An translator when buying a house

Is a translator required at the notary's office when I want to buy a house?

Is a translator required at the notary's office if I want to buy a house? The notary is obliged to engage a translator when buying or selling a house, at your expense. If either the buyer or the seller has no or insufficient command of the Dutch language, the notary will request a translator to assist in understanding the deeds.

A translator for international transactions

As with buying a house, an interpreter may also be needed for international transactions:

• If one of the parties involved in a notarial deed (for example, a purchase agreement or a lease) has a foreign nationality or lives in another country and does not understand the language of that country
• A translator may be needed to translate the contents of the deed into a language the party involved understands, including documents like the mortgage deed and transfer deed

The law regarding a translator when buying a house

According to the law, if one of the appearing parties does not sufficiently understand the Dutch language, an interpreter (who, if possible, is also a sworn translator) must also be present at the signing of the deed, who translates the substantive content of the deed. (art. 42 paragraph 1 Wna)

In addition to the notary and the parties present, the interpreter also signs the deed, declaring that he has translated everything said by the notary and the parties present.

Prior knowledge of deed contents

The notary is obliged to ensure that all parties involved in the deed are allowed to familiarize themselves with the contents of the deed before signing. (art. 42 paragraph 1 Wna)

In a draft deed, a copy will be ready by the notary for all parties (and to the relevant advisers). This offers the opportunity to comment on the contents of the deed before the actual signing takes place.

Translation necessary

If a foreign contracting party does not master the Dutch language, he will not be able to read the draft deed. To know whether he considers the contents acceptable to him, a translator is necessary to be fully and correctly informed about the contents.

Translation costs

The translation of the draft deed and other documents and the presence of an interpreter-translator at the signing of the deed involves additional costs. How high these costs are depends on the length and complexity of the legal document.

For some languages, it is more difficult to find an interpreter-translator than for other languages. In addition, there are languages that have many dialects that are very different from each other.

Depending on all these factors, the cost of a sworn interpreter-translator (for a standard deed) may range from € 500 to € 1,000 (excluding VAT). This is in addition to the standard notary costs for the property transaction.

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