English to Swedish Translation

This direction is used when an English-language document has to be submitted in Sweden. The typical applicant is someone presenting a diploma, registry extract or company document issued in an English-speaking country to a university, an employer or the immigration authority (Migrationsverket) in Sweden. Unlike the de|sv pair, the source here is not German but English; the Swedish regime on the target side remains the same and rests on the authorised translator system.

Concrete examples make the direction clearer: taking a degree obtained abroad through recognition in Sweden, a foreign company entering the Swedish market with its registry documents, submitting criminal record and income documents for a work or residence permit. The source carries an Anglo-Saxon reality, while the target assesses it in the administrative language of Sweden.

Education, employment and residence files predominate in this direction; whether the documents are being prepared for Migrationsverket or for a university is clarified at the outset. This allows the translation to be built for the right reader.

Translating these documents means fitting Anglo-Saxon concepts to their Swedish administrative counterparts; this is a matter of functional matching.

In this direction it is settled from the outset whether the document is being prepared for the Swedish immigration authority (Migrationsverket) or for a university; the two readers make different use of the document, and the translation is built accordingly. Determining this in advance prevents unnecessary reworking.

English diploma and degree titles are given in their original form with an explanation rather than according to their counterpart in the Swedish higher education framework; the recognition decision rests with the Swedish authority. Credit information is preserved in a comparable form.

If the person is registered in the Swedish population system, the identity and date details in the document are carried across in a form that fits the Swedish personal identity number scheme; dates are adapted to the ISO order and the decimal separator to Swedish usage. Amounts are not converted.

In commercial and residence files the documents are submitted as a set; the company name, the names of the parties and the amounts are carried across all the documents exactly alike. Official wording is fitted to the established administrative formulas of Swedish rather than freely rewritten. In this way the Swedish authority reads the document in a familiar form and can assess the application as a whole.

Technical issues specific to English into Swedish

English names keep their original Latin spelling in the Swedish text. Company forms (Ltd., LLC) are not automatically converted into the Swedish AB; the original abbreviation is kept and explained, because the liability structures do not overlap.

English legal concepts (e.g. trust, affidavit) are explained in Swedish according to their function; a word-for-word rendering blurs the official meaning. English abbreviations are expanded and given in brackets where necessary.

Dates are adapted to the ISO order (year-month-day); the currency is not converted, only the Swedish usage for decimal and thousands separators is applied. If the person is registered in the Swedish system, the relevant details are placed correctly in the personnummer field.

The signature and date on the document are kept in their position. In documents belonging to the same person the spelling of the name is kept consistent.

In diploma applications the degree and credit information is carried across clearly; English degree titles are not forced into a Swedish degree but explained, and the decision rests with the Swedish authority.

In commercial files, carrying the company name, the shareholders and the amounts across exactly alike is necessary for the application to be assessed as a whole; registration numbers are not translated but cited as recorded.

In residence and employment files the date and the issuing authority of criminal record and income documents are stated clearly; the official wording in these documents is fitted to the established administrative formulas of Swedish.

Documents for which this direction is required

• Diplomas, transcripts and professional certificates
• Birth, marriage and residence certificates
• Company registry documents and commercial contracts
• Work and residence application documents
• Criminal record and income documents

Education and employment files predominate in this direction; whether the documents are being prepared for Migrationsverket or for a university is clarified at the outset. Degree and credit information is carried across clearly.

In commercial documents the company form and the registry details are kept in their original form. In criminal record certificates the date and the issuing authority are stated clearly.

Chain of certification

Sweden relies on the auktoriserad translator system, in which authorisation is granted by Kammarkollegiet; in official applications it is usual for a translation carrying this authorisation to be sought. A document arriving from an English-speaking source country is expected to bear an apostille.

To see these expectations and Sweden’s certification regime, look at the country page and the document type requirements. Tell us which institution the document will be submitted to before you send it.

Upload your document to see the page count and the current fee, and compare our unit prices.

The account here sums up the typical case; notarisation and apostille steps are costed as separate items. We advise you to check the current position with the authority that will handle the matter.