Translating Russian driver's licenses in Italy — is a sworn translation required and what to do about different name spellings on the license and passport

Visas to Italy
1

I have a Russian driver’s license, the regular plastic kind. I can’t get an international driving permit — there’s no way for me to travel to Russia. Also, the spelling of my name on the license and on my passport differs by one letter. What kind of translation of the license is required for Italy — a court-certified one done there? And what should I do about the name discrepancy — is that a problem when handling the paperwork?

2

A discrepancy in transliteration for Italians can literally make it look like two different people — a certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is required.

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3

Thanks — how can I obtain the certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs if I can’t come to Russia? Can it be issued through the consulate? I understand about the translation: a notarized one isn’t enough, and I need to get a court-certified (judicial) translation done in Italy.

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4

An apostille on this certificate is mandatory — without it the Questura won’t even look. I had an issue with X and KS in the name: I got the certificate from the MVD/FMS, had it apostilled there, and then translated it into Italian here. The consulate doesn’t issue such a certificate — that’s a function of the Russian MVD. The only option is that someone in Russia must obtain it and send it.

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5

When I was dealing with translating documents with an apostille here in Tuscany, at the Questura they explained that you specifically need a sworn translator (traduttore giurato) — an official translator at the court. There’s a list of them on the local court’s (tribunale) website. A regular notarized translation from an agency is not accepted.

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6

Translations from the embassy are also accepted - officially, like in a tribunal

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7

Cost-wise the two options come out more or less the same — a consular-accredited translator in Russia or a sworn translator already here. It’s just that the consulate sometimes has delays with slots — when we needed it urgently, we went straight to a sworn translator in Italy and they did it in a week.

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Translating a document and certifying it are two separate steps. You get the translation done by any professional translator; it’s not expensive. Then, with the finished translation, you go to the sworn translator at the tribunal just to have the signature certified — when I did it that way, it worked out cheaper than if he had translated everything from scratch.

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