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Certified Dutch Certificate of Conduct (VOG) Translation
eVerbary translates your Dutch certificate of conduct (VOG) into English for $24.95 per page with no word cap, by a professional human translator, with a signed certification. Most orders are delivered within a few hours. Accepted by USCIS and by US universities, colleges and schools, or your money back.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, no word cap. No hidden fees.
Money-back guarantee
Accepted by USCIS and by US universities, colleges and schools, or your money back.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
A VOG is not a criminal record extract
The Dutch Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag is not an extract from a register and does not report what is in one. It is a declaration by the Minister of Legal Protection that nothing in the applicant's past obstructs a specific task or job — teaching, childminding, driving a taxi, a particular visa or permit.
So a VOG says nothing in the abstract. It answers one question about one purpose, and the purpose is part of the document. Translating it as "criminal record certificate" asserts something broader than the Dutch state said, which is why the translation names the instrument as what it is and carries the stated purpose with it.
Applying from outside the Netherlands
A VOG can be applied for from abroad through the Netherlands' own channels, and the route differs from the municipal one used by residents. That is worth knowing before assuming you can obtain one the way a neighbour did.
Dutch surnames carry particles — van, de, van der — which are part of the legal name and are never dropped. See our Dutch birth certificate page and our Dutch page.
What the certificate actually says
These documents are narrower than the English phrase that comes to hand for them. Most state that a specific register — a national criminal registry, a court archive, a police database — holds no entry for the named person as at the date of issue. "Has no criminal record" is a much larger claim: it asserts something about the person rather than about one registry on one day, and it silently covers jurisdictions the issuing authority never searched.
So the wording is translated at the scope the original had, with the registry named as the document names it. Where a certificate says an entry exists, the entry is translated exactly — the offence as classified in that country's own law, the article cited, the sentence — and no attempt is made to find a US equivalent offence, because there frequently is none and asserting one would recharacterise a conviction.
These certificates expire
Almost every country issues these with a validity period, commonly three or six months, and the receiving office applies its own rule on top. A certificate that has aged out will be refused whatever the translation says, and a translation cannot make an old certificate current. If yours is near the edge, order a fresh one before ordering a translation rather than after.
Check two things with the office before you buy anything: how recent the certificate has to be, and whether they want it apostilled — because an apostille is applied to the original document, so it has to happen before the translation, not after. Related: our general criminal record page and our USCIS page.
What USCIS requires
Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a foreign-language document must be accompanied by a complete English translation and the translator's certification that it is accurate. Every seal, stamp and marginal note is part of the document, so every one is translated.
State agencies set their own rules — see government agencies — and what our certification states is on this page.
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 one sheet of your document is one page, with no word cap.
A standard translation is the same professional human translation without the certificate, for when you only need to understand the content or for internal or informal use. It is billed at the same $24.95 per page with no word cap.
Frequently asked questions
Is a VOG the same as a criminal record check?
Not quite. It states that nothing obstructs a specific task or job, rather than reporting the contents of a register. We translate it as what it is.
My VOG names a purpose.
That purpose is part of the document and we translate it. A VOG issued for one purpose is not a general clearance.
Is "van der" part of the surname?
Yes, and we never drop it.
Ready to get started?
Upload your documents and receive your certified translation, typically within 24 hours.