Romanian Language Services
Romanian Translation
and Interpreting for Counsel
Two services for US law firms and companies working with Romania or Moldova: certified English versions of court, notarial, corporate and civil documents, and interpreters for depositions, hearings, arbitration and business meetings.
Do I need a Romanian translator or a Romanian interpreter?
It depends on whether the Romanian is on paper or spoken aloud. A Romanian document going into a US court file, such as a judgment, a contract, a Trade Register extract or a birth certificate, needs a translator, who produces an English version with a signed certificate of accuracy. A Romanian-speaking witness, party or executive at a deposition, hearing, arbitration or meeting needs an interpreter, who renders what is said in real time. Many matters need both. Kaplan provides each as a separate service, keeps names and diacritics consistent between the documents and the testimony, and tells you in writing what credentials the assigned interpreter holds, since California does not certify court interpreters in Romanian.
Romanian Language Services
Written: Court and Notarial Documents
Judgments and decisions from Romanian and Moldovan courts, notarial powers of attorney (procură), succession certificates and the criminal record certificate known as the cazier judiciar. Each English version is certified, with the issuing court or notary named exactly as on the original so opposing counsel can trace it.
Romanian Language Services
Written: Corporate and Civil Records
Trade Register extracts such as the certificat constatator, articles of association, commercial contracts, and birth, marriage and divorce certificates. Diacritics are kept in the correct comma-below form, and where a passport spells a name without them we note the match rather than changing either document.
Romanian Language Services
Spoken: Depositions and Hearings
A Romanian interpreter for depositions, examinations under oath, mediations and court hearings, in person or by video. We book consecutive interpreting for depositions so the record captures each question and each answer in full, and we tell you in writing which credentials the assigned interpreter holds before you confirm.
Romanian Language Services
Spoken: Arbitration and Business Meetings
Interpreters for arbitration hearings, board meetings, site visits and negotiations with Romanian or Moldovan counterparts. A full day of simultaneous interpreting is staffed as a two-interpreter team, because one person cannot sustain it accurately for hours.
Why Kaplan
What Romanian Matters Need Done Right
Ș and Ț, Not Ş and Ţ
Correct Romanian writes s and t with a comma below. Older software substituted the cedilla versions, and a passport's machine-readable line drops accents altogether, so Ștefănescu can turn up three ways in one file. We keep the source spelling in the English version, use the passport form for the person's name throughout, and note the match so nobody wonders whether two spellings are two people.
Moldovan Records Handled Too
Documents from the Republic of Moldova are written in Romanian, and records from the Soviet period can be in Cyrillic script. Six of the forty Romanian linguists in our vendor records also list Moldavian, so those files go to someone who has read both alphabets before.
Two Services, Two Bookings
A certified English version of a contract is written work with a signed certificate. Live testimony at a deposition is spoken work with an interpreter present. We scope and quote them separately, and when a matter needs both we brief the interpreter on the translated exhibits so names and terms match.
Honest About Credentials
California certifies court interpreters in twelve spoken languages and Romanian is not one of them, so no one can offer a California court-certified Romanian interpreter. Instead of a vague label, we state the specific credentials and experience of the person assigned.
FAQs
Common Questions
Do you provide both Romanian translation and Romanian interpreters?
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Yes, as two separate services. Translation is written: a judgment, a contract or a certificate rendered into English with a signed certificate of accuracy. Interpreting is spoken: a person present, on site or on video, at a deposition, hearing or meeting. Tell us which one you need, or both, and we quote each on its own terms.
Is there such a thing as a court-certified Romanian interpreter in California?
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No. The California courts certify interpreters in twelve spoken languages (Arabic, Cantonese, Eastern Armenian, Farsi, Filipino, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese), and Romanian is not on that list (California Language Access). Any offer of one deserves a question. We tell you what the assigned interpreter actually holds and what legal work they have done.
The name on the birth certificate has accents and the passport does not. Is that a problem?
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Only if nobody explains it. Romanian uses ă, â, î, ș and ț, and a passport's machine-readable line cannot print any of them, so Mureșan on a certificate becomes MURESAN on the passport. Our English version keeps what the certificate prints and adds a short translator's note tying it to the passport spelling, which is usually all a reviewer needs.
Can you translate documents from Moldova?
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Yes. Moldovan civil, court and company documents are in Romanian and are handled by the same bench, and Soviet-era Moldovan records written in Cyrillic go to linguists who read that script. Moldova is also a party to the Apostille Convention, in force there since 16 March 2007 (HCCH status table).
Our Romanian document has an apostille. Do we still need it in English?
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For a US court or agency, yes. Romania joined the Hague Apostille Convention with effect from 16 March 2001, so its public documents carry an apostille instead of going through an embassy (HCCH status table). The apostille authenticates the seal and signature; it leaves the text in Romanian. We translate the document and the apostille page as one set. See apostille translation for the process.
How is a Romanian deposition interpreted?
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We book it as consecutive interpreting: the attorney asks, the interpreter renders the question, the witness answers, the interpreter renders the answer. That keeps the transcript clean and lets counsel object at the right moment. Please send the caption, the exhibits and any technical vocabulary ahead of the date. More on the setting at deposition interpreters.
Will a certified Romanian translation work for a USCIS filing?
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Yes. Our certificate states that the English version is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages, which is what the federal rule asks for (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). Most of our Romanian document work is for courts and law firms, and the same certificate format serves both.
How do we request a quote for Romanian work?
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For documents, send the files and the receiving court or agency. For an interpreter, send the date, the location or video platform, the expected length and the type of proceeding. Use our online form or call (833) 547-7770, and we confirm a fixed quote in writing before anything is booked. We recommend 48 hours' notice for interpreting assignments.
Related Services
Written exhibits and live testimony in the same case are best handled by one coordinator, so the spellings in the record match the spellings in the documents.
Request a Romanian Translation or Interpreter Quote
Tell us whether it is documents, testimony, or both. We scope each one and confirm a fixed quote in writing before anything is booked.