Sworn & certified translation
Ukrainian translation: sworn & certified
Ukrainian is among the languages we translate on a sworn basis: your Ukrainian ↔ French translation is produced by a court-sworn expert translator with a French court of appeal, with legal validity recognised by French and foreign authorities.
But Ukrainian is not a language you translate casually — it is an East Slavic language distinct from Russian (never to be confused), written in Cyrillic, with its own transliteration and patronymic rules. Here’s what matters, and how we handle it.
At a glance
Ukrainian in brief
Family
Indo-European → Slavic → East Slavic, alongside Russian and Belarusian. These three are today distinct literary languages, sharing a common origin (the "Old Russian" of around 1000 AD) but pulled clearly apart by centuries of evolution and political separation.Comrie, The World’s Major Languages
A language in its own right
Distinctive developments set Ukrainian firmly apart from its neighbours — e.g. the old vowel ě becoming i where Russian has e (Old Russian lěto, Russian léto, Ukrainian líto "summer"). Of the East Slavic languages, Ukrainian’s distinctive features are the most marked.Comrie
Speakers
Roughly 30–35 million, chiefly in Ukraine and a large diaspora.Ethnologue
Where
Official language of Ukraine; Ukrainian-speaking communities in Poland, Germany, Canada, the USA and, since 2022, across Europe — including France.Comrie · Ethnologue
Script
The Cyrillic alphabet, in a Ukrainian-specific variant with letters Russian does not have — і, ї, є, ґ. Romanisation into the Latin alphabet follows the official Ukrainian national system of 2010.Ukrainian romanization system, 2010
Where files get rejected
Why Ukrainian demands genuine expertise
This is where your file is accepted — or refused.
Ukrainian ≠ Russian
The confusion to never make. They are two distinct East Slavic languages, each with its own alphabet, spelling and vocabulary. A Ukrainian document must be handled as Ukrainian: treating a Ukrainian record through a "Russian" lens produces wrong names and terms — and rejection at the prefecture. Our translators genuinely work the Ukrainian ↔ French pair.
Name transliteration
Issue #1. Ukrainian Cyrillic (і, ї, є, ґ…) is transliterated under the 2010 Ukrainian national system — the one used in Ukrainian biometric passports. For a sworn translation the Latin spelling must match your passport / residence permit, or it is rejected by OFII or the prefecture. We always align with your official ID.
The patronymic
Besides given name and surname, Ukrainian civil status includes a patronymic (derived from the father’s first name). We map it correctly and place it where it belongs, without confusing it with a middle name.
Temporary-protection documents
Since 2022, we translate a large volume of records tied to temporary-protection status and related procedures (civil status, diplomas, driving licences, attestations). We know the documents and the formats authorities expect.
Script & layout (DTP)
Stamps, seals, official headers, sometimes handwriting: our studio mirrors the source document faithfully.
Documents
Ukrainian documents we translate
Issued in Ukraine or by Ukrainian authorities abroad. Tell us the country of origin and the intended use: we adapt terminology and layout.
Legalisation & apostille
By country
The procedure depends on the issuing country and the intended use; we check case by case.
Apostille Convention member → Ukrainian public documents bound for France are, in principle, covered by the apostille (not consular legalisation).
Status as of 6/2026 (source: HCCH). For any other situation we tell you the exact procedure for your country and intended use.
Ukrainian ↔ French, sworn via our network
When legal validity is required (OFII, prefectures, town halls, courts, universities), your Ukrainian ↔ French translation is entrusted to one of our expert translators sworn before a French court of appeal, who signs and certifies it (ne varietur).
When sworn status isn’t required, our agency certification is enough for many uses. Every file’s quality is overseen in-house by our team, for consistent reliability.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
Will my translated Ukrainian record be accepted by OFII and the prefecture?
Yes — produced by a court-sworn expert translator, with seal, signature and ne varietur wording, it is accepted by all French authorities.
Are Ukrainian and Russian the same?
No. They are two distinct East Slavic languages (own alphabet, spelling, vocabulary). We translate genuine Ukrainian, never via Russian.
My name is spelled differently across documents — what do you do?
We apply the official Ukrainian transliteration system (2010) and align spelling with your passport / residence permit to avoid rejection.
Do you translate temporary-protection documents?
Yes — civil status, diplomas, licences, attestations: we provide sworn translations of the records your procedures require.
What are the turnaround and price?
From €35/page, 2–5 business days, with a rush option available. Request a free quote — answer in under 2 hours.
Your file · our craft
Ready to translate your Ukrainian documents?
Free quote in 2 hours · Delivery in 2–5 days · Accepted by every authority.
Sources
Sources: Comrie (ed.), The World’s Major Languages (Routledge), ch. “Russian” — East Slavonic context · Ethnologue (speaker data) · HCCH — Hague Apostille status · Ukrainian national romanization system (2010). Original prose; data verified.