🇫🇷 Version française — Qui suis-je ? | 🇮🇹 Versione italiana — Chi sono
Certified Translations by an Accredited Sworn Translator in France — this page tells you exactly who is behind Tradyx, what my official accreditation means, and how you can verify it independently before placing an order.
My name is Luciana La Marca. I am a sworn translator and interpreter (traductrice-interprète assermentée) officially accredited by the Court of Appeal of Caen (Cour d’appel de Caen), France, since 2014 (renewed 2022). I work across French, English and Italian — in all nine possible language combinations — and have been working as a professional translator for 35 years.
👉 Request a free quote — response within 24 hours
My Official Accreditation
In France, sworn translators are not self-appointed. They are nominated by a Court of Appeal following a rigorous selection procedure. The appointment is strictly personal — it cannot be delegated or transferred — and it is publicly listed on an official register maintained by the court. I hold this appointment from the Court of Appeal of Caen, which covers Normandy and part of northern France.
The official French title is traductrice-interprète assermentée, which covers both translation (written documents) and interpreting (oral, at signings and legal proceedings). This dual designation means I can assist you whether you need a written certified translation of a document or a sworn interpreter present at a notarial signing or legal appointment.
My credentials at a glance
- ⚖️ Appointing court: Court of Appeal of Caen (Cour d’appel de Caen)
- 📅 Accreditation since: 2014 (renewed 2022)
- 🏛️ Official designation: Traductrice-interprète assermentée (sworn translator-interpreter)
- 🌐 Languages: French, English, Italian — all 9 combinations
- 📋 Professional experience: 35 years in legal, notarial and administrative translation
- 📍 Location: Piencourt, Normandy, France — remote service available across France and internationally
How to verify my accreditation
You do not need to take my word for it. My accreditation is verifiable through two independent public sources:
- ✔ Official register — Court of Appeal of Caen (Justice.fr, French Ministry of Justice): the court publishes a PDF list of all accredited expert translators and interpreters. My name — LA MARCA Luciana — appears on this list with my contact details and languages: www.cours-appel.justice.fr/caen
- ✔ National directory of sworn translators: My profile on annuaire-traducteur-assermente.fr
Both sources confirm my appointment, my language combinations and my contact details. I encourage all new clients to check them before placing an order.
What « Sworn Translator » Actually Means in France
The term « sworn translator » is widely used but often misunderstood, especially by clients from the UK, the US, Ireland, Australia or other English-speaking countries where the legal framework for translation is very different.
In France, traducteur assermenté is a protected legal status governed by law — not a professional certification that anyone can obtain by passing a test, nor a label that a translation agency can apply to its services. To be appointed, a translator must:
- Submit an application to a Court of Appeal and pass a vetting procedure
- Take a formal oath before a judge (prêter serment)
- Be officially registered on the court’s expert list
- Renew the accreditation periodically — it can be withdrawn
Once appointed, the sworn translator signs and seals each certified translation with their personal stamp and a declaration that the translation is faithful and complete. This signature and seal give the translation its legal force.
Only a translation produced and signed by an officially accredited sworn translator will be accepted by French administrations — prefectures, courts, notaries, universities, the French consulate abroad, and international institutions. A translation produced by a bilingual person, a professional translator without sworn status, or a translation agency is systematically rejected for official purposes.
A note for English-speaking clients
In the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, Canada and Australia, there is no direct equivalent to the French sworn translator system. Translations for official purposes may be produced by a « certified translator » (a member of a professional body such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists in the UK, or the American Translators Association in the US), or sometimes notarised by a notary public.
When dealing with French authorities, however, only the French system applies. Whether you are a British national applying for a French residence permit, an American buying property in Normandy, or an Irish citizen submitting documents to a French prefecture, the translation must come from a French sworn translator accredited by a French Court of Appeal. A translation certified by a UK or US professional body is not accepted.
