LibreOffice Calc · CSV import · Beginner
Fix Garbled CSV Accents and Encoding in LibreOffice Calc
Repair garbled UTF-8 CSV text in LibreOffice Calc. Choose the proper character encoding and confirm accented text during import.
Updated 10 October 2026 · Formula checks: testing standards
CSV imports that show Montréal instead of Montréal or Café instead of Café usually have a character-set mismatch. The field separators may be correct while the displayed characters are not. You can often fix this without altering the source data.
Recognize the difference
| Expected | Possible incorrect display | Likely explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Café | Café | UTF-8 bytes read as a legacy encoding |
| José | José | Wrong text decoder |
| Zoë | Zo? | Text may already have been damaged before import |
The .csv file extension does not identify an encoding. Modern exports commonly use UTF-8; older systems sometimes use a Windows encoding.
Choose an encoding during import
- Save an untouched copy of the source CSV.
- Choose File → Open in LibreOffice Calc and open the CSV.
- Enable Edit filter settings if the Text Import dialog does not appear.
- Find Character Set. For a UTF-8 export, select Unicode (UTF-8).
- Read the preview, particularly names with accents, special punctuation and currency symbols.
- If it remains incorrect, determine the source encoding from the export system and choose that encoding instead. Select the delimiter separately.
- Confirm import after the preview displays the intended text.
Try this UTF-8 sample CSV. The preview should contain the names Montréal, José and Café correctly.
When an encoding choice cannot restore the text
If the original CSV already contains literal question marks in place of letters, the characters may have been replaced during export. A new import setting cannot reconstruct them. Return to the source application and export again with a suitable character set.
Save without reintroducing the problem
When exporting a CSV from Calc, review the Character Set option in the export dialog. Select UTF-8 if the destination supports it, and check the destination application’s requirements when it does not.
CSV stores plain text rather than the complete ODS workbook. Do not use it as your only backup when your sheet contains formatting or formulas.
Common questions
Is this the same as columns not splitting? No. Character encoding determines which characters appear; the delimiter determines which cells receive them. See CSV separator troubleshooting.
Can I just remove the extra à characters? Avoid that as a general fix. The problem is often mis-decoding of bytes and simple replacements may corrupt other names.
Official reference: LibreOffice Help. This tutorial focuses on LibreOffice Calc; menu names and behavior can vary by version, operating system and locale.