Serbia: family residence and a case with a marriage certificate translated by the "wrong" translator

A programmer set up a company in Serbia and obtained temporary residence. He then applied for family reunification for his wife and child. He had apostilled the marriage certificate and the child's birth certificate in advance and had them translated into Serbian by a Russian notary. The police did not accept them: the translation must be made by a court interpreter (sudski tumač) appointed in Serbia.

How translation works in Serbia

Serbia is party to the Hague Convention, so Russian documents are apostilled and that is enough to confirm authenticity. The translation, however, is recognised only from a sudski tumač — a translator appointed by the Serbian Ministry of Justice. Their seal and signature replace notarisation. A Russian notarised translation into Serbian is, in this system, just text with no legal force.

What the family needs

For the spouse — a marriage certificate with an apostille and translation; for the child — a birth certificate with an apostille and translation. If the child enters with one parent, the other parent's consent may be needed. Proof of funds and accommodation is also required. Check requirements with the police where you apply: they can differ between cities.

How to save money

In Russia, get only the apostille. Order the translation from a sudski tumač in Serbia — usually quick and inexpensive. If there are many or complex documents, our agency can make a working translation so the Serbian translator can check and certify it faster, but only they apply the final seal.

In the client's case the sudski tumač translation took two days, and the family received temporary residence within the standard processing time. The only loss was the money spent on the first translation.