This is a point that causes frequent delays and frustration for English-speaking clients who have had documents translated in their home country, only to be told the translation is not valid in France. If you need a document translated for use with French authorities, always commission the work from a French sworn translator from the outset.
Languages and Combinations
My accreditation covers French, English and Italian — three languages, nine combinations. This is relatively rare: most sworn translators in France work with one or two language pairs. Working across three languages allows me to handle multilingual files involving all three languages simultaneously, documents that need to be translated into two target languages at once, and direct English↔Italian translations without routing through French.
The trilingual coverage is particularly useful for clients with cross-border situations involving more than two countries — for example, an Italian national living in France who needs documents translated into English for a UK visa application, or a Franco-British couple buying property in Italy.
- 🇫🇷🇬🇧 French → English and English → French
- 🇫🇷🇮🇹 French → Italian and Italian → French
- 🇬🇧🇮🇹 English → Italian and Italian → English
I hold a distinct mastery of both British and American English — an essential distinction when translating legal documents destined for different jurisdictions. A deed of sale for a British authority is not drafted in the same way as a document for an American court.
Documents I Translate and Certify
With 35 years of professional experience, I work daily on the full range of documents that require certified translation in a cross-border context involving France, the UK, the US, Italy or other English- or Italian-speaking countries.
Civil status and administrative documents
- 🧾 Birth certificates — visa, naturalisation, marriage, university enrolment
- 💍 Marriage certificates — mixed-nationality marriage, succession, change of civil status
- ⚖️ Divorce judgements — remarriage abroad, succession, consular file
- ⚰️ Death certificates — international succession, consular procedures, pension
- 📖 Family record books — naturalisation, family reunification, marriage abroad
- 🪪 Identity documents — passport, national identity card, naturalisation, visa
- 🚗 Driving licences — licence exchange, prefecture procedures
- 🎓 Diplomas and academic transcripts — universities, ENIC-NARIC recognition
- ⚖️ Criminal record extracts — visa, employment and foreign proceedings
Legal and notarial documents
- ✍️ Powers of attorney — property sale, succession deeds, mandates
- 🏛️ Notarial deeds — succession, gift, property sale, marriage contract
- 📜 Company statutes — foreign registration, international partnership
- 💼 Employment contracts — work visa, international mobility, legal proceedings
- 🏦 International succession documents — actes de notoriété, declarations of succession
- 📂 Immigration documents — complete files for residence permit, family reunification, nationality
Sworn interpreting
In addition to written translations, I provide sworn interpreting services for notarial signings, real estate purchases, legal proceedings and official appointments where one party does not speak French. As a sworn interpreter, I can certify the accuracy of oral communication and sign the interpreting record produced by the notary.
- 🏘️ Sworn interpreter for weddings and civil ceremonies
- 🏡 Sworn interpreter for real estate signings — notarial appointments, property purchases
How the Process Works
1. Send your document — email a scan or photo to lucianalamarca@tradyx.fr. A good-quality scan is sufficient. You do not need to send the original at this stage.
2. Receive a quote within 24 hours — I assess the document, confirm the language combination and turnaround time, and send you a detailed, no-obligation quote.
3. Translation and certification — once you confirm, I begin immediately. I work exclusively manually — no machine translation. Each page is signed, stamped with my official seal, and accompanied by my sworn declaration of accuracy. The translation faithfully reproduces all elements of the original, including stamps, signatures and annotations.
4. Delivery — I deliver the signed translation as a PDF by email. If required, I also send it by registered post with the physical stamp. A digital version is accepted by many French administrations.
