TRANSLATIONS BUILT TO CARRY STAMPS
Your Singapore document is going abroad, and the office receiving it does not work in English. We prepare a certified translation for legalisation that is set up to pass through our partner Notary Public, the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) and the embassy or apostille.
Before anyone translates a word, we confirm whether the destination wants the translation before or after the stamps, and we match every name to the spelling in your passport.
Tell us the language and the country, and we confirm the order of steps and the full price before work starts.
WHEN A TRANSLATION JOINS THE CHAIN
Foreign offices ask for a certified translation for different reasons, and the reason decides how it is prepared. Chinese offices, for example, often want the translation bound to the document before it receives an apostille for China, while some Gulf offices prefer to translate locally.
Visa, residence and company offices in China commonly ask for a Chinese translation bound to the Singapore document and covered by the same apostille.
Some UAE, Qatar and Kuwait offices accept English, while courts and ministries may want an Arabic version, so we check which applies before you pay.
Thai district offices often want a Thai translation, and the Thai Embassy in Singapore can verify it once SAL has certified the source document.
Vietnamese registries and labour offices may ask for a Vietnamese translation attached to the apostilled Singapore document.
Foreign courts and property registries often refuse any document they cannot read, so a notarised translation travels with the original.
Overseas company registrars may need your ACRA profile, resolutions or constitution translated before they record a branch or new director.
Some universities and professional boards outside the English-speaking world want degrees and transcripts translated as part of the legalised set.
Birth and marriage certificates for spouse visas, child registration or citizenship often need a translation the receiving clerk can file.
BEFORE OR AFTER THE STAMPS
Getting the order wrong is the most expensive certified translation mistake, because the whole set may need to go through the chain again. Below are the patterns we see most, though we always confirm with the receiving office first.
| Destination and use | Language usually asked for | Where the translation sits in the chain | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (Hague country) | Simplified Chinese | Translated first, bound to the document, notarised by our partner Notary Public, then SAL apostille | One bound set with apostille covering the translation |
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait | Arabic, only where the office asks | Often done after embassy and MOFA attestation by a translator licensed in that country; some cases are translated in Singapore first | English set legalised; translation advice per office |
| Thailand (until 27 Feb 2027) | Thai | SAL certifies the source document, then the Thai translation is verified at the Thai Embassy | Legalised document plus embassy-verified Thai translation |
| Vietnam (Hague since 11 Sep 2026) | Vietnamese | Usually translated and notarised in Singapore, then apostilled; some offices re-translate in Vietnam | Apostilled set with notarised Vietnamese translation |
| Egypt, Taiwan, Malaysia | Arabic, Traditional Chinese or Malay where asked | Translation notarised with the original, then SAL authentication and embassy legalisation | Legalised document and translation as one set |
| Europe and other Hague countries | Local language | Some want the apostille itself translated, so the translation comes last; others accept a notarised translation apostilled in Singapore | Route set to the receiving office's rule |
Gulf routes have their own attestation layers, which we cover in our UAE embassy attestation service.
STEP BY STEP
Certified translation, notarisation and SAL run under one roof, so nothing waits between hand-offs. For Hague countries the last step is an SAL apostille instead of an embassy visit.
We check whether the receiving office wants the translation before or after legalisation, and in which language and script.
A professional translator renders every line, including stamps, seals, signatures and handwritten notes, using passport spellings for all names.
The translator signs a dated declaration that the translation is true and complete, and it is bound to a copy of the source document.
Our partner Notary Public notarises the translator's declaration, and SAL then authenticates or apostilles the notary's signature.
Where needed we lodge the set at the embassy, then hand it over in Singapore or courier it to you abroad.
WHAT WE TRANSLATE
Each certified translation covers the whole page, not just the main text, because foreign clerks check that stamps and seals match.
Birth, marriage and divorce certificates for family visas, registrations and citizenship files abroad.
Degrees, transcripts and experience letters for overseas jobs, licences and further study.
Police certificates and powers of attorney that foreign courts, banks or immigration offices must be able to read.
ACRA profiles, board resolutions, invoices and certificates of origin for branches, banks and customs abroad.
NOT SURE OF THE ORDER?
Forward the email or checklist you were given, and we reply with the language, the order of steps and a full price for the notarised translation.
PRICES
Certified translation is priced by language and page count, while the notary and SAL steps carry fixed fees per document.
Not included: embassy and foreign ministry fees, courier charges and any re-translation the destination office does itself; routes such as degree certificate legalisation may also need a certified copy step.
TIMING
The length of the certified translation sets the first part of the timeline, and the legalisation steps then follow their usual pace.
Thai translations add the Thai Embassy's own verification time, explained in our Thailand document legalisation service.
TO GET STARTED
Clear scans and a copy of the passport let us lock spellings before your certified translation begins.
Where the original cannot leave your hands, we can translate a certified true copy instead, if the destination accepts it.
Send scans by WhatsApp or email, courier the original to us, and we return the legalised set to your address abroad.
AVOID A SECOND ROUND
Small certified translation errors can undo the work of our Singapore legalisation services, because a rejected translation usually means notarising and authenticating again.
✕ Translating in the wrong order
✓ We confirm with the receiving office whether the translation goes before or after the stamps.
✕ Names spelled differently from the passport
✓ Every name is checked against the passport so the translation, the document and your ID match exactly.
✕ Stamps and seals left untranslated
✓ Our translator renders every stamp, seal, signature note and handwritten entry on the page.
✕ A loose translation with no declaration
✓ The translator's signed declaration is bound to the source and notarised by our partner Notary Public so SAL can act on it.
FAQ
Questions clients ask once they are ready to order a certified translation, from checking the draft to fixing a mistake after delivery.
Ask On WhatsAppThe professional translator who did the work signs the declaration, and our partner Notary Public then certifies it. Embassies and foreign offices rely on that notarial certificate and the SAL stamp above it, not on the translator's own membership. If an office asks for a translator with a specific accreditation, tell us early and we confirm in writing whether we can meet it.
Yes. We send you a draft of the certified translation to check names, dates and numbers before the translator signs and our partner Notary Public notarises it. Once it is notarised, any change needs a fresh declaration and notarial certificate, so this check matters.
We describe it in square brackets, such as [round seal of the registry] or [signature], in the same place on the page. Handwriting that cannot be read is marked [illegible] rather than guessed, so the clerk can see nothing was left out.
Tell us before we start, and we legalise only the original document so their translator can work from the stamped set. If you learn this after delivery, our certified translation can still help their translator as a reference, but the office decides whether to accept it.
Send us a photo of the page on WhatsApp and we check it against the source document. If the mistake is ours, we correct the translation and confirm in writing what, if anything, redoing the notary and SAL steps will involve before any work starts.
Yes, we can email or WhatsApp you a scan of the finished set before it is handed over or couriered. Most foreign offices still want the stamped paper original, so the scan is best for your records or for sending ahead to the office.
Yes, but each language is a separate translation with its own declaration, notarial certificate and SAL step, because each country receives its own set. If both countries need the original bound to the translation, you may need a second original or a certified true copy for one of them.
Your document is seen only by the translator and our partner Notary Public working on your order, and by SAL or the embassy as part of the legalisation chain. If your company needs a confidentiality agreement in place, ask with your quote and we confirm it in writing.
Send a scan and the destination, and we confirm the certified translation language, the order and the full price before any work starts. You can also read client reviews from people who used our legalisation route.