Sworn Translation in Edirne

In Edirne the rhythm of demand for translation is set by the calendar. The summer traffic of families coming home from Europe, together with the movement of lorries and passengers that goes on all year round, creates a flow of paperwork turning constantly at the border crossings. Because Türkiye’s main gateway to Europe by road is here, most of the requests from the province belong to people and freight that are “on the move”.

This gives the demand for translation two distinct features. The first is that the documents are short: most are single-page papers in a standard form. The second is the sharpness of the timing: either the document is ready before the journey begins or it is of no use at all. That is why, with requests from Edirne, what we discuss most is not what is to be translated but when.

The documents asked for at the crossing

On crossings made through Kapıkule and İpsala, the problem met most often is not that the document itself is missing; it is that there is no counterpart in a language the foreign authority can understand. Consent forms and powers of attorney for those travelling in a vehicle belonging to someone else, permission letters for children travelling unaccompanied or with one parent, and veterinary health certificates for those carrying a pet are the typical examples in this group.

What these documents have in common is that they are short; most run to a single page. Yet a missing one-page consent form can mean being turned back at the crossing. A short document means a low price and quick delivery, which is why having it prepared before you set off is the most sensible course.

Why Bulgarian and Greek come to the fore here

Edirne borders two countries at once, and that settles the demand for languages directly. Bulgarian comes to the fore in road haulage heading north and in day crossings; Greek in the trade and travel running through the crossing to the south-west. German, for its part, is the language of the traffic of families living abroad: the documents of a child born in Europe, court judgments given there, correspondence about work and pensions. The rates for these three languages do not change from province to province; the detail is on the languages page.

Situation	Document often needed	Target language
Crossing in someone else’s vehicle	Consent form, copy of the vehicle registration document	Bulgarian, Greek
Travelling with a child	Parental permission letter, birth record	German, Bulgarian
Crossing with a pet	Veterinary health certificate, vaccination card	English, Bulgarian
Freight haulage	Transport contract, insurance policy	Bulgarian
Legal proceedings abroad	Court judgment, power of attorney	German

The value of planning before you set off

The warning we give most often on border crossing procedures is this: confirm in advance which document the official authority in the country you are travelling to wants, in which language and with which form of approval. We have gathered these expectations, which vary from country to country and even according to the type of journey, on the countries page, but the final source is always the authority’s own announcement.

The affairs that families living abroad settle in Türkiye

Part of the traffic passing through Edirne in summer is not simply a journey; it is a round of official business as well. Families living in Europe try to clear the official matters that have built up in the few weeks they spend in Türkiye: transferring a title deed, dividing an estate, drawing up a power of attorney, vehicle formalities, sometimes following up a court case. Time being short, a missing document means a delay of a full year.

The common difficulty in these matters is that the documents were issued in Europe. A court judgment, a birth record or an employer’s letter obtained there needs a sworn translation, and usually approval as well, if it is to be used in Türkiye. Getting that preparation done before coming to Türkiye is the simplest way of not spending the first week of the holiday at the doors of public offices.

The same holds in the opposite direction: a power of attorney or a civil registry record obtained in Türkiye must be prepared in the language of the country concerned if it is to be submitted to an institution in Europe on the way back. For families whose affairs run in both directions, the most efficient method is to draw up the list of what is needed before the journey and have all the documents prepared in one go.

Two steps to the border crossing, none to the office

We have no branch in Edirne; the work is completed at the office in Ankara. In the summer rush that is in fact an advantage, because being close to the border crossing does not spare you the wait in the queue for paperwork. When you send the document online, the electronically signed copy is in your hands the same day; the wet-signed original follows by courier. Starting a week before you set off is the single piece of advice that serves best in this province.

This page is for general information; our office is based in Ankara Kızılay and there are no branches in other provinces. For the conditions in force, consult the institution’s current list of required documents.