Finding a NAATI-certified Croatian translator

Croatian authorities work in Croatian, so every English-language document in your citizenship file needs a Croatian translation, and not just any translation. This guide covers who can do it, how to find them, what the translation must include and what it usually costs.

What the consulate asks for

The Croatian foreign ministry's page for applicants in Australia says documents issued in English, such as birth and marriage certificates and police checks, must be translated into Croatian by a certified translator. Croatian documents, such as an ancestor's Croatian birth record, are already in Croatian and do not need translating.

You cannot translate your own documents, even if you speak Croatian. The requirement is for a certified translator, so the translation can be relied on.

Where to find a translator

In Australia

The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, NAATI, accredits translators in Australia and runs a public directory. Search it for translators working from English into Croatian. When you contact one, check that they are certified for that language pair and ask how their certification will be shown on the translation.

In New Zealand

The New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters, NZSTI, has a directory of its members. Look for translators working from English into Croatian, and ask the same questions about their credentials.

In Croatia

You can also use a translator in Croatia. It can sometimes cost less, but international postage makes it slower, and a translator here who knows both languages and these documents is often more convenient. Our translation guide compares the options.

What a good translation includes

A certified translation of a citizenship document should be complete and accurate, including every stamp, seal and notation on the original. That includes the apostille certificate, which is why the order matters:

1. order the certificate from the registry;
2. have it apostilled, by DFAT in Australia or the Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand;
3. then have it translated, apostille included.

The translator also certifies that they are competent to translate from English into Croatian. Our apostille guide explains the step before translation.

What it costs and how long it takes

Our translation guide gives these typical figures for a certified translation in Australia:

In New Zealand, expect about NZ$40 to NZ$75 a page. For a typical application, translations in Australia come to about A$200 to A$300, depending on how many documents you have. A standard translation usually takes three to seven business days per document. Prices vary between translators, so ask for a quote for the whole batch.

How to brief your translator

• Send everything at once. One batch, including your biography if you wrote it in English, is quicker and often cheaper.
• List the names. Give the translator the Croatian spellings of names and places as they appear on Croatian records, so the translation matches your ancestor's documents.
• Say what it is for. Tell them the documents are for a Croatian citizenship application lodged at the Croatian embassy or a consulate.
• Check before you pay. Read names, dates and places against the originals.

Tip: Keep the translations with their originals. The consulate wants to see the originals at your appointment, with the apostilles and translations.

How many documents will you translate?

It depends on your path, but a grandparent application lodged in Australia often includes:

• your birth certificate;
• your parent's birth certificate;
• marriage certificates that explain any name change;
• your police check, and one from your country of birth if you were born elsewhere;
• your biography, if you wrote it in English;
• each apostille attached to those documents.

Croatian documents, such as your grandparent's Croatian birth record, need no translation. Count your own list before you ask for quotes, so translators can price the whole job. The document checklist marks which items need translating.

Questions to ask before you hire

• Are you certified to translate from English into Croatian, and how will that appear on the translation?
• Will the translation include every stamp, seal and the apostille?
• What is your price per document or per page, and what is your turnaround?
• Do you charge extra for a rush job or for posting the originals back?
• Will you use the Croatian spellings of names and places that I give you?

Checking the finished translation

When the translations come back, check them before you file them. Compare every name, date and place against the original document and against your ancestor's Croatian records. Make sure each translation covers the whole document, stamps and apostille included, and carries the translator's certification. Keep each translation clipped to its original, in the order of your document checklist. If anything is wrong, ask the translator to correct it straight away; it is far easier to fix now than after your appointment.

The short version

Find a certified English-to-Croatian translator through NAATI or NZSTI, translate after the apostille, send everything in one batch with your name list, and budget a few hundred dollars. The full list of what to translate is in our document checklist, and if you would rather we coordinate it, translation coordination is part of our Premium service.