Certified translation, notarized translation, and apostille are three different requirements. USCIS usually needs a complete certified English translation. Courts may ask for a certified translation, notarized translator statement, or both. Schools usually ask for certified academic translations. Consulates may ask for an apostille on the original document before translation.
Corpus Localization provides certified translations for USCIS, court, academic, business, and immigration purposes starting at 8¢ per word or $19.99 per page — whichever is lower, with 24-hour delivery available for many standard documents. We support 65+ languages and are an ATA Corporate Member. Apostilles are issued by government offices, not by translation companies.
If you are not sure which requirement applies, start by reading the exact wording from the receiving agency. The difference matters: ordering a notarized translation when the agency asked for an apostille will not fix the problem, and getting an apostille when the agency only asked for a certified translation can add cost and delay.
A certified translation is a complete translation with a signed statement that the translation is accurate and complete. The certification also identifies the translator or translation company.
Certified translation is the standard request for many immigration, court, school, licensing, and business filings. For USCIS filings, the foreign-language document must be translated into English and accompanied by a certification from the translator. The certification is about the translation. It is not a legal opinion, immigration approval, or government endorsement.
Most people need certified translation for records such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, police certificates, court records, diplomas, transcripts, business licenses, and financial documents. Corpus Localization prepares certified translations for these document types and includes a certification page with the delivery.
For the full immigration-focused checklist, see our guide to certified translation requirements for USCIS.
A notarized translation is a translation where a notary verifies the signer’s identity on a statement. The notary does not certify language accuracy.
This distinction causes a lot of confusion. A notary public confirms that the person signing appeared before the notary and signed the statement. The notary normally does not read the source document, compare the translation, or judge whether the translation is correct.
Some courts, schools, consulates, licensing boards, banks, and foreign agencies ask for notarized translator statements because they want an identity-verified signature. Other offices do not require notarization and will accept a standard certified translation.
If a receiving office asks for a notarized translation, copy its wording before ordering. Ask whether it needs a notarized translator certification, a notarized copy of the original document, or a notarized affidavit. Those are not the same thing.
For a broader breakdown, see our live explainer on certified vs notarized translation.
An apostille is a government certificate that authenticates a public document for use in another Hague Apostille Convention country. An apostille is not a translation.
In the United States, apostilles are usually issued by the Secretary of State for state-level documents, or by the U.S. Department of State for certain federal documents. The apostille verifies the origin of the public document or official signature. It does not translate the document and does not certify the accuracy of a translation.
Apostilles are common for international school enrollment, foreign marriage registration, immigration abroad, dual citizenship files, overseas employment, and consular processes. A foreign consulate may ask for the original document to be apostilled first, then translated. Another office may ask for the translation first, then notarized or legalized. The order depends on the country and receiving institution.
Corpus Localization can translate apostilled documents, but the apostille itself must come from the correct government office.
USCIS usually needs a complete certified English translation for foreign-language documents. USCIS does not usually require notarization or apostille for routine immigration filings.
For USCIS purposes, the key issue is whether the English translation is complete and accompanied by a proper certification. A standard certified translation is commonly used for birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce records, police certificates, adoption records, passports, and civil documents submitted with immigration forms.
Apostille is usually a separate requirement for documents used outside the United States. Notarization is also separate unless USCIS, an attorney, or another receiving office specifically requests it for your situation.
If your attorney gave you instructions, follow those instructions. If the instructions simply say “certified English translation,” a notarized translation or apostille is usually not the same request.
Start with our certified translation service if your USCIS filing needs a complete English translation with certification.
Courts often need certified translations, and some courts may also request notarized translator statements or interpreter affidavits. Court rules vary by jurisdiction and document type.
For U.S. court filings, the court may require a translation certification that states the translator is competent and that the translation is accurate. Some clerks, attorneys, or judges may ask for the translator’s signature to be notarized. Other courts accept a signed certification without notarization.
Court-related translation requests often involve criminal records, civil judgments, divorce decrees, custody orders, name change orders, affidavits, discovery records, and immigration court exhibits. A certified translation should preserve names, dates, seals, stamps, handwritten notes, and visible markings so the receiving office can compare the document to the original.
