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.
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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.
Does an apostille replace an English translation?
No. An apostille authenticates the signature or seal on a document for use in another country; it does not translate anything. A foreign-language divorce decree still needs an English translation before any authentication step. See our divorce decree translation guide.
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.
Does MOM accept a translation from a translation service provider?
Yes. For non-English supporting documents, MOM requires the original and its English translation to be uploaded together, and it allows the translation to be done by a translation service provider. See MOM's S Pass document requirements, and our S Pass translation guide for how to prepare the file.
Can MOM request more documents after an S Pass application is submitted?
Yes. MOM may ask for additional information or documents during processing, and an S Pass application is usually processed or updated within 10 business days. Completing translations upfront reduces avoidable delays — see MOM's S Pass application page and our S Pass translation guide.
Can the Family Justice Courts translate a divorce decree?
The Singapore Courts provide document translation from Chinese, Malay and Tamil into English, subject to acceptance of the request and limited to documents intended for filing or use in court proceedings. For other languages, or where a request is declined, you will need a private certified translation provider. See our divorce decree translation guide.
Does a foreign divorce decree need translation for a Singapore court?
Yes. If a divorce decree or a related document filed or used in the Family Justice Courts is not in English, it must be accompanied by an English translation. Under the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024, documents filed or used in Court must be in the English language, and the translation is normally certified by a court interpreter or verified by an affidavit. See our divorce decree translation guide.
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.
Must I upload the original document together with its translation?
For MOM S Pass submissions, the non-English original and its English translation must be uploaded together as one file, so the reviewing officer can compare them side by side. Our S Pass translation guide shows the recommended page order — original first, translation immediately after. See MOM's document requirements.
Does an S Pass translation need to be notarised?
MOM's S Pass guidance allows a translation prepared by a translation service provider and does not state that every translation must be notarised. Notarisation is a separate service, so check whether your receiving authority requires it. See certified vs notarised translation and our S Pass translation guide.
Who uploads the translated S Pass documents?
The employer or appointed employment agent submits the S Pass application and uploads the supporting documents, including any translations, with the candidate's written consent. See MOM's application process and our S Pass translation guide.
Does a divorce decree translation need to be notarised?
Not automatically. A court filing usually needs a translation that is certified or verified, not necessarily notarised; notarisation is a separate step that may be required for embassy, overseas or other uses. Check the requirement for your specific filing — see certified vs notarised translation.
Does the whole divorce decree need to be translated?
Translate every page that matters to the filing — the order itself, any annexes or schedules, endorsements, court seals and handwritten notes. Omitting the reverse side, a schedule or a seal is a common reason a filing is queried. Our divorce decree translation guide explains what a court-ready set should contain.
Turnaround, pricing & delivery
How much does a certified translation cost in Singapore?
Standard one-page civil documents are a flat fee from around S$49 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.
How quickly can Bablio translate S Pass documents?
Bablio offers same-day turnaround for suitable S Pass translation orders; the final time depends on page count, language pair, legibility and whether certification is needed. See same-day translation and our S Pass translation guide.
How much does a divorce decree translation cost?
Cost depends on the provider, language, page count, urgency, and whether certification, an affidavit or notarisation is required. Bablio quotes per page from around S$49 for standard civil documents, with any notarisation or SAL authentication listed separately. See how much a certified translation costs.
Trust & privacy
Is my document kept confidential?
Yes. Documents are handled securely and treated as confidential — we share them only with our affiliated companies, translators, notaries, payment and hosting providers, and relevant authorities, solely as needed to complete your order and as described in our Privacy Policy. NDAs are available for corporate and legal work.