification — recognition of Ukrainian school certificates and diplomas at schools and universities; employment and dealings with the úrad práce (labour office); marriage registration or recording civil-status acts through the matrika (registry office); and any court proceedings. In all of these cases the authority will accept the document only with an official translation into Slovak made by an authorized translator.
Will a Slovak authority accept a Ukrainian notarized translation
The short answer is no. A Ukrainian notarized translation is not accepted by official institutions in Slovakia: a Slovak notary certifies only the translator's signature, not the translation itself, and the Ukrainian procedure does not meet Slovak requirements. To submit to the matrika, the cudzinecká polícia, a court or for nostrification, you need an úradný preklad made by a translator listed in the Slovak Ministry of Justice register. So order a Slovak úradný preklad from the start rather than a Ukrainian notarized one — otherwise you will pay twice.
What a finished úradný preklad looks like
A finished úradný preklad is not just printed text but a physically bound document. The translation is inseparably bound to the original (or to a notarized or ordinary copy) with a three-colour ribbon — the so-called trikolóra in the colours of the Slovak flag. The binding is secured with a round seal bearing the Slovak state emblem (okrúhla pečiatka so štátnym znakom). Finally, the translator adds a prekladateľská doložka — an official translator's statement confirming that the translation matches the original, with the translator's details, signature and register number. It is in this form that the document has legal force before Slovak authorities.
Apostille and úradný preklad — the correct sequence
Ukraine and Slovakia are both parties to the 1961 Hague Convention, so Ukrainian public documents are legalized for Slovakia with an apostille. The correct sequence matters: first the apostille is placed on the Ukrainian original (depending on the document type this is the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine), and only then is the úradný preklad into Slovak made — together with a translation of the apostille stamp itself. Do it the other way round and the translation will have to be redone. Take extra care with older (pre-2015) marriage certificates: sometimes you first need to obtain a fresh duplicate and apostille that — confirm this individually.
How much an úradný preklad into Slovak costs
The official tariff is set by Vyhláška MS SR č. 491/2004 Z. z., § 10: a base rate of EUR 19.92 for each started page of translation between Slovak and a European language. Under § 10 ods. 2 this rate increases by 10% if one of the languages does not use the Latin script — and Ukrainian uses Cyrillic, so the surcharge applies. This tariff formally governs translations ordered by a court or public authority; on the open market the price may differ. We give you an exact quote after reviewing a scan of the documents.
Which Ukrainian documents we translate into Slovak
We produce úradný preklad into Slovak for all common Ukrainian documents: international and internal passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, diplomas with their supplements, school leaving certificates, criminal-record certificates, employment records, medical certificates, powers of attorney, court rulings and other official documents. Whatever the document type, the translation is done by a translator entered in the Slovak Ministry of Justice register and prepared to all Slovak requirements.
Order a turnkey úradný preklad into Slovak
The Etalon translation bureau arranges the apostille on Ukrainian documents and the úradný preklad into Slovak remotely from Ukraine — you do not need to be present or travel to Slovakia. We take the document through every step in the correct order and deliver the finished result. Send a scan and we will calculate the cost and timeline free of charge.
Order an úradný prekladFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between súdny preklad and úradný preklad?
There is none — it is the same document. Súdny preklad is the older, colloquial name, while the current official term used by the Slovak Ministry of Justice is úradný preklad (official translation). You will also see úradne overený preklad or overený preklad — all of these are synonyms.
Who may produce an úradný preklad?
Only an úradný prekladateľ — a translator who has passed a state exam and is entered in the Zoznam znalcov, tlmočníkov a prekladateľov register of the Slovak Ministry of Justice (public, at justice.gov.sk). A translation from anyone not in that register will not be accepted by Slovak authorities.
Will a Slovak authority accept my Ukrainian notarized translation?
No. Slovak authorities accept only an úradný preklad made by a translator listed in the Slovak Ministry of Justice register. A Ukrainian notarized translation is not valid in Slovakia, so order a Slovak úradný preklad from the start.
How much does an úradný preklad cost per page?
The official tariff under Vyhláška 491/2004, § 10 is EUR 19.92 for each started page, plus a 10% surcharge for Cyrillic script (Ukrainian). This tariff applies to orders from a court or public authority; on the open market the price may differ.
What is a normostrana (standard page)?
It is the unit of volume for an úradný preklad: 30 lines of 60 characters, i.e. 1,800 characters including spaces (Vyhláška 491/2004, § 10 ods. 5). You are charged for each started standard page of translation.
Which comes first — the apostille or the translation?
First the apostille on the Ukrainian original (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs, depending on the document), and only then the úradný preklad into Slovak together with a translation of the apostille stamp. If you translate before apostilling, the translation will have to be redone.
An úradný preklad into Slovak is not an ordinary translation but an official document with a bound ribbon, a seal bearing the state emblem and a translator's statement, produced only by an authorized translator listed in the Slovak Ministry of Justice register. The Etalon translation bureau arranges the apostille and the Slovak úradný preklad remotely from Ukraine — in the correct order and without your presence. Send scans of your documents and we will advise the exact steps.
