Certified Translation Services for Apostille and International Documents
We coordinate electronic and wet-ink certified translations, including notarized translations that may be eligible for apostille.
SF Notary + Apostille coordinates professional translations for birth and marriage certificates, divorce decrees, powers of attorney, diplomas, corporate records, background checks, and other documents being used outside the United States.
Translations can be delivered electronically or as wet-ink certified and notarized originals that may be eligible for a California apostille.
Key Considerations Before Ordering
Translation requirements vary by country and receiving party. Before ordering, ask the attorney, court, government agency, consulate, university, or other organization receiving the document to confirm:
Whether it will accept an electronic translation or requires a paper original
Whether the translation must be certified, notarized, apostilled, or completed by a specially authorized translator
Whether the apostille and all attached stamps must also be translated
A certified, notarized, or apostilled translation prepared in the United States is not automatically accepted by every foreign authority.
Translation Services Through Efimente
We regularly work with Efimente Translation Center, Inc., which provides professional translations in many languages.
Electronic Certified Translations
A certified translation can be delivered by email as a PDF. This is generally the fastest option when the receiving party accepts electronic documents.
Wet-Ink Certified and Notarized Translations
Efimente can also provide a paper translation with a wet-ink translator certification and notarization. The original must be physically delivered or shipped.
When properly notarized in California, the translator’s certification may be eligible for a California apostille. The apostille authenticates the California notary’s signature and commission. It does not certify the accuracy of the translation or the translator’s professional qualifications.
Special Considerations for Spain
Some attorneys, courts, government agencies, universities, and other receiving parties in Spain require a traducción jurada, or sworn translation, completed by a translator appointed by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
This is not a universal requirement for every document presented in Spain. Clients should ask the receiving party whether a Spanish sworn translation is required.
A standard U.S. certified translation—even if notarized and apostilled—may not satisfy this requirement. Spain provides an official searchable registry of Sworn Translators and Interpreters.
When requested in advance, we can arrange a sworn translation through The Spanish Group using a translator authorized by Spain’s Ministry. This specialized service generally takes longer, involves a more detailed process, and costs more than a standard certified translation.
Requirements in Other Countries
Spain is not the only country where a receiving party may require a translator with particular government, court, or professional credentials. Requirements can also vary between organizations within the same country.
Ask the receiving party to provide its translation instructions in writing whenever possible. We can then help arrange the appropriate translation, notarization, apostille, and delivery services.
How to Request a Translation Quote
Email the following to info@sfnotary.com:
A clear and complete scan of each document
The language requested
The country where the documents will be presented
Any written instructions from the receiving party
Your deadline
Clients may contract directly with Efimente or The Spanish Group or ask us to coordinate the translation as part of a document-retrieval, notarization, apostille, legalization, or shipping order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a certified translation?
A certified translation includes a statement from the translator or translation company affirming that the translation is complete and accurate.
Is a certified translation the same as a notarized translation?
No. A notarized translation includes a translator’s certification signed before a notary public. The notary verifies the signing of the certification but does not verify the accuracy of the translation.
Can a translation receive an apostille?
A paper translator certification that has been properly notarized may be eligible for an apostille from the state that commissioned the notary.
The apostille authenticates the notary’s signature and authority. It does not certify the translation’s accuracy or confirm that the translator holds credentials required by the destination country.
Can an electronic translation receive an apostille?
An emailed PDF cannot receive a traditional paper apostille from California. If an apostille is required, a wet-ink signed and properly notarized translator certification will usually be needed.
Will a notarized and apostilled translation be accepted in every country?
Not always. The receiving party may require a sworn, public, court-authorized, or otherwise specially credentialed translator. Check the recipient’s requirements prior to placing your order.
What type of translation is needed for Spain?
It depends on the receiving party. Some organizations in Spain accept standard certified translations, while others require a traducción jurada completed by a translator appointed by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Confirm the requirement before ordering.
Should the document be apostilled before it is translated?
Often, yes. The translator may need to translate the document, the apostille, and any attached stamps or certifications. Ask the receiving party to confirm the required order.
Translation, Apostille and International Shipping Assistance
SF Notary + Apostille can coordinate document retrieval, mobile notarization, certified or sworn translation, California and federal apostilles, embassy or consulate legalization, scanning, and domestic or international FedEx delivery.
Send a clear scan of your document, the destination country, and any instructions from the receiving party to info@sfnotary.com for review and a quote.
Disclaimers
Translation and document-acceptance requirements vary and may change. SF Notary + Apostille is not a law firm and does not determine whether a translation is legally sufficient for its intended use. Clients should confirm the requirements with the attorney, government agency, court, consulate, university, or other organization receiving the documents before ordering services.
Information on this website is for informational purposes only. These instructions are based on our knowledge and experience and are meant to be helpful; however, they might contain errors. Please let us know if you encounter mistakes so that we can promptly correct them. SF Notary + Apostille is not a law firm, and its agents are not attorneys. Please contact a licensed attorney or your local bar association for counsel on legal matters.