Document Translation for Switzerland

With a Swiss file the first question ought to be not “which document” but “which canton”. There is no single central practice across the country; a large part of the business of residence, employment and recognition is handled at cantonal level. The same document may be accepted without difficulty in Zurich and yet be wanted in a different language, with a different certification, in Geneva.

What the cantonal divide means in practice

Here is the trap peculiar to Switzerland. Applicants commonly have “a German translation for Switzerland” prepared and then send the file to a French-speaking canton. Because the document does not suit the region in terms of language, the matter stops before it starts. The form of certification can vary by canton in the same way: some procedures expect notarisation, while others may call for a further certification step.

This is what sets Switzerland apart from other destinations in Europe. In most countries the question “which language do I translate into” has a single answer; here the answer depends on where the application is being made. And if the canton your workplace is in differs from the canton you will live in, the same document may be wanted in two different languages. Reckoning with that possibility at the outset is a good deal easier than going through a second round of translation later.

Read the table as a starting point rather than a rule. The canton itself is the deciding authority, and in bilingual regions the preference of the office concerned settles the matter. A single email before you apply, asking which language the document is wanted in, always costs less than having a second translation done afterwards. If you are not sure which language to translate into, send us your document and we will decide together according to the canton you are dealing with.

Which documents come to the fore for which application

Because work permits in Switzerland proceed on quotas and rest on the employer, in an employment file the papers the employer submits and the documents you submit complete one another. While the employer explains why the position could not be filled from the local labour market, your documents have to show that you genuinely hold the qualification in question. In student files, evidence of financial means carries as much weight as the academic documents; given the cost of living in Switzerland, this item is examined closely.

• Education: diploma, academic transcript, letter of admission and evidence of the means to support yourself throughout your studies.
• Employment: diploma, professional certificates, a detailed CV and employment certificates from previous employers.
• Family: marriage certificate, birth certificates, civil registry extract and papers showing that the accommodation is adequate.
• Professional recognition: curriculum, internship and practice periods, and records of registration with the professional body.

How many copies to have made

In Switzerland a single application does not see the job done. The cantonal migration office, the employer, the municipal register, the health insurer and, where relevant, the professional body all ask for documents independently of one another, and some of them keep the original they are given. Having only one certified copy in hand forces the process into a queue and costs weeks. For documents that will be asked for again and again, such as the diploma, the marriage certificate and the birth certificate, having several certified copies made at the outset is both quicker and cheaper than commissioning a fresh translation later.

Order and timing

What really governs the timetable in Swiss procedures is the workload of the canton, and that cannot be planned for from outside. The part you can control is whether the file is complete when it is first submitted. An incomplete file joins a second queue, and the time lost is usually measured in weeks. As you gather the documents, allow for the letters due from the university or a former employer arriving late.

A practical method: rather than handing everything over for translation in one go once you have collected it all, have the items that are already settled prepared in advance. That way a single late document does not hold up the whole file. For files running to a high page count, you can use the price list to see the total cost before you commit.

Three common mistakes

The first is assuming that a document translated into one of the three official languages will be valid in every canton. The second is taking it for granted that an English translation will be accepted everywhere; English may make things easier at certain institutions and in international companies, but it is not the language of official business and may not be enough on its own in administrative applications. The third is obtaining the certification annotation after having the document translated; an annotation added later does not appear in the translation, and the file counts as incomplete.

There is a fourth mistake as well: treating family members’ documents as though they were separate files. In Swiss family applications the documents of the spouse and the children are assessed at the same time. If a child’s birth certificate is missing, or has been prepared in a different language, the whole file waits. Plan the documents as one file rather than person by person.

As you prepare the document

Institutions in Switzerland pay attention to the formal completeness of a document: page numbers, annexes and reverse sides must all be there. If you are going to apply to more than one canton or more than one institution, having extra copies made at the outset saves time. To settle which documents fall within the scope, you can look at our service headings.

The information here is general in nature; the acceptance conditions of the destination country and the chain of certification can change from time to time. Where you are in doubt, it is worth putting the point to the institution before you apply.