Tips for an efficient request
- Scan in colour at a minimum of 300 dpi — 600 dpi for old documents or faint stamps
- Send the complete document, front and back where applicable, without shadows or cropped edges
- State the context: indicate which authority the translation is destined for so I can adapt the format
- Mention your deadline in your first message — I will confirm feasibility immediately
Who I Work With
- ✔ English-speaking expats living in France — British, American, Irish, Canadian and Australian nationals who need certified translations of French documents for immigration procedures, property purchases, or dealings with French authorities
- ✔ French nationals with international ties — French citizens living or working in the UK, the US or other English-speaking countries who need their French documents translated for use abroad
- ✔ Italian nationals in France — Italians who need certified translations of Italian documents for French prefectures, notaries or courts
- ✔ Notaries and law firms — legal professionals dealing with cross-border successions, property transactions or other matters involving France, the UK, the US or Italy
- ✔ Real estate agencies — agencies handling property purchases by international buyers in France who require sworn interpreting at the notarial signing
- ✔ Universities and educational institutions — students needing certified translations of diplomas and academic records for cross-border recognition
Why Choose an Independent Sworn Translator?
- ✔ Sworn translator registered with the Court of Appeal of Caen — publicly verifiable
- ✔ 35 years of experience in legal, notarial and administrative translation
- ✔ Direct accountability — my name and seal on every certified document, no outsourcing
- ✔ Three languages, nine combinations — a single point of contact for multilingual files
- ✔ Distinct mastery of British and American English
- ✔ Translations recognised by French and international authorities
- ✔ Full confidentiality — documents handled personally and discreetly
- ✔ 100% remote service — delivery by email or post across France and internationally
Contact
You are welcome to contact me by phone or email to discuss your document, ask any questions, or request a quote. I respond to all enquiries within one business day.
- 📞 06 20 03 05 70
- 📧 lucianalamarca@tradyx.fr (professional)
- 📧 luciana.r.lamarca@gmail.com (official register)
- 📍 Piencourt, Normandy, France — remote service available across France and internationally
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I verify that you are officially accredited?
You can check my name on the official register published by the Court of Appeal of Caen on the Justice.fr website, or view my public profile on annuaire-traducteur-assermente.fr. Both sources confirm my appointment as a sworn translator-interpreter since 2014. I encourage all new clients to verify this before placing an order.
Are your certified translations accepted by French authorities?
Yes. As an officially appointed sworn translator, my certified translations carry the legal force required by French prefectures, courts, notaries, universities and administrative bodies. They are also accepted internationally — for visa applications, apostille procedures, foreign administrations and international courts.
I had a translation done in the UK or US — will it be accepted in France?
Unfortunately, in most cases no. French authorities require translations to be produced by a sworn translator accredited by a French Court of Appeal. Translations certified by a British, American or other foreign professional body are generally not accepted. If your translation has been rejected, I can produce a new certified translation that will be valid for French authorities.
Do you work remotely or only in Normandy?
I work remotely across the whole of France and internationally. Documents can be sent by email or post. For sworn interpreting at notarial signings, I travel to Normandy and the Paris region. If you are based elsewhere in France, contact me — I can advise on the best arrangement for your situation.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a standard translation?
A certified translation is signed and stamped by an officially accredited sworn translator, with a dated declaration that the translation is faithful and complete. This signature and seal give it legal validity for official use. A standard translation — however accurate — has no legal value for official purposes in France and will be rejected by French authorities.
How long does a certified translation take?
Most standard documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, short contracts) are delivered within 2 to 5 business days. Longer or more complex documents (succession files, notarial deeds, full contracts) may take longer. Urgent requests can often be accommodated — contact me to discuss your deadline.
Do I need to send the original document?
A good-quality scan or photograph is sufficient. You do not need to send the original document by post for the translation work itself. However, some French authorities may ask to see the original alongside the certified translation when you submit your file — this is a requirement of the authority, not of the translation process.
Can a machine translation replace a certified translation?
No. French administrations, courts and notaries systematically refuse machine translations and uncertified translations, regardless of their quality. Only a sworn translator registered with a Court of Appeal can produce a legally valid certified translation in France.
Ready to get started?
Send me your documents today. I will assess your file and send you a clear, no-obligation quote within 24 hours.