How much does a certified translation cost: what drives the price and how to compare quotes

Updated: 25 September 2026 · Kalimera, translation agency in Bucharest since 2005 · all guides

In short: the price of a certified translation is usually calculated per page. What matters is how many characters the agency's page has, the language you translate into and the extra steps you need: notarization, apostille, additional copies. Some agencies add surcharges for urgency or for specialised texts. To compare two quotes fairly, compare them on the same page unit and with the same steps included.

1. The unit of calculation: a page is not the same everywhere

Translations are usually charged per "standard page", meaning a set number of characters, not per physical sheet. A certificate may be well under one standard page, while a dense contract may hold several on a single sheet.

There is no single standard page in Europe. Some reference points:

• the institutions of the European Union work with 1,500 characters without spaces, counted on the source text;
• Germany has the "Normseite", a page of 30 lines of 60 characters, that is 1,800 characters with spaces;
• Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Croatia also use 1,800 characters with spaces;
• in the United States, the convention is 250 words per page.

In Romania, too, each agency chooses its own unit. That is why two "per page" prices cannot be compared until you know how many characters each page has and whether counting is done on the original or on the translation.

2. The language

Widely used languages such as English, French, Italian or Spanish have more authorized translators and usually cost less. Rare languages cost more, because there are fewer authorized translators for them. Translation from one foreign language into another is quoted separately: ask how it is done and whether it goes through Romanian.

3. Costs added to the translation

• Notarization is usually charged per document, not per page.
• The apostille carries an official fee from the institution that issues it. If the agency handles filing and collection, its service is added.
• Additional copies of the same translation usually cost much less than the first.
• Delivery by courier, if you do not collect the document from the office.

Which form of translation you actually need, certified, notarized or apostilled, is explained in the guide certified, notarized or apostilled translation. Not paying for steps you do not need is the safest saving.

4. Urgency and subject field

Many agencies add a surcharge when you need the translation the same day or the next day, and another for specialised texts: medical, technical, legal. Ask from the start whether the quoted price changes with the deadline or the subject field.

5. How to compare two quotes fairly

Ask every agency the same questions:

• how many characters does a page have, and is it counted on the original or on the translation?
• is the price fixed or "from"?
• are notarization, apostille, additional copies and delivery included?
• does urgency or the subject field cost extra?
• what is the exact delivery deadline?

A quote that answers all five clearly is a quote you can compare.

How we work at Kalimera

• a standard page has 1,800 characters with spaces, like the German page and in several Central European countries;
• no surcharge for urgent work;
• no surcharge for specialised fields: medical, technical, legal or financial;
• a fixed price before we start, with no hidden costs, within 30 minutes.