The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) accepts a foreign-language document only together with a translation certified by a sworn translator. If the format is wrong, the application is usually not taken into processing at all, and the whole cycle starts again.
This page is written by a translation agency, not by the authority. The binding requirement is always set by the PPA, so it is worth confirming before you order — particularly if your case is unusual.
A sworn translation is the only form the board reliably accepts. A sworn translator has passed a state examination and is appointed by the Minister of Justice. They translate the document themselves and certify its accuracy with their signature and seal, taking personal responsibility for it.
Notaries do not certify translations. That option ended on 1 January 2020. If you are told you need a «notarised translation», in today’s Estonia that means a sworn translation.
An ordinary translation is fine for your own understanding but cannot be filed with an authority.
A document issued abroad usually needs an apostille, and it is issued in the country that produced the document. It cannot be done in Estonia.
The correct order is apostille first, translation second. The apostille carries text of its own that belongs in the translation. Translate first and you will be paying twice. How the procedure works is covered in our article on the apostille in Estonia.
Documents from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine do not need an apostille — Estonia has legal assistance treaties with those countries.
Will the PPA accept an ordinary translation?
No. A sworn translation is required.
Does the whole passport have to be translated?
Usually the data page is enough. The exact requirement depends on the procedure.
How recent must a criminal record extract be?
Authorities look at the date of issue, not the date of translation. Usually three to six months — confirm with the PPA.
Can I order the translation before the apostille?
Technically yes, but it is a false economy: the apostille text would be missing from the translation.
Send us the scan and tell us which procedure it is for — we will tell you what is required.
Sworn translation in Estonia: what it is and when you need it
In Estonia only a sworn translator can certify a translation — notaries stopped in 2020. When you need one, how to check the register, and what it costs.
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