Slovenia operates a court-regulated sworn translator system under the Zakon o sodnih izvedencih, sodnih cenilcih in sodnih tolmačih (ZSICT — Court Experts, Certified Appraisers and Court Interpreters Act, Uradni list RS 22/18), which entered into force on 1 January 2019. Translators who wish to produce legally binding translations for use before Slovenian courts and administrative authorities must be appointed as sodni tolmači (court interpreters) by the Ministrstvo za pravosodje (Ministry of Justice). The Ministry publishes a call for applications twice per calendar year, based on identified needs in specific foreign languages as proposed by the presidents of individual courts.
Candidates for court interpreter appointment must hold at minimum a university degree (at least the first Bologna cycle — diploma) and demonstrate proficiency in Slovenian and the relevant foreign language, as well as knowledge of Slovenian legal and judicial terminology. The Strokovni svet za sodno izvedenstvo, sodno cenilstvo in sodno tolmačenje (Expert Council for Court Expertise, Court Appraisal and Court Interpreting) serves as the highest professional coordinating body overseeing standards. Professional associations including the Združenje stalnih sodnih tolmačev in pravnih prevajalcev Slovenije and the Društvo prevajalcev in tolmačev Slovenije (DPTS — which was granted the status of non-governmental organization in the public interest in the field of justice by the Ministry of Justice in October 2018) provide continuing education and professional development.
For documents intended for use outside Slovenia — such as immigration applications to the United States, Canada, Australia, or the United Kingdom — DoVisa's certified translations are widely accepted without the need for a Slovenian court interpreter's seal. International authorities including USCIS, IRCC, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs accept certified translations with a translator's signed certification statement. When Slovenian sworn translations are specifically required for domestic use, DoVisa coordinates through our network of appointed sodni tolmači to provide the appropriate certification level.








