It is common to have many questions you may want to ask about getting certified translation services in Singapore.
To help you make the right decision and better understand the process and the requirement of certified translation services in Singapore, we have compiled a list of FAQs below. This FAQ will be updated as and when there are new requirements by the authorities.
If you have any further questions, call us at +65 6576 0138 to speak to one of our friendly consultants. They will be more than happy to help! You can also send your questions to inquiry@translationsingapore.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTIFIED TRANSLATION
In Singapore, it is common for certified translations to be requested by the following bodies:
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) – In Singapore, the ICA requires certified translations of documents that were not created originally in the English language. This includes but is not limited to birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, proof of employment, proof of income, etc.
- Other Singapore Government Bodies – These includes but are not limited to the Ministry of Man Power (MOM), Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), Ministry of Education (MOE), Registration of Marriage (ROM), Land Transport Authority (LTA), Traffic Police, and Singapore Police Force etc.
- Academic Institutions – College, Polytechnics and Universities in Singapore may require certified translations of diplomas, certificates or transcripts as part of the admission application.
- Court of Law – The Singapore courts and various government agencies may require certified translations of legal documents and evidence.
- Business – Certified translations may be required to register new companies, validate the company’s financial reports, patents, legal agreements, contracts, audits, etc.
Please note that the above is only a suggested list. It is not a definitive listing, and it is by no means exhaustive.
Please note that the list below is an example of documents where the translation is usually required for submission. Please do check and verify with the officers-in-charge attending to you at the various authorities and government bodies which the documents are required for submission and if certified translations are needed for these documents.
Passports
Identity Cards
Marriage Certificates
Death certificates
Birth certificates
Divorce certificates
Christening certificate
Last wills and testaments
Immigration documents
Power of attorney
Police Clearance Report
Family registration booklets
Deed poll
Education Certificates
Academic Transcripts
Payslips
Bank transactions
Driver’s License
Medical Report
Etc.
The types of documents to be translated and submitted to the Immigration & Checkpoint Authority (ICA) is dependent on the purpose of the application as follows:
- Singapore Citizenship
- Permanent Residence
- Student’s Pass
- Long Term Visit Pass
- Work in Singapore
Generally, as long as the document required for submission is not in English, it must be translated, notarized and authenticated.
Below are the links* for the list of documents to be submitted for the different applications below:
Explanatory Notes and Document List for spouse with/without accompanying children
Explanatory Notes and Document List for child(ren) only
Explanatory Notes and Document List for aged parents
Explanatory Notes and Document List for holder of an Employment pass or S pass
Explanatory Notes and Document List for foreign students
According to the latest update found in the Explanatory Notes uploaded on the ICA website, official translations are required during submissions of documents if documents are not in English.
Documents not in English must be translated. ICA accepts:
(i) Translations provided by the embassy of the country that issued the document.
(ii) Translations produced by a notary public in Singapore or the country to issue the document.
(iii) Privately created translations attested by the embassy of the country that issued the document or notarized by a notary public in Singapore or the country that issued the document.
For options (i), you may like to check with your embassy in Singapore if they provide translation services. If they do, it would be wise to get the embassy to translate and certify your documents for you. Unfortunately, not all embassies are willing to or have the capacity to provide translation services and most will recommend the service of a privately-owned translation company in Singapore.
For option (ii), unfortunately, Notary Publics here in Singapore do not provide translation services. What you can do for option (ii) is to get your translation done by a qualified translator or a certified translation company first before proceeding to have it notarized by a Notary Public. Please note that most Notary Publics will notarize only translations done by reputable translation companies like Lingua Technologies International.
For option (iii), you can get your documents translated by a translation company and get them attested by the embassy or notarized by a notary public in Singapore. The problem is that not all embassies will certify translations of documents done by outside translation companies. The next better option would be to go to a notary public to notarize your translated document.
The types of documents to be translated and submitted to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is dependent on the purpose of the application as follows:
- Professional employment such as Employment Pass, Entre Pass & Personalised Employment Pass
- Skilled & semi-skilled workers employment such as S pass, Work Permit for migrant worker, migrant domestic worker, confinement nanny and performing artiste.
- Trainee & students such as Training Employment Pass, Work Holiday Pass & Training Work Permit.
- Family members such as Dependent’s Pass, Long Term Visit Pass, Pre-approved Letter of Consent, Letter of Consent for ICA-issued LTVP/LTVP+ holders, Letter of Consent for Dependent’s Pass holders who are business owners.
- Exemptions & working while on a visit pass such as Miscellaneous Work Pass, Work Pass Exempt Activities, Work Pass exemption for foreign students and Work Pass for holders of LTVP issued by ICA.
Below is the link for information on the different work passes and the documents required for the application:
https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permitsAccording to the latest update found on the MOM website, translations are required during submissions of documents if documents are not in English.
It is stated as:
For non-English documents, you must upload the original document together with an English translation as 1 file. The translation can be done by a translation service provider.
Yes.
Lingua Technologies International has been providing certified translation since 1996. Our linguists are professional translators with the appropriate qualifications and relevant years of translation experience for their language pair.
