Translator’s signature, notarisation or apostille: what your document needs in Lithuania

Algirdas Urbonas · 27 September 2026

Lithuania has no sworn translators. A translation is certified by the translator’s signature and, where an authority requires it, by a notary who attests that signature. Whether you need one step, two or three depends not on the document itself but on the authority that will receive it.

Quick guide

What you are likely to need

Where will you submit the document?

In LithuaniaThe translator’s signature is often enough. Some authorities also ask for notarisation.Translator’s signature

In another EU countryUnder Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, certain public documents need no apostille.Signature or notarisation

In another Apostille Convention countryUsually notarisation and an apostille. The apostille is issued by a different notary.Notary and apostille

This is only a guide. The authority that receives the document always sets the final requirements.

1. Translation with the translator’s signature

The translator signs the translation and confirms that it matches the original. Some authorities and companies accept this on its own. My signature as translator is included in the price.

2. Notarised translation

In most cases the notary attests the authenticity of the translator’s signature, not the content of the translation. The translator signs in front of the notary, and the translation is bound to the original or to a notarially certified copy of it. The notary’s fee is paid directly to the notary.

Foreign authorities, courts and registries often require notarisation. If you are not sure, ask the authority that will receive the document: it saves both time and money.

3. Apostille

An apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature on a public document, the capacity in which the signatory acted and, where applicable, the identity of any seal or stamp on it. It is used between countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention. An apostille does not certify the content of the document or the accuracy of a translation. Documents issued in Lithuania can be apostilled by a notary.

Order matters. If the original needs an apostille, get it before ordering the translation, so that the apostille is translated too. If a notarised translation needs an apostille, the apostille is placed on the notary’s certificate and must be issued by a different notary from the one who attested the translator’s signature. You will therefore need to visit two notary offices, so allow time for that.

Within the EU, an apostille is often unnecessary

Under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, certain public documents issued in one EU country and presented in another do not need an apostille. These include, for example, certificates of birth, marriage, residence and the absence of a criminal record. You can also ask for a multilingual standard form to accompany such a document, which sometimes removes the need for a translation altogether.

In short: what to ask before you order

Which authority, and in which country, will receive the document?
Is the translator’s signature enough, or is notarisation required?
Does the original, the translation or both need an apostille?

If you do not know the answers, send me the document and tell me where you will submit it. I will tell you what you are likely to need and how much it will cost.

Get a quoteSend me the file – you will have a price and a delivery date the same working day.

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