Birth Certificate Translation Services in Singapore

ICA lists three routes it accepts. One, a translation done by the embassy of the country that issued your certificate. Two, a translation done by a notary public in Singapore or in that country. Three, a private translation that is then attested by that embassy or notarised by a notary public in Singapore. A translation company stamp on its own is not on that list. So for PR, citizenship and LTVP, plan for the notarised version. Since 1 October 2019, a notarised paper in Singapore also has to be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law. ICA does not endorse any private translation company, so be careful with anyone who promises you approval.

Certified translation starts at S$40 a page. If you need it fast, urgent service starts at S$70 a page. If you need the ICA version, the certified plus notarised package starts at S$120 a document, and the SAL fee is added on top at what it actually costs. Rare languages cost more. Send us the scan and you will have a firm number within the hour.

Yes, and this is what most people ask for. We translate it, we certify it, we send it to a Notary Public, then we send it to SAL. You deal with one team and pay one bill. The order of the steps matters. Translate first, notarise second. If you notarise first and translate later, you often have to start again and pay twice.

SAL is the Singapore Academy of Law. Since 1 October 2019, when a Notary Public in Singapore signs a document, SAL has to authenticate that notary's signature. So if your file is going the notarised route, this step comes with it. SAL is also the only body here that can issue an apostille, which is what you need when the paper is going to another country.

Yes, this is one of the most common jobs we do. We handle the old handwritten ones and the newer printed ones from Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara. We translate the race and religion fields, the registration numbers and every stamp, because leaving one out is a common reason a file gets sent back. Send us both sides of the scan and we will tell you within the hour what it will cost and how long it will take.

We only need what the office is asking for. Many people from China are asked for both the birth certificate and the hukou book, because the hukou shows the family link. If you have been asked for both, we can do them together in one order, so the family names match across the two papers and you only pay one delivery charge.

Not for use inside Singapore. Singapore birth certificates are already in English, and since 29 May 2022 they come as digital birth certificates through LifeSG. You only need a translation when the certificate leaves the country, for example for a China visa, a Gulf visa, an overseas school, or a foreign passport claim. In that case we translate it into the other language and arrange the notary and apostille steps.

Usually yes, because the birth certificate is what proves the family link. For a Dependant's Pass or LTVP through MOM, your child's certificate shows you are the parent. For a Student Pass or a school place, the school needs the age and the parent names in English. Tell us which pass you are applying for and we will tell you whether the certified version is enough or whether you need the notarised one.

If the whole page is already in English, you do not need a translation, and we will tell you that rather than sell you one. Sometimes there is a stamp, a note in the margin or a local language entry that is not in English. In that case only that part needs to be handled. Send us the scan and we will look at it for free.

Officers do compare them, and a different spelling slows things down. We cannot change what the certificate says, and we would never do that. What we can do is spell it the same way your passport does where the original allows it, and add a short translator's note explaining the difference where it does not. Send your passport page along with the certificate so we can see both.

Yes. We see faded certificates from thirty and forty years ago all the time. Send the clearest scan you can make. Where a word truly cannot be read, we mark it as unclear in a translator's note instead of guessing. That is the honest way to do it, and officers would rather see that note than a made up word.

A clear scan is enough for the translation, and your original stays at home with you. Send both sides if the back has any writing, notes or a correction on it. If the back is blank, the front is fine. For some notary work the notary may want to see the original, and we will tell you in advance if that applies to your case. If an office asks for a stamped copy of the original as well, that is what our certified true copy services in Singapore are for.

The translation itself can be ready in 12 to 24 hours on the urgent plan. The notary and SAL steps depend on other people's diaries, so we cannot promise three days for the full notarised version every time. Send it today and message us on WhatsApp so we know it is urgent. We will tell you straight away what is possible, and we will not take your money if we cannot make your date.

Yes. Every translation comes on letterhead with a signature and a stamp. You can collect it from our office or we can courier it to you for a small fee. Notarised sets are always hard copy, because the notary signs a physical page. Most people take the PDF and the paper copy both.