Lingua Technologies International is also an ISO 17100 certified company. This ISO certification is specifically tailored to the translation industry and controls the translation processes adopted by the translation company to ensure translation standards are met in the final deliverables.
In general, a certified translation will carry a Certificate of Translation Accuracy.
To officiate the Certificate of Translation Accuracy, a Notarial Certificate is required.
Last but not least, every Notarial Certificate in Singapore must be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) with an Authentication Certificate.
A certified translation is provided by a professional translator or translation company. The certified translation will come with a Certificate of Translation Accuracy officially signed and stamped by an authorized representative from the translation company with the following assurance:
- That the translation is a true, complete and accurate rendering of the content of the source document
- That the translation is done by a translator knowledgeable in both the languages required in the translation
- That the translation is done under the guideline of ISO 17100 standard
A translation company can only issue a valid Certificate of Translation Accuracy if they have a globally recognized standard like the ISO 17100 certification.
The Certificate of Translation Accuracy issued by Lingua Technologies International is signed by an authorized representative from the organization and is backed by the ISO 17100 standard. This globally recognized mark of quality is trusted and accepted by many credible authorities and government agencies worldwide.
On top of that, we are also happy to recommend legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated document.
Please note that with effect from Tuesday, 1 October 2019, all documents requiring Notarization will have to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). This follows changes to the Singapore Academy of Law (Amendment) Rules 2019 and the Notaries Public (Amendment) Rules 2019, which take effect that day.
As such, you need to be working with a reputable translation company recognized and trusted by the Notary Public here in Singapore. It is now mandatory for the notarized documents to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) through the Notary Public.
Please refer to the Press Release for related news at this link:
Changes in Notarization and Authentication Process for Translated Document in Lingua Technologies International
Singapore, 1 October 2019 – With effect from Tuesday, 1 October 2019, all documents that require Notarization will have to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). This follows changes to the Singapore Academy of Law (Amendment) Rules 2019 and the Notaries Public (Amendment) Rules 2019, which take effect that day. The implementation of … Continue reading
The cost of translation varies from language to language. It is also dependent on the number of documents that are to be translated. For a non-obligatory consultation and quotation, you can reach us through one of the following ways:
- Call us directly at +65 6576 0138 to speak to one of our friendly Certified Translation Consultants.
- Write to us using our online inquiry form.
- Send us an email with your request to inquiry@translationsingapore.com
A notarized translation is a certified translation that has been officially notarized by a notary public.
A Notarial Certificate officiates a document, and it is witnessed and signed by the notary public with an officiating ribbon and seal.
While the Certificate of Translation Accuracy issued by the professional translation company attest to the authenticity of the translation provided with the certificate carry an officially stamped and signed by an authorized representative from the translation company may suffice in many instances. The officiating of the certified translation is a requirement mostly requested by ICA, embassies, and court hearings.
To officiate it (making it official), the certified translation must be notarized by a Notary Public. Under normal circumstances, Notarization is necessary if the translated document is to be used in a foreign country or when it is an explicit requirement by the authorities or government agencies.
For example, any non-English documents to be submitted to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) must be translated into English. The translation must be made official before its submission.
According to the ICA, official translations are translations that have been certified/ attested by the relevant Embassies or notarized by Notary Publics in Singapore.
However, not all Embassies will attest to private translations, and even fewer will provide translation services. Most Notary Publics will also require your translations to be certified by translation companies before they are notarized.
Lingua Technologies International offers certified translation services under our ISO 17100 certification, which translation processes in translation companies to translation qualities. This means the translation provided is an accurate and faithful rendering of the source document.
Lingua Technologies International works with legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated document.No. A translation company and translators can only certify their translation. They cannot provide a notarization service.
Notarization can only be done by a Notary Public.In Singapore, Notary Publics must be qualified lawyers. They are appointed by the Board of Commissioners for Oaths and Notary Publics. Notary publics act as impartial officers, notarize documents, usually by witnessing, authenticating and certifying the execution of documents to be used in foreign countries.
Lingua Technologies International is a professional translation company. We are not a law firm, so we are unable to provide Notarization of documents. No translation company, unless it is also a law firm, can offer notarization services.
However, we work with various legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated documents. We will be able to offer you some recommendations.
Notarization can only be done by a Notary Public.
As a guide, Notary fees are prescribed by the Singapore Academy of Law at SGD75.00 to issue the notarial certificate. However, there may be other items such as certifying true copy that may be charged. Please check with the relevant parties for the exact prices.
Lingua Technologies International works with various legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated document. We will be able to offer you some recommendations.
Please note that our company do not stand to gain monetarily through such recommendations and the charges for Notarization are payable directly to the Notary Public.
Please note that with effect from Tuesday, 1 October 2019, all documents requiring Notarization will have to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). This follows changes to the Singapore Academy of Law (Amendment) Rules 2019 and the Notaries Public (Amendment) Rules 2019, which take effect that day.
As such, you need to be working with a reputable translation company recognized and trusted by the Notary Public here in Singapore. It is now mandatory for the notarized documents to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) through the Notary Public.
