Fees for the work of certified court interpreters in Serbia will increase by as much as 150 per cent from 23 May, according to amendments to the Rulebook on Certified Court Interpreters adopted by the Ministry of Justice of Serbia.
As published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, the fee for written translation will rise from the previous 600 dinars to 1,500 dinars per standard page. At the same time, the fee for oral interpretation will increase from 1,200 to 3,000 dinars for every commenced hour of interpreting.
It is important to emphasise that these rates apply to fees prescribed for work commissioned by courts and state authorities, which does not automatically mean that the same prices will apply in private translation agencies.
Shortage of interpreters
A lawyer from Sremska Mitrovica, who wishes to remain anonymous, believes that the increase in fees is not problematic in itself, but that the much more serious issue is the shortage of qualified court interpreters for certain languages.
“The price itself is not outrageous. The problem is that for some languages, there simply are not enough proper court interpreters, especially in smaller places such as Sremska Mitrovica. It happens that courts engage people who are not sufficiently qualified or do not have enough experience,” he said.
According to him, for rarer languages, it is often necessary to hire interpreters from Novi Sad or other larger cities. “There are quality interpreters, but they need to be paid and brought in. Some were unwilling to work under the old rates because it simply was not worthwhile for them to travel from another city for a single hearing or examination,” the interviewee told Kurir.
He added that, for years, there had also been problems with the quality of certain translations and with the engagement of individuals who were not sufficiently qualified for serious legal proceedings.
“In smaller courts, the priority was often simply to get the job done somehow, rather than to engage a proper certified court interpreter. This is a serious matter because entire proceedings often depend on the accuracy of a translation,” the lawyer said.
Problems with witnesses as well
That the issue is not confined to the courts is also confirmed by estate agents, particularly when dealing with foreign buyers.
Estate agent Zorica Kasabašić from Sremska Mitrovica explained that, when certifying contracts involving foreign nationals, the law often requires not only a court interpreter but also the presence of two witnesses.
“You must have both a court interpreter and two witnesses, regardless of the language involved. Those witnesses must know the Cyrillic script, understand the document, and also know the foreign language being used in the procedure. We even had problems with Chinese nationals because we could not find suitable witnesses. People often do not understand why two witnesses are necessary alongside a court interpreter, who already has a court seal and an official licence, but the notary requires it because that is what the law prescribes,” our interviewee said.
Price list – Translation fees
– 1,500 dinars for each standard page translated from Serbian or another language in official use in Serbia into a foreign language
– 1,500 dinars for each standard page translated from a foreign language into Serbian or another language in official use in Serbia
– 1,500 dinars for each standard page translated from one language in official use in Serbia into another
– 600 dinars for each standard page translated from one foreign language into another foreign language
– 3,000 dinars for every commenced hour of oral interpretation, calculated from the interpreter’s arrival at the location until interpretation is no longer required.
(Kurir, 20.05.2026)
https://biznis.kurir.rs/novcanik/9999256/naknade-za-sudske-tumace-poskupele-150-odsto