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Become a translator: study, training and the route into the profession.
Becoming a translator in Austria runs by three routes — a degree in translation studies, the § 14 SDG examination before the regional court to qualify as a court-sworn and certified translator, or lateral entry. This guide sets out the study programmes, the certification path, sought-after fields and realistic pay ranges — evidenced, and without marketing promises.
“Translator” is not a protected job title in Austria — the profession is defined by qualification, subject knowledge and practice · a degree is not the only route
Become a translator
How do you become a translator?
There is no single route — but three recognised ones. The most direct is a degree in translation or translation studies (a Bachelor, usually followed by a Master) at an Austrian university. The second runs through an examination: the § 14 SDG examination before the regional court (Landesgericht), open after five years' professional experience or two years' plus a relevant degree. The third is lateral entry, since “translator” is not a protected job title in Austria.
Anyone who makes a living from it needs more than one foreign language: subject knowledge, clean terminology, the right tools and reliability. That is exactly why specialisation later decides success — and anyone who wants to translate official documents then takes the route to a court-sworn and certified translator. Looking instead to have your own diplomas and application documents translated for study abroad? Those we produce as certified translations.
Overview
The three routes into the profession — and where they lead.
Degree, examination and lateral entry start differently but all lead to the same point: a credible subject specialisation. Only on that does court authorisation build — if wanted.
Simplified schema. Order and duration vary by province, language and prior education; authorisation is only needed if you want to produce officially certified translations.
1 · Degree
The academic route via a Bachelor and Master. It teaches translation theory, two working languages, professional translation and often language technology. Ideal for a plannable direct entry — details under Study.
2 · Training & exam
Reaching court-certified status without going through university first: the § 14 SDG examination before the regional court (Landesgericht), open once you have enough professional experience. Recognised throughout Austria — more under Training.
3 · Lateral entry
For people with subject and language competence from another profession. Realistic but demanding: quality must be demonstrable. How it works is under without a degree.
Route 1
Studying translation: degree programmes & universities.
Austria offers established degree programmes in translation, translation studies and specialised communication at three university centres — from Bachelor to research-oriented Master.
A Bachelor (usually six semesters) lays the foundations: two working languages at a high level, translation studies, text competence, cultural and area studies, and first fields. The Master (two to four semesters) deepens professional translation, language technology and — depending on the programme — interpreting.
Admission and your language combination are decisive: many programmes are open-admission but require language certificates or an aptitude assessment, and you choose your languages from the start (e.g. German ⇄ English plus a second foreign language). If you want to work in writing, watch for the translation focus; the spoken counterpart we treat separately under Interpreting.
| University | Institute | Focus | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vienna | Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft (ZTW) | BA Transkulturelle Kommunikation, MA Translation | Austria's largest centre, up to 14 working languages |
| University of Graz | Institut für Theoretische und Angewandte Translationswissenschaft (ITAT) | BA/MA translation studies | Strong focus on intercultural and digital communication |
| University of Innsbruck | Institut für Translationswissenschaft (INTRAWI) | BA/MA Translation Studies, incl. conference interpreting | Specialisations in literary/audiovisual translation & language technology |
| University of Geneva (CH) | Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI) | BA/MA translation & interpreting | Internationally renowned, near UN/EU institutions |
Not a ranking, but orientation
The list names the established locations but is not a complete or evaluative one — the offer changes, and universities of applied sciences may offer relevant programmes too. Always check course content, language combination and degree directly with the university.
Route 2
The § 14 SDG examination before the regional court.
Not every route runs through university. Anyone who already brings languages and a field can reach court-certified status via the § 14 SDG examination — built on professional experience, not a classroom qualification.
Admission requirements
Candidates need either five years' professional experience as a translator or interpreter, or two years' experience plus a relevant university degree in translation studies, together with a clean record and residence in Austria.
The examination
Held at the regional court (Landesgericht) before a panel of a judge and two court-certified colleagues nominated by the professional body ÖVGD. It runs some five hours: legal-system knowledge, translation in both directions, and a simulated hearing.
Oath & appointment
Once passed, the court swears the candidate in and enters them on the official list — from that point they may issue certified translations bearing the certification statement and official round stamp.
| Feature | Degree (BA/MA) | § 14 SDG examination |
|---|---|---|
| Degree required | yes (is the degree) | no — but shortens the required experience to two years |
| Typical preparation time | 3–5 years | 2–5 years' professional experience, plus focused exam preparation |
| Confers court-certified status by itself | no — leads toward it | yes, on passing |
| Academic level | high | practice-based, tested at the regional court |
| Possible while working | in part | yes — it builds on professional practice |
Targeted coaching or in-service preparation suits above all career changers heading for the § 14 SDG examination. Make sure the official court examination stands at the end — a mere seminar certificate does not replace it.
Route 3
Becoming a translator without a degree — lateral entry.
Lateral entry is expressly possible and common in practice — precisely because many specialist texts require deep domain knowledge that a language degree alone does not provide.
Because “translator” is not a protected job title, in principle anyone may call themselves one. That is both an opportunity and a responsibility: clients and authorities do not rely on the title but on demonstrable quality. The route is especially promising for people with a genuine specialist background — lawyers, doctors, engineers, IT professionals — who command a language at a high level and know their field's terminology from the inside.
