Home / Government agencies / IRS ITIN
Internal Revenue Service, ITIN program (Form W-7): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: IRS ITIN accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Certified translator; signed, attached to the ID
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 21, 2026
The IRS says ITIN applicants may be required to provide a certified translation of foreign-language identity documents, and its manual tells staff to request one from a certified translator when they cannot read the document and none is attached; the translation must be signed by the translator and attached to the document.
IRS ITIN accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
The translation never replaces the document itself: the IRS still needs the original or a copy certified by the agency that issued it, which we cannot provide.
IRS ITIN at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
The Form W-7 instructions say the IRS may require "a certified translation of foreign-language documents" (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024), and the IRS manual's letter to applicants asks them to have "a certified translator" translate and send the certificate of translation (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- Certified, when the IRS asks for it
- Who may translate
- Certified translator; signed, attached to the ID
- Original or copy
- Original or issuing-agency certified copy, translation attached
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on IRS ITIN's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about IRS ITIN
Certified translator
Signed by the translator and sent with the certificate of translation.
Two documents
The original or certified ID, and the translation attached to it.
No notarized copies
Notarized copies of your ID are refused, except for military families.
IRS ITIN requirements in detail
Translation
The IRS may require a certified translation of foreign-language documents (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
Its staff use glossaries of common Spanish and German words and request a certified translation when they cannot understand a document and none is attached (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
Who may translate
A certified translator; the translation must be signed by the person who made it and sent with the certificate of translation (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
Original or copy
The original document, or a copy certified by the agency that issued it with its official stamped seal; notarized copies are not accepted except for spouses and dependents of U.S. military personnel applying from overseas (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024, ITIN supporting documents).
Attachment
The certified translation must be attached to the identity document it translates. A translation, notarized or not, is never accepted in place of the document (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
How to submit
By mail to the IRS ITIN Operation in Austin, in person at a designated Taxpayer Assistance Center by appointment, or through an Acceptance Agent or Certifying Acceptance Agent (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
Return of originals
Original documents are mailed back to the address on Form W-7; call the IRS if they have not arrived within 60 days (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
Powers of attorney
A power of attorney in a foreign language is invalid without a certified English translation (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024), made by a third party other than the applicant or the representative (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
When the IRS asks for a translation
The Form W-7 instructions do not require a translation up front; they warn that the IRS may later require a certified translation of foreign-language documents (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
The Internal Revenue Manual explains when: examiners read Spanish and German documents with the help of word lists, and if they cannot understand a document and no certified translation is attached, they suspend the application and send a letter asking you to have a certified translator translate it (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
A suspended application waits for your reply, on top of the seven weeks (nine to eleven in peak season or from abroad) the IRS already allows for processing (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
If the certified translation is attached from the start, the examiner has no reason to send that letter.
At Taxpayer Assistance Centers, staff are not required to obtain a certified translation for Spanish documents, but they tell applicants that the ITIN office may still ask for one (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
Two documents, attached and signed
The manual is specific about form: the certified translation must be attached to the identity document and signed by the person who made it, and the IRS treats the document and the translation as two separate items.
It does not accept a translation, even a notarized one, as a substitute for the original or certified document (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
The document itself must be an original or a copy certified by the issuing agency, with its stamped seal; embassies and consulates may provide certified copies, and U.S. embassies and consulates offer certification services (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
The IRS does not accept notarized copies of identity documents, except for military families applying from overseas (ITIN supporting documents).
If you do not want to mail your passport or birth certificate, a designated Taxpayer Assistance Center or a Certifying Acceptance Agent can check the original and return it on the spot (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
Powers of attorney and other foreign-language forms
If someone signs or files Form W-7 for you under a power of attorney written in another language, the IRS considers it invalid unless it comes with a certified English translation (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
The manual adds that the translation must contain all elements of Form 2848, must be made by a third party other than the applicant or the representative, and must carry a signed certificate attesting to its accuracy; the same applies to a foreign-language substitute for Form 8821 (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
Need a certified translation for IRS ITIN?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate
- Foreign birth certificates, required for dependents under 18 without a passport
- National identification cards
- Foreign driver's licenses, voter registration cards and military identification cards
- School and medical records for dependents
- Powers of attorney written in another language
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to IRS ITIN
Attach the certified translation to the document it translates and send both with Form W-7 and your tax return to the IRS ITIN Operation in Austin, or present them at a designated Taxpayer Assistance Center or to an acceptance agent (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024, IRM).
If the IRS has already suspended your application, send the translation with the letter it sent you, as that letter instructs (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not a government agency or a filing service. We do not complete or file applications, and we do not issue or certify the original document.
For an ITIN that means we translate your identity and civil documents; the original or certified copy comes from the agency that issued it, and we do not prepare Form W-7 or act as an acceptance agent.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the IRS require a certified translation for an ITIN application?
It may. The Form W-7 instructions say you may be required to provide a certified translation of foreign-language documents (Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024); examiners request one when they cannot understand a document and none is attached (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
Who can translate documents for Form W-7?
A certified translator, who signs the translation and provides a certificate of translation (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies.
Can I send a translation instead of my original birth certificate?
No. The IRS needs the original or a copy certified by the issuing agency, with the certified translation attached to it; a translation is not accepted as a substitute (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System, Instructions for Form W-7, Rev. December 2024).
Do I need to notarize the translation for an ITIN?
The IRS asks for a certified translation signed by the translator; it does not ask for a notarized one, and a notarized translation does not replace the document (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
My documents are in Spanish. Do they need a translation?
Not always. IRS staff use a list of common Spanish words, and Taxpayer Assistance Centers are not required to obtain a certified translation for Spanish documents, but the ITIN office may still request one (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System).
My power of attorney is in another language. What does the IRS need?
A certified English translation by a third party other than you or your representative, with a signed certificate of accuracy (Internal Revenue Manual 3.21.263, ITIN Real-Time System, W-7 instructions).
Sources
Internal Revenue Service, ITIN program (Form W-7)'s own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for IRS ITIN?
Upload a scan of your document and see the price and delivery time before you pay.