Apostille Translation for Company Documents: Subsidiaries, Tenders and Bank Accounts Abroad
Apostille translation means preparing a company document for official use in another country: the original receives an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention, and the translation is certified or sworn so the foreign authority accepts it. The receiving authority, notary or bank decides what it needs. DEMA Solutions translates corporate documents and handles sworn translation and apostilles for Italian documents.
Who this guide is for
This guide is written for the people who end up holding the folder of documents when a company crosses a border: CFOs, legal and corporate affairs managers, company secretaries and office managers. The trigger is usually concrete. A subsidiary or branch is being registered in another country, a foreign tender asks for proof that your company exists and who may sign for it, a bank abroad wants to identify your company before opening an account, or a notary needs to see that the person signing a deed has the power to do so.
The questions are always similar: which documents, which kind of translation, what an apostille is and where it goes, and in what order to do things so nothing has to be redone. The sections below answer each one.
The company documents foreign authorities usually ask for
The exact list depends on the country and on the purpose, but the same family of documents comes up again and again.
The company registry extract. This is the document that proves your company exists, where its registered office is, what its share capital is and who its directors and legal representatives are. Every country has its own version: in Italy the visura camerale or the certificato camerale issued by the Chamber of Commerce, in Germany the Handelsregisterauszug, in Spain the nota simple or the certificación of the Registro Mercantil, in the United Kingdom the documents from Companies House. A subtle but important point is that many countries distinguish between an informational extract and a certified one. In Italy, the visura has informational value only, while the certificato camerale has certifying value; in Spain, the nota simple is informational, while the certificación is the formal document. Foreign authorities that want proof usually expect the certified version.
Articles of association and the deed of incorporation. When you set up a subsidiary, the foreign registry or notary often wants to see the parent company’s constitutional documents, usually in their current consolidated version.
Powers of attorney. Whoever signs on behalf of the company abroad, at a notary, a registry, a bank or a tender authority, needs to show that they are authorised. That is either the registry extract itself, if it names them as legal representative, or a power of attorney, which is often drafted specifically for the foreign transaction. Power of attorney translation deserves particular care, because the scope of the powers is exactly what the receiving notary will read most closely.
Board and shareholder resolutions. The decision to open a subsidiary, appoint directors or open a bank account is taken by the board or shareholders, and the minutes or an extract are requested as evidence.
Financial statements. Banks, tender authorities and sometimes registries ask for the latest annual accounts, occasionally with the auditor’s report. These are documents where terminology has to match accounting conventions, which is the work of financial translation services rather than general legal translation.
Certificates. Certificates of good standing, tax and social security compliance, criminal record certificates for directors, quality certificates for tenders, and identity documents of the legal representatives.
Translation, certified translation, sworn translation: what is the difference
The words are used loosely, and they do not mean the same thing in every country, which is the source of many misunderstandings.
A plain translation is a professional translation with no formal statement attached. For internal use, due diligence, a foreign parent company’s information or a first contact with a bank, it is often all you need. Plenty of business document translation never needs anything more.
A certified translation usually means a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or the translation provider that it is complete and accurate. In some countries this is the standard for official use; in others it carries no formal weight on its own.
A sworn translation is a translation that has acquired official status under the rules of a specific country. In Spain, it is signed and stamped by a traductor-intérprete jurado appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In Germany, it is produced by a translator publicly appointed or authorised by a court (a beglaubigte Übersetzung). In Italy, there is no state-appointed sworn translator profession: the translator swears an oath on the translation before a court official, a justice of the peace or a notary, a procedure called asseverazione, and the sworn translation is then bound to the source document.
A sworn translation is valid under the rules of the country where it was sworn; whether the destination accepts it is a separate question. Some authorities accept a sworn translation from the country of origin, especially with an apostille; others want a translator recognised in their own country. That is why the first step is always to ask the receiving authority.
What an apostille is, and what it is not
The apostille comes from the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Before it, a public document from one country had to go through a chain of legalisations, ending at the consulate of the destination country, before it was accepted abroad. Between countries that are party to the Convention, that chain is replaced by a single certificate, the apostille, issued by a designated authority in the country where the document was issued.
An apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature on the document, the capacity in which the person signing acted and, where relevant, the identity of the seal or stamp. It says nothing about the content of the document, and it is not a translation. An apostilled Italian certificate is still an Italian certificate in Italian.
Three practical consequences follow. First, apostilles apply to public documents: documents from courts, public authorities, registries and notaries. A board resolution or a power of attorney signed in your offices is a private document, so it must normally be notarised first, and the apostille then certifies the notary’s signature. Second, the apostille is issued in the country of origin, by the authority competent for that type of document; you cannot obtain it abroad. Third, for countries that are not party to the Convention, the old route of legalisation through the destination country’s consulate still applies, and it takes longer.