Realistically that means: closing the language gap in a targeted way (further training, and where appropriate the § 14 SDG examination), specialising in a field, building a portfolio and references, and learning the tools of the trade. Anyone who delivers cleanly, on time and consistently in terminology prevails — even without a diploma. Excellent foreign-language skills are, per the professional body ÖVGD, only one aspect and not enough on their own.
Honestly placed
Without a degree, entry is possible but no walkover: building a solid client base takes time, and for certified translations before authorities you normally need a formal qualification as the basis for court authorisation. An internship or first collaboration — in the network of a specialised translation service, say — shortens the learning curve markedly.
Legal status
From qualification to court-sworn and certified translator.
Official translations — for courts, registry offices or authorities — may only be produced by authorised translators with a certification statement. The route there builds on your qualification.
Prove qualification
The basis is professional experience and/or a recognised degree: five years as a translator or interpreter, or two years plus a relevant degree in translation studies. It evidences your subject suitability to the court.
Personal suitability
In addition the law requires personal reliability — evidenced for instance by a certificate of good conduct, residence in Austria and an obligation to secrecy.
Examination & swearing-in
The competent regional court (Landesgericht) examines and swears you in. The framework for both interpreters and translators is set in § 14 SDG, applied by a panel of a judge and two colleagues nominated by the professional body ÖVGD.
Certified translation
Only now may you issue a certified translation with a certification statement and stamp that authorities recognise.
Use the terms correctly
In writing, the correct term is a “sworn, authorised translator” (gerichtlich beeidet, regionally also beeidigt) under § 14 SDG — the label varies slightly by federal state, but it means the same court-conferred authority. The result is a certified translation. What that means in detail and which office is responsible for what, you can read under who may issue a certified translation.
Profession & skills
What defines the profession — and where the demand is.
The day-to-day has little to do with the cliché of the “language talent”. Translating is skilled work: researching, formulating precisely, managing terminology, mastering tools — and knowing where machine translation reaches its limits.
Specialisation beats breadth
The most reliable demand lies where errors are expensive: law & contracts, medicine and medical devices, technology, IT and finance. Anyone who truly masters a field is more sought-after than the all-rounder.
Tools & terminology
Professionals work with CAT tools (Trados, memoQ), translation memories and maintained terminology. They do not translate for you but secure consistency and speed — a core craft of professional translation.
AI & post-editing
Machine translation is everyday — and needs human control. Post-editing (MTPE) lifts raw text to publication level; with numbers, negations and technical terms, professional judgement decides.
Accuracy & responsibility
A translation is binding. Care with numbers, names and technical terms, fidelity to the source and confidentiality are not optional but a professional duty — with us embedded in processes to DIN EN ISO 17100.
Freelance or employed
Both are common. Employment gives predictability and onboarding, freelancing more freedom and specialisation — at the cost of acquisition and self-organisation. Many start employed and switch later.
Continuing education stays mandatory
Language, law and technology change. Professional bodies such as the ÖVGD offer seminars, terminology and networks; those who keep at it secure quality and commissions. Proofreading and revision are part of the craft too.
Knowing a language is the start — not the profession.
You become a translator only through subject knowledge, terminology, clean tools and responsibility for every word.
Entry & pay
What translators earn.
Robust figures instead of promises: the ranges below come from the AMS Berufslexikon (Austria's public employment service) and the applicable Kollektivvertrag minimum pay scales. They apply to full-time employees — freelance incomes scatter far more widely.
For employed translators and interpreters, the AMS Berufslexikon puts entry-level gross monthly pay — based on the 2025 Kollektivvertrag minimums — at between € 2,410 and € 4,280. Market data from karriere.at shows full-time employed translators typically earning between € 2,160 and € 3,601 gross per month, rising with experience and specialism.
Those who work freelance bill by lines, words or projects; income depends on specialism, language combination, client base and utilisation and cannot be seriously generalised. As a rule of thumb: the scarcer and more demanding the field-language combination, the higher the achievable fee.
| Metric (full-time, gross/month) | Entry-level (AMS / Kollektivvertrag) | Market range (karriere.at) |
|---|---|---|
| Lower end | approx. € 2,410 | approx. € 2,160 |
| Upper end | approx. € 4,280 | approx. € 3,601 |
Source: AMS Berufslexikon (Kollektivvertrag minimum pay scales, as of 2025) and karriere.at market salary data. Figures rounded; regional, sector and experience differences are considerable.
I came into professional translation through an internship — before my degree was even finished. What advanced me most was clean work with terminology and revision. You don't learn that from a video, only on real commissions.
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Career starter · professional translation, law · internship & first commissions · 4.9 / 5 from 268 reviews (as of 08/2026)
Just starting out yourself?
The FÜD works with a network of qualified professional translators in over 70 languages. Students and career starters get an insight via an internship — write us briefly which field and which languages you bring. Get in touch →
FAQ
Becoming a translator — frequently asked questions.
How do I become a translator?
Do you have to study translation to become a translator?
Where can you study translation in Austria?
What is the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
How do you become a court-sworn and certified translator?
What does a translator earn?
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