A real translation quote from a real translator.

A certified translation is a word-for-word rendering of your original document into the target language, accompanied by a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy in which the translator attests, under penalty of perjury, that they are competent in both languages and that the translation is complete and accurate. Foreign governments, USCIS, universities, courts, and consulates all rely on that certificate — not on the translator's business card or website — to accept the translation as evidence.

For apostille use, the certificate itself is what gets notarized and then apostilled. The underlying document (a birth certificate, diploma, court judgment, corporate resolution) is apostilled separately. The two apostilles travel together and prove to the receiving country that (a) the original document is genuine and (b) the translation is a faithful rendering of it. Skipping either apostille is the number-one reason foreign governments reject translated document packets.

Why we quote instead of posting a flat price

Certified translation is priced per word, per page, or per certificate, and rates vary widely by language pair. English-to-Spanish is one of the least expensive pairings because the market is deep; English-to-Icelandic, English-to-Amharic, and English-to-Tagalog are dramatically more expensive because the pool of certified translators is smaller. Formatting complexity also matters: a two-page apostilled birth certificate with a single seal costs less to reproduce than a 40-page court transcript with tables, footnotes, and handwritten judge annotations. A flat price forces every customer to overpay for the simpler jobs and underpay (with hidden surcharges later) for the harder ones — we prefer to quote each job honestly up front.

Who does the translation

We route your document to a vetted translation partner that maintains certified translators for the language pair you need. For USCIS-bound translations we use partners who follow 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — English-only rendering with a signed accuracy certificate. For foreign government use we use partners qualified by the destination country's requirements, which may include sworn translators registered with a specific ministry or embassy. During intake we confirm the intended use so the right translator is assigned the first time.

How the quote-to-charge flow works

You upload the document, tell us the target language and the intended use, and our partner reviews the file. Within one business day (usually within a few hours) you receive a written quote showing the per-word or per-page rate, the total, and the turnaround. Nothing is charged until you approve. Once you approve, we charge the card on file, the translator begins, and you receive the certified translation as a PDF plus a physical original if your use case requires wet signatures. If the document you upload turns out to be substantially longer or more complex than the file suggested, we requote before proceeding — we never silently raise the price.

Timing when translation is bundled with apostille

Most customers who order translation also need one or both underlying documents apostilled. We sequence the work so nothing waits: the original document begins its apostille journey the same day the packet arrives, while translation is drafted in parallel; the translation certificate is then notarized and apostilled after the translator delivers. In practice this means a customer who needs a translated and apostilled birth certificate for a foreign court usually receives the finished bilingual packet in one to three weeks depending on the state of issuance and the language pair.