Not every cross-border use needs an apostille at all. Some bilateral agreements remove the requirement: Italy and Germany, for example, signed a convention in 1969 that exempts many public documents exchanged between them from legalisation. And within the European Union, Directive (EU) 2025/25, which Member States must transpose by 31 July 2027, introduces an EU Company Certificate and a digital EU power of attorney and is designed to remove apostilles for many company register documents exchanged between Member States. Until national rules are in force and the receiving office applies them, check the current requirement each time.
Apostille translation: the order of steps
Most rework in this area comes from doing the steps in the wrong order. There is no single universal sequence, because the destination authority decides, but the logic is consistent.
Step 1: Ask the receiving party exactly what it needs. The notary, registry, bank or tender authority should tell you which documents, how recent, what kind of translation, and whether the apostille goes on the original, the translation or both. Get the answer in writing.
Step 2: Obtain the right original. Request the certified version of the registry extract, not the informational one, unless the recipient has said the informational one is enough. Check the date: many recipients ask for extracts issued within the last few months, and an Italian certificato camerale is valid for six months from issue. Notarise private documents such as powers of attorney and resolutions if they need to be public documents.
Step 3: Apostille the original, if required. The apostille is obtained in the country of origin from the authority competent for that type of document. In Italy, for example, documents from administrative bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce are apostilled by the Prefettura, while notarial deeds and court documents are apostilled by the Procura della Repubblica at the court.
Step 4: Translate the document and the apostille. The translation should cover the entire document, including stamps, annotations and the apostille itself, because the receiving office checks that nothing has been left out.
Step 5: Certify or swear the translation. Depending on the requirement, the translation is certified by the translator, sworn in the country of origin, or produced by a sworn translator in the destination country.
Step 6: Apostille the sworn translation, if required. When a translation is sworn in the country of origin, it becomes a public document in its own right, and some destinations ask for a second apostille on the sworn translation. In Italy, a translation sworn at a court is apostilled by the Procura della Repubblica.
The alternative sequence, in which the original travels with its apostille and a sworn translator in the destination country translates it, is often simpler for destinations that do not accept foreign sworn translations. Which sequence applies is exactly the question Step 1 should answer.
Typical scenarios and what they usually require
Opening a subsidiary or branch. This is the most document-heavy case. The foreign notary or registry generally wants the parent company’s registry extract, articles of association, the resolution approving the subsidiary and a power of attorney for whoever signs the incorporation deed. Expect apostilles on the originals and sworn or certified translations, unless an exemption applies, and plan backwards from the notary appointment.
Bidding for a foreign tender. Tender documentation usually specifies the language of the bid, which documents must be translated and whether a sworn translation is required. Some contracting authorities accept self-declarations at the bidding stage and ask for supporting documents only from the winning bidder. A missing or unaccepted translation can exclude an otherwise winning bid.
Opening a foreign bank account. Know-your-customer requirements vary considerably. Some banks accept an English registry extract or a plain translation; others want certified documents and apostilles. Ask the relationship manager for the list before you order anything.
Supporting an existing subsidiary. Once a subsidiary is running, documents become recurring: annual accounts, updated extracts after a change of directors, new powers of attorney. Here consistency matters as much as formality.
When an English registry extract is enough
Some registries issue extracts in English, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce system offers an English version of the visura. These are useful for information: a customer checking who you are, a bank’s first assessment, a parent company’s records. They do not usually replace a certified document where a notary, registry or court needs proof, because an informational extract has no certifying value. Ask before you assume either way: the English extract saves time and cost when the recipient accepts it.
Pitfalls that cost time
Translating the informational version. A carefully sworn translation of an informational extract is rejected because the recipient wanted the certified one. The translation then has to be redone on the right document.
Apostille in the wrong place or order. If the destination wanted the apostille on the sworn translation and you apostilled only the original, or vice versa, the package goes back. The same happens when a power of attorney is translated before it is notarised, so the notarial certification is missing from the translation.
Documents that expired on the way. If translation, swearing and apostilles take several weeks and the notary wants documents issued within the last three months, the timing has to be planned backwards from the appointment.
Inconsistent names and terms. The company name, directors’ names, corporate bodies and legal form must be rendered identically in every document of the same file. A notary who reads two different translations of your management board in the extract and in the resolution will ask questions. Legal forms such as S.r.l., GmbH or S.L. are generally kept in the original rather than replaced with an approximate foreign equivalent. Agreements raise the same issue on a larger scale, because every defined term must read identically throughout, a point our guide to translating contracts and general terms covers in detail.
Partial translations. Sworn and certified translations must cover the whole document, including stamps, handwritten notes and the apostille. An omitted stamp is a classic reason for rejection.
Poor scans. If parts of a scanned deed are illegible, the translator cannot certify them and the sworn translation will say so. Request a clean copy at the start.
What to ask before you start
Before ordering any translation, a short checklist with the receiving party saves most of the problems above. It is one of the two lists in this guide because it is the one you will actually use:
- Which documents do you need, and must they be issued within a certain period?
