When is this document usually requested?
A translation may be requested as proof of identity, civil status or nationality for administrative, banking, notarial or employment files.
Service details
Sworn Albanian-to-French translation: identity card
Need a certified translation for a French procedure? Your document is handled personally by the sworn translator, with turnaround confirmed after review.
Turnaround confirmed after review
Sworn Albanian–French translator
Secure handling of confidential files
What to know about Identity card
These notes help you prepare a readable file and avoid unnecessary exchanges before translation.
Which file should you send?
Scan both front and back in colour, without glare or cropped edges. The photograph, number, dates, signature and machine-readable zone must remain clear.
Is an apostille or legalisation required?
Identity cards are not usually apostilled, but only the receiving authority can confirm the documents and formalities it requires.
What should you check?
A missing reverse side, expired document, glare or cropped edges can prevent full verification.
Letërnjoftim: the Albanian and Kosovan identity card
The Albanian identity card, the letërnjoftim, is a biometric document valid for ten years, whose production has been entrusted to the public company IdentiTek. The Kosovan card, also biometric and valid for ten years, falls under the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs. Both include a photograph, a personal identification number, the date and place of birth and a machine-readable zone.
Unlike civil status certificates, an identity card is an identity document, not a civil record: it proves the holder's identity at a given date, but it does not establish parentage. This is why a prefecture (préfecture) asking for “proof of civil status” will not accept the identity card on its own, even if translated.
A document that cannot be apostilled
This is the most useful point to know: in Albania, identity cards, passports and, more generally, documents bearing a photograph cannot be apostilled. There is therefore no point in trying to have a letërnjoftim apostilled before having it translated — the Albanian authority will refuse the request.
When an authority or a bank requires a “legalised” document, you will therefore need either to submit another document that can be apostilled instead — a birth certificate, a certificate of residence — or to obtain a certified true copy made by a consular authority. Check the exact requirement rather than starting a procedure that is bound to fail.
Renewal and translation: what to anticipate
Renewing an Albanian letërnjoftim from France is done by appointment at the Albanian Embassy in Paris, with attendance in person compulsory from the age of sixteen; processing can take up to six weeks. The Kosovan card is likewise applied for through Kosovo's diplomatic missions, including the embassy in Paris.
An expired card can still be translated, but it will not be accepted as proof of identity that is currently valid. If your procedure requires a valid document, renew the card before ordering the translation: translating a document that the authorities will then reject means paying twice.
How is your sworn translation prepared?
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01
Upload a clear scan
Upload every relevant page through the secure ordering area. For an initial question, use the contact form without attaching sensitive documents.
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02
Receive confirmation of price and timing
Hysni Bajraktari checks legibility, page count and the intended administrative use before confirming the turnaround and any required formalities.
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03
Receive the certified translation
The document is translated, signed and stamped by the sworn translator. A digital version is supplied, with a paper copy available on request.
Who translates, at what price, how fast, and where the translation is accepted: all of it is on the page sworn Albanian-French translator: prices and turnaround.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about translating Identity card
When does an Albanian identity card need to be translated?
Most often for a bank application, a notarised signature, professional registration, an employment contract or opening entitlements with an organisation, when the other party has no staff able to read a document in Albanian. For prefecture applications, a civil status certificate is generally required in addition.
Should I scan both the front and the back?
Yes, always, and in colour. The back carries information and security features that are part of the document: a translation based on the front alone is incomplete and may be rejected.
Can an identity card be apostilled?
Not in Albania: documents bearing a photograph, including identity cards and passports, are excluded from the scope of the apostille. If legalisation is requested, turn to another supporting document or to a copy certified by a consular authority.
My card is written in Albanian and English — is a translation still necessary?
Yes, whenever the French authorities require a French version. The presence of English text does not remove the need for translation; it does, however, make cross-checking easier and reduces the risk of errors in names.