What the rules require
There is no single EU-wide rule. Two examples show what matters:
- Bavaria: the certification should point out irregularities in the document, «in particular illegible words, alterations or omissions», unless they are apparent from the translation. If only part was translated, this must be stated (Art. 62(4) BayAGGVG).
- Poland, Professional Code of Sworn Translators (TEPIS): the translation renders all legible characters visible to the naked eye or with a magnifying glass and describes illegible elements (§ 29). Text that can be read with a magnifier or by enlarging the scan on screen counts as legible; illegibility must be stated in an annotation (§ 34).
- Also under the TEPIS code: corrections, additions and deletions — official ones included — are reproduced or briefly described where they occur. Signs of tampering such as erasures, altered figures, different handwriting or ink colour belong in a translator’s note (§ 31).
What to do in practice
- Enlarge before writing «illegible»: zoom into the scan and, if needed, ask for a better scan or the original.
- Do not guess names: compare handwritten names with the client’s other documents, such as the passport, and note any discrepancies.
- Mark consistently: for example [illegible] for a word and [illegible signature] for a signature. The TEPIS code provides for short translator’s notes in italics and square brackets (§ 30).
- Uncertain but legible is not illegible: give the most likely reading and flag the uncertainty in a note.
How Lingverra helps
Lingverra reads handwritten entries and highlights every passage where recognition is uncertain, so you see at once where to look closer. Whether something is legible, and how you note it, is your decision.
Read more: Translating Ukrainian and Soviet documents: 7 common mistakes