Virallinen kääntäjä

An authorised translator (auktorisoitu kääntäjä) produces a certified translation of a written document. Finnish authorities, courts, universities and some foreign bodies require this for papers such as articles of association, degree certificates or extracts.

A legal interpreter (oikeustulkki) works with spoken language in police and court settings. Opetushallitus (OPH) keeps official registers for both. Authorisation is always for named language pairs, for example Finnish–English.

A colleague who speaks two languages, or a machine translation, is not an authorised translation.

Check the receiving authority’s instructions before you order. They often name exactly which pages must be translated. Agree the fee and the page list in writing before the work starts.

Practical advice

Search the OPH register by language pair. Ask for the translator’s register details on the completed document.

Send a scan of the original. Do not retype the source.

For a brochure or website, an ordinary commercial translator is usually enough unless the buyer has asked for an authorised translation.

Where to seek advice

The best place to start is Finnish National Agency for Education (OPH) registers: https://www.oph.fi/en/services/register-legal-interpreters

Legal interpreters: this page. Authorised translators: search from https://www.oph.fi/ (register of authorised translators). The Association of Translators and Interpreters also has a finder: https://www.sktl.fi/ . Ask PRH, Migri or the university which type they require before you pay.

All the necessary links

oph.fi — Legal interpreters and authorised translators.
sktl.fi — Professional association finder.
prh.fi / migri.fi — What each authority accepts.