- Do you need the certified registry extract or is the informational one enough?
- Must the original carry an apostille or legalisation, or does an exemption apply?
- Which type of translation do you accept: plain, certified, sworn in the country of origin, or sworn in your country?
- Must the translation also carry an apostille?
- Do you need originals or certified copies on paper, or do you accept electronic documents?
With the answers in writing, the translation provider can plan the work in the right order and quote it accurately.
Choosing a provider for corporate document translation
For corporate document translation used officially, four things matter more than speed or price. The translator must understand corporate law concepts in both systems, so that a board of statutory auditors is described accurately rather than replaced with a superficially similar term; this is the core of legal translation for law firms and legal departments. The provider must say clearly which formalities it completes itself and which happen elsewhere. A second qualified linguist should revise the translation, because names, dates and registration numbers leave no room for error. And confidentiality must be explicit, since these files contain directors’ personal data. Our guide to checking a translation supplier’s quality lists further questions that apply equally to legal documents.
Keeping a company's documents consistent over time
A company with one foreign subsidiary usually produces the same kinds of documents every year. Treating each one as a separate, urgent job means paying again for decisions already made and accepting small variations each time, so treat corporate documents like any other recurring content. An agreed glossary fixes how the company’s own bodies, roles and legal terms are rendered in each language, which is the logic of keeping terminology consistent across translators and suppliers. Approved translations are stored, so the standard wording of an annual resolution is translated once and reused, a principle explained in who owns your translation memory. And if several subsidiaries or departments order translations from different suppliers, a single coordinated process avoids contradictions between them, as described in our article on managing translation across several suppliers and markets.
Layout counts too. Registry extracts, certificates and notarial deeds have structures that recipients compare with the original, and a translation that mirrors the layout is easier to check. Scanned or locked files can be converted into editable documents first, the job of file preparation for translation.
How DEMA Solutions helps with company documents
DEMA Solutions is the translation partner for companies whose legal, financial and technical documents travel across borders, with teams in Italy, Serbia and Spain. Our legal and sworn translation services start by clarifying the intended use: destination country, receiving authority, document type and whether standard, sworn, certified or legalised handling is required. Translations are done by linguists with legal-domain knowledge, and, under our ISO 17100 certified process, a second qualified linguist revises every translation, checking terminology, numbers, names and cross-references. Details are on our quality page.
For formalities, we are precise about what we do. We provide sworn translations mainly for Italian documents, and we handle apostilles for Italian documents only, through the Italian procedure. For documents issued in other countries, we translate them and help you plan the sequence, while the apostille and any local sworn translation are obtained in the country concerned. Our in-house DTP team can reproduce the layout of certificates and deeds, and if your subsidiary also needs its accounts translated, our work for the finance and insurance sector covers that side.
Where TUBE fits
For companies that translate the same kinds of corporate documents every year, TUBE keeps approved wording under your control: every approved translation goes into a memory you own and can export, and leverage reporting shows how much of each new document comes from text you have already approved.
Frequently asked questions
It is the combination of two separate steps that a foreign authority often requires: an apostille, which certifies the signature and seal on a public document under the 1961 Hague Convention, and a translation of the document, often certified or sworn. The apostille does not translate anything, and the translation normally has to include the apostille itself.
It depends on the destination. Usually the original document is apostilled first and then translated. Some countries also want the sworn translation apostilled, when it was sworn in the country of origin. The receiving authority is the only reliable source for the answer.
For internal use, information for a parent company or a first contact with a bank, often yes. For registries, notaries, courts and many tenders, a certified or sworn translation is usually required. Ask the receiving party which type it accepts before ordering.
A designated authority in the country where the document was issued, which varies by document type. In Italy, administrative documents such as Chamber of Commerce certificates go to the Prefettura, while notarial deeds, court documents and sworn translations go to the Procura della Repubblica.
Often yes, today, unless a specific agreement removes it, as the 1969 convention between Italy and Germany does for many public documents. Directive (EU) 2025/25 is designed to remove apostilles for many company register documents between Member States once it is transposed, which is due by 31 July 2027. Check the current position with the receiving office.
There is no single rule abroad. Many notaries, banks and tender authorities ask for extracts issued within the last three or six months, and an Italian certificato camerale is valid for six months from issue. Plan the translation and apostille timing so the document is still recent enough on the day it is used.
Normally yes. A power of attorney signed privately is not a public document, so the signature is first authenticated by a notary, and the apostille then certifies the notary's signature. The receiving notary may also prescribe the wording, so agree the text with them first.
Get your company documents ready for use abroad
If you are opening a subsidiary, preparing a foreign tender or collecting documents for a bank abroad, tell us which documents, countries and deadlines you are dealing with. We will help you plan the order of steps and translate what you need, with sworn translation and apostilles where the documents are Italian.
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