Translating a power of attorney for use abroad
A power of attorney is a document somebody else uses on your behalf when you are not there. That is a poor place to economise on precision, so we translate it as a sworn translation, with the sworn translator’s clause and seal, between Ukrainian, Russian and Slovak, and onward into Czech, English and German.
Before we start we ask two things: in which country the document will be used and who will receive it there. That decides whether a translation is enough or an apostille is needed too, and it also decides the form in which names must appear. Office in Bratislava-Petržalka, all of Slovakia online.
- Sworn translation with clause and seal, bound to the document itself
- Names are spelled as in your passport rather than phonetically, so they match your other papers
- We say in advance whether that country and authority require an apostille
- We also translate the revocation of a power of attorney and any later amendments
Our guarantees
- 100% acceptance by authorities and institutions in Slovakia and abroad
- Guaranteed delivery by the agreed deadline
- 2-year guarantee on translation quality
- We process requests at weekends too – we reply every day 9:00–18:00
- Free quote in 15 minutes
- Confidentiality of your documents
Two directions, two procedures
A power of attorney travels either from Ukraine to Slovakia or from Slovakia to Ukraine, and the procedure is not symmetrical. The notary, the apostille authority and the target language all change with the direction, but the real difference is institutional: Ukraine has no sworn-translator institute in the Slovak sense, so a translation produced there ends not with a certification clause by the translator but with a notary attesting the signature.
A third route is consular: a document executed at a diplomatic mission, where the procedure changes again. Tell us which case is yours and we will set out the whole chain from the notary through to handover.
| Direction | Who executes it | What it usually needs |
|---|---|---|
| From Ukraine to Slovakia | a Ukrainian notary | an apostille in Ukraine and a sworn translation into Slovak |
| From Slovakia to Ukraine | a Slovak notary | an apostille in Slovakia and a notarized translation into Ukrainian |
| Through a diplomatic mission | a consular officer | an apostille is usually not required; translation as the recipient asks |
| For corporate filings in Slovakia | a notary – or you yourself, with your signature officially certified | a sworn translation where the document is in a foreign language |
Why the names matter more than the text
In our experience a power of attorney comes back not over an error in the text but because the name in the translation does not match the name in the passport or in another document filed alongside it. A Ukrainian name can be rendered in Latin script several ways and all of them are “correct”; what matters is only which one already appears in your passport.
So when you place the order we ask for a scan of the passport or residence document and spell names exactly as they appear there, never phonetically. The same goes for company names, addresses and document numbers. If two of your papers already disagree on a name, you will hear it from us before you hear it from the authority.
What the document itself should contain
A translation cannot supply what the original left out. If the power of attorney is still being drawn up, four things repay attention: precise identification of both the grantor and the attorney, a specific scope of authority, a period of validity, and whether the attorney may delegate further.
Where the scope is phrased in general terms, authorities often ask for a supplement, and you pay the notary and the translator a second time. Write to us before you see the notary and we will say which acts are usually worth listing explicitly.
Apostille, validity and revocation
An apostille certifies the signature and seal on a public document for use abroad. Ukrainian documents for use in Slovakia usually need one, and we obtain it in Ukraine through our offices in Kharkiv and Kyiv so that nobody has to travel. The receiving institution always has the last word, which is why we ask about it first.
Order matters: the apostille goes on the original, and only then is the whole thing translated. A translation produced before the apostille arrives will be incomplete. The same applies to revocation, which is a separate document and travels the same chain as the original.
How we work
- 1Tell us where the document is goingThe country, the institution, and whether the document already exists or you are about to sign it before a notary.
- 2Send a scan of the document and passportThe passport is needed for the Latin-script form of the names, so the translation does not diverge from your other papers.
- 3We quote and confirm the apostille questionPrice, deadline and the full chain of steps. Where an apostille is needed in Ukraine, we obtain it for you.
- 4Sworn translation and handoverThe translation is bound to the document with the clause and seal. Collect it in Bratislava, receive it by post, or electronically where the recipient accepts that.
Prices
- Sworn translation of a power of attorney one document with clause and seal, bound to the originalindividual quote
- Translation of a revocation a separate document following the same chain as the originalindividual quote
- Obtaining an apostille in Ukraine through our offices in Kharkiv and Kyiv, with no travel on your partindividual quote
A power of attorney is a short document, so the price generally follows the minimum volume for a sworn translation rather than a page count. Send a scan and we quote one final figure for the whole job, apostille and notary included where they are needed.
FAQ
Does a Ukrainian power of attorney need an apostille?
For use in Slovakia it usually does, together with a sworn translation into Slovak. Ukraine and Slovakia also have a legal-assistance treaty, so for some procedures an apostille is not required. The receiving institution has the last word, which is why we ask about it first, and where an apostille is needed we obtain it in Ukraine.
How will my name be spelled?
Exactly as it appears in the passport or residence document you file alongside the power of attorney. We do not use phonetic transcription: a one-letter difference is one of the commonest reasons an authority returns a document.
Translate before the apostille or after it?
After. The apostille attaches to the original and is translated together with it. Send the document for translation earlier and the translation will not include the apostille, so it will have to be supplemented.
How long does a power of attorney remain valid?
For as long as it states; where no period is given, the law of the country of execution applies. The translation neither changes nor extends validity, it only carries across what the document says.
Can you translate a power of attorney by the next day?
For a short document usually yes, provided no apostille is needed. Where one is, the issuing authority’s own timescale decides, and we give you a realistic date with the quote.
Updated: 2026-09-11