Please refer to the Press Release for related news at this link:Changes in Notarization and Authentication Process for Translated Document in Lingua Technologies International
Singapore, 1 October 2019 – With effect from Tuesday, 1 October 2019, all documents that require Notarization will have to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). This follows changes to the Singapore Academy of Law (Amendment) Rules 2019 and the Notaries Public (Amendment) Rules 2019, which take effect that day. The implementation of … Continue reading
Previously, the Authentication of Notarial Certificate was optional.
However, in an effort to strengthen document integrity and prevent cases of fraudulent notarial and authentication certificates, the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) has made it mandatory for Notarial Certificate to be authenticated by SAL.
The Notary Public notarizing your documents can arrange the authentication service.
Lingua Technologies International works with various legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated document. We will be able to offer you some recommendations.
Please refer to the Press Release for related news at this link:
Singapore, 1 October 2019 – With effect from Tuesday, 1 October 2019, all documents that require notarisation will have to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). This follows changes to the Singapore Academy of Law (Amendment) Rules 2019 and the Notaries Public (Amendment) Rules 2019, which take effect that day. The implementation of … Continue reading
The Authentication Certification certifies the authenticity of the signature and the capacity of the person who has signed the public document. Where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp that the public document bears. In this case, the document concern would be the Notarial Certificate.
Authentication of Notarial Certificate can only be done by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).
Authentication is an effort by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) to strengthen document integrity and prevent fraudulent notarial and authentication certificates.Only SAL can perform authentication of Notarial Certificate.
Lingua Technologies International is a professional translation company. We are not a Notary Public, and neither are we part of SAL. As such, as a translation company, we cannot provide Notarization and authentication of Notarial Certificate.
No translation companies can provide notarization services and authentication of Notarial Certificate.
Please be warned not to be misled by these companies.
Lingua Technologies International works with various legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated document. We will be able to offer you some recommendations.
The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) charges an Authentication Fee of $85.60 (inclusive of GST) per notarial certificate.
The Notary Public notarizing your documents can arrange the authentication service. Please check with the Notary Public of your choice for further details.Lingua Technologies International works with various legal partners to help facilitate the Notarization of your certified translated document. We will be able to offer you some recommendations.
Lingua Technologies International has been providing certified translation since 1996. We work with professional translators with the appropriate qualifications and relevant years of translation experience for their language pair.
As far as we know, there are official bodies in Singapore to swear-in translators. The Supreme Court in Singapore used to provide translation services, but since 1 January 2015, the Supreme Court has stopped providing translation services for documents for private use.
As such, the best way to get a certified translation is to have it done by a reputable translation company with a good track record and a recognized certification.
Lingua Technologies International is an ISO 17100 certified company. This ISO certification is specifically tailored to the translation industry and controls the translation processes adopted by the translation company to ensure translation standards are met in the final deliverables.
This is one of the best ways to guarantee the quality of the translation.
The requesting authority requires a high level of assurance to ensure that the document has not been forged and that the content fulfils the requirement set out by the relevant authorities.
A certified translation provided by a professional translation body can, from a neutral standpoint, attest and assure the authority accepting the documents that the content of the original document is true, complete and accurate.
It is, thus, not advisable for you to perform your translation.
Lingua Technologies International can only endorse translations done by the company approved pool of translators. The company also must fulfil the requirements of ISO 17100 standards to ensure that the final translation output is produced using an ISO 17100 endorsed translation process.
Due to professional and legal obligations, Lingua Technologies International does not endorse translations done by external parties. We regret to inform you that we will not be able to certify translations that are not executed by our team.As a government agency, the ICA does not and cannot endorse or be seen to be endorsing any companies. An official verification done by our company with ICA has proven that the authority has never put up any list of approved translation companies endorsed by the ICA.
We understand that unscrupulous translation companies may be providing misleading information on their official website of such nature.
In ICA’s reply to our question about whether they have a list of approved translation companies, the representative reiterated that as a government agency, the ICA does not and cannot or be seen endorsing any private companies.Please be warned not to be misled by these companies.
ICA does not certify any external translation company. There is no such list.
As far as we know, as a government agency, the ICA does not and cannot endorse or be seen to be endorsing any companies. An official verification done by our company with ICA has proven that the authority has never put up any list of approved translation companies endorsed by the ICA.We understand that unscrupulous translation companies may be providing misleading information on their official website of such nature.
Please be warned not to be misled by these companies.
ICA DOES NOT HAVE NOR HOST A LIST OF APPROVED TRANSLATION COMPANIES!!
WHY CHOOSE US?
Competitive Rates
Fast Turnaround
Quality Assured
With more than 20 years of proven excellence in translation services, Lingua Technologies International is one of the pioneers in offering Multilingual Translation Service Solution to Singapore and the region. The company takes pride in making translation an invaluable experience. With the ISO 17100 certification, you now have peace of mind that your translation projects are always processed and handled by professionals in accordance with the guidelines and standards outlined in this ISO certification specification developed for Translation Businesses worldwide. Let our professional team of linguists and project managers handle the tedious task of translation for you, leaving you with more time to do what matters most to you: your business.