Certified translation in Singapore, answered plainly
Everything about certified and notarised translation — what ICA, MOM, LTA and the courts require, costs, turnaround and how it works.
Browse by topic
Every question below also has its own page, so you can link to a single answer.
The basics
What is a certified translation?
A certified translation is a complete, accurate translation accompanied by a signed certification statement from the translation provider confirming it is a true and accurate rendering of the original. Singapore agencies such as ICA and MOM require this for foreign-language documents.
What is a notarised translation?
A notarised translation is a certified translation with a Notary Public's attestation added on top. It is typically required for court proceedings, embassy or visa applications, and documents used overseas. We arrange the notarisation for you.
What is the difference between certified and notarised translation?
A certified translation includes a signed statement of accuracy from the translator and is enough for most Singapore government submissions (ICA, MOM, LTA). A notarised translation adds a Notary Public's attestation and is used for courts, embassies and overseas documents — which may also need an apostille. Read the full comparison →
What is legalisation or an apostille?
An apostille authenticates a document for use in another country under the Apostille Convention. In Singapore, apostilles are issued by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), usually after notarisation. We can manage this step as part of your order.
Do you use machine translation or AI?
No. Every certified translation is produced and verified by qualified human translators. No document is delivered machine-only.
What a notarised or apostilled document looks like
Illustrative samples only — not real documents. Your certificate carries your own document's details.
Acceptance & requirements by agency
Are your translations accepted by ICA?
Yes. Our certified translations follow the format ICA requires for foreign-language supporting documents, including the certification statement. Where notarisation is additionally required, we arrange it. See our ICA guide →
Are your translations accepted by MOM?
Yes. We provide certified translations for Employment Pass, S Pass and Work Permit applications and other Ministry of Manpower submissions.
Can you translate my foreign driving licence for LTA?
Yes. LTA requires a certified English translation of non-English driving licences for licence conversion — one of our most common same-day orders. Upload clear photos of both sides. See our LTA guide →
Do you translate documents for the Registry of Marriages (ROM)?
Yes. We provide certified translations of birth certificates, divorce records and other documents required for marriage registration at ROM or ROMM.
What about documents for use overseas?
Documents leaving Singapore usually need notarisation plus an SAL apostille. Tell us the destination country and we will confirm the exact chain required.
Will my translation be accepted the first time?
We format every translation to the receiving authority's requirements, and a second linguist reviews each certified translation, so it is accepted the first time. If notarisation or apostille is needed, we confirm it before you pay.
Documents & languages
What documents do you translate?
Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, household registers, police clearance certificates, degrees and transcripts, driving licences, passports, contracts, financial statements, and medical and technical documents.
What languages do you translate?
Any language into any other language — over 100 in total — including Chinese, Malay, Tamil, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Tagalog and Arabic.
Do you only translate into English?
No. We translate any language into any other language, not only into English. Choose both your source and target language when requesting a quote.
Can you translate a photo or scan of my document?
Yes, as long as every part of the document — including stamps and seals — is legible. If anything is unclear, we ask before starting.
What file formats do you accept?
PDF, Word documents and image files such as JPG and PNG, up to 200 MB each. A clear scan or phone photo is fine.
Turnaround, pricing & delivery
How much does a certified translation cost in Singapore?
Standard one-page civil documents are a flat fee from around S$68 per page. Notarisation and SAL authentication or apostille are added as separate, clearly listed line items and quoted upfront.
Do you offer same-day translation?
Yes. Same-day service is available for many single-page documents confirmed before noon during business hours.
How long does a certified translation take?
Most single-page documents are translated, checked and certified within the same or next working day. Larger or multi-page projects are quoted with a turnaround before work begins.
What counts as a "page"?
A standard page is up to 250 words. Longer documents are priced per page or per word, confirmed before work begins so there are no surprises.
How do I receive my translation?
You receive a certified soft copy by email first. Hard copies are available by courier island-wide or collection by appointment.
How do I pay?
Securely online — we accept PayNow and major cards via Stripe. You only pay once you have approved your quote.
Trust & privacy
Is my document kept confidential?
Yes. Documents are handled securely and treated as strictly confidential, with NDAs available for corporate and legal work.