Home / Apostilles and translation
Apostille and Certified Translation
These two get confused constantly, and the confusion is expensive in a specific way: done in the wrong order, you pay for the translation twice. This page explains what each one is, which you need, and the sequence.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
They do completely different jobs
An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document by the authority of the country that issued it, confirming that the signature and seal on it are genuine. It says nothing about what the document means and it is not in English. It exists because of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, which lets member countries accept each other's documents without consular legalisation.
A certified translation is an English rendering of the document with a signed statement that it is complete and accurate. It says nothing about whether the document is genuine. One authenticates, the other communicates, and neither substitutes for the other.
The order matters, and getting it wrong costs money
An apostille is attached to the original document by the issuing country. So if your packet needs one, it has to be obtained before the translation — because the apostille is itself a page with text on it, and a complete translation includes it.
Translate first and apostille after, and you now hold a translated document plus an untranslated apostille, and you pay again to have that page done. It is the single most common sequencing mistake in this area and it is entirely avoidable: ask the receiving office whether an apostille is required, get it, then send us everything together.
Do you actually need one
Frequently not, and this is worth checking before spending. USCIS does not require apostilles on foreign documents submitted with an application — it requires a complete translation and the translator's certification. Apostilles are typically required by courts, universities, registrars, and foreign governments receiving US documents, not by US immigration.
Both the origin and the destination country have to be Hague Convention parties for an apostille to be the right instrument. Where one is not, the document goes through consular legalisation instead, which is a different and slower process producing different pages — and those pages are translated too.
What we do and what we do not
We translate. We do not issue apostilles and cannot obtain one for you — they come from the competent authority of the issuing country, typically a foreign ministry or a US Secretary of State for US documents.
What we do is translate the document and every authentication page attached to it, so the packet reads as one whole. If you are unsure whether you need an apostille, ask the office that asked for the document; they are the only ones who can tell you, and it is a free question.
How it works
Upload a photo or a scan of your document, pick the language pair and check out online. You never have to mail originals: a legible copy is all we need.
A professional human translator, never machine translation, translates the document word for word and mirrors the layout of the original. Every certified translation ships with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy that meets the requirements of USCIS, courts and universities.
Your translation is delivered digitally, usually within 24 hours for documents of one to three pages, and same-day delivery is available. If anything needs adjusting, we revise it.
Certified vs. standard translation
A certified translation is a word-for-word translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness. It is what official bodies require: USCIS, courts, universities and government agencies. Certified translations are $24.95 per page, where a page is up to 250 words.
A standard translation is for business or personal use where certification is not needed, such as CVs, client intake forms or marketing material, and is billed at the same $24.95 per page of up to 250 words.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an apostille for USCIS?
Generally no. USCIS requires a complete translation with the translator's certification, not an apostille. Courts, universities and foreign registrars are the ones that usually ask.
Which comes first, the apostille or the translation?
The apostille. It attaches to the original and is itself a page that needs translating, so doing it afterwards means paying for a second translation.
Can you get the apostille for me?
No. It comes from the competent authority of the issuing country. We translate the document and the apostille together.
Do you translate the apostille itself?
Yes, when you submit it. It is part of the packet.
What if my country is not in the Hague Convention?
Then the route is consular legalisation rather than an apostille. It produces different pages, and we translate those too.
Ready to get started?
Send the document with any apostille or legalisation pages and we will translate the whole packet.