If your deadline is court-driven, share the filing instructions when you order. Corpus Localization offers court record translation starting at 8¢ per word or $19.99 per page — whichever is lower for many standard records, with 24-hour delivery available for many files.
Schools and credential evaluators usually need certified academic translations of diplomas, transcripts, certificates, and course records. Some may ask for originals, sealed records, or separate evaluation reports.
A certified academic translation is not the same as a credential evaluation. The translation converts the document into English and includes a signed certification. An evaluation compares foreign education to a U.S. academic level or credit system. Many students need both, but they are separate deliverables.
Academic offices may also care about formatting. Grade tables, course titles, credits, stamps, signatures, and notes should stay clear and traceable. If a transcript has handwritten annotations or seals, the translation should describe them instead of ignoring them.
Corpus Localization translates diplomas, transcripts, enrollment letters, academic certificates, and related school records in 65+ languages. See our academic translation services page for more details.
Consulates may ask for certified translation, notarization, apostille, legalization, or a country-specific sequence. The safest answer is the consulate’s own checklist.
Consular requirements are less uniform than USCIS requirements. A consulate may require the original U.S. document to receive an apostille before translation. Another may require a certified translation by a translator recognized by that consulate. Some consulates ask for notarized translator signatures, county clerk authentication, state apostille, embassy legalization, or sworn translation depending on the country.
Do not assume that a U.S.-style certified translation will satisfy a foreign consulate. Read the consulate’s document checklist and confirm the order of steps. If the checklist says “apostille,” get the apostille from the government office before ordering the translation unless the consulate says otherwise.
Corpus Localization can translate documents for consular packets, but it does not issue apostilles or guarantee a consulate’s final decision.
Order the document type named by the receiving office. If the instruction says certified translation, order certified translation. If it says notarized certification, confirm notarization before ordering. If it says apostille, contact the proper government office.
Use this quick guide:
| Receiving office | Common request | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| USCIS | Certified English translation | Complete translation plus signed accuracy certification |
| U.S. court | Certified translation; sometimes notarized statement | Translation certification, sometimes with identity-verified signature |
| University or evaluator | Certified academic translation | English translation of academic records; evaluation may be separate |
| Foreign consulate | Apostille, legalization, certified translation, or notarization | Country-specific document authentication and translation sequence |
| Bank or business office | Certified or notarized translation | Depends on internal compliance rules |
If the instruction is unclear, send the exact wording with your quote request. The wording is more useful than a summary like “I need it official.”
The most common delay is ordering the wrong type of “official” document service. Certified translation, notarization, and apostille do not replace each other.
Avoid these mistakes:
A good translation order includes the source document, target language, deadline, receiving office, and any written instructions from the agency, attorney, school, court, or consulate.
Corpus Localization prepares certified translations for immigration, legal, academic, business, and personal document use. Standard certified document translation starts at 8¢ per word or $19.99 per page — whichever is lower.
A typical order includes:
Corpus Localization is an ATA Corporate Member. ATA corporate membership is a company credential; it does not mean a government agency pre-approves every filing. Final acceptance always depends on the receiving office and the completeness of the submitted packet.
For pricing or a same-day review of your document, use the quote form or start your order.
No. Certified translation confirms translation accuracy and completeness. Notarization confirms the identity of the person signing a statement.
No. An apostille authenticates a public document or official signature for international use. It does not translate the document.
USCIS usually requires complete certified English translations for foreign-language documents. Routine USCIS filings do not usually require notarization.
USCIS does not usually require apostille for routine foreign-language civil documents. Apostille is more common when documents are used internationally.
Yes. An apostilled document can be translated. The apostille text itself may also need translation if the receiving office needs a complete translated packet.
Ask the agency whether “official” means certified translation, notarized translation, apostille, legalized translation, sworn translation, or another country-specific requirement.
Corpus Localization certified document translation starts at 8¢ per word or $19.99 per page — whichever is lower, with 24-hour delivery available for many standard documents.
No. Apostilles are issued by government offices. Corpus Localization can translate documents that already have apostilles or are being prepared for an apostille process.
