Household Register Translation Services in Singapore
Need your hukou, koseki or Kartu Keluarga in English? ICA needs every document that is not in English to come with an official translation. For PR, citizenship and LTVP, ICA accepts an embassy translation, a notary's translation, or a private translation that is notarised. A company stamp alone is not enough. A household register shows the whole family, so every page, name and seal counts. We handle all three steps for you: the translation, the Notary Public and SAL.
Quick answer: A certified household register translation starts from S$40 a page and takes 24 to 48 hours. The ICA version (translation + notary + SAL) starts from S$202.20 for 1 page, and each extra page adds S$40. It takes 3 to 7 working days. Need it fast? Send it before 11am on a weekday for same-day translation of a short document. The notary and SAL steps then add a few working days.
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Certified or Notarised Household Register Translation: Which One Do You Need?
Different offices ask for different levels of proof. MOM and many visa offices take a certified translation. ICA does not. Filing with ICA? You only need card 2.
1. Certified Translation
- Who signs it: Our translator and our company, with a signed and dated statement that the English is complete and correct.
- Used for: MOM pass files, schools, and visa offices such as the UK and Schengen countries.
- Time: 24 to 48 hours.
2. Notarised Translation
- Who signs it: A Notary Public in Singapore (a senior lawyer), who signs and seals our certified translation.
- Used for: ICA PR, citizenship, LTVP and LTVP+ files.
- Extra step: SAL then authenticates every notarised document with an apostille. The S$87.20 SAL fee is included.
- Time: 3 to 7 working days.
3. Going Abroad: Apostille or Embassy Legalisation
- Who signs it: The Notary Public, then SAL, and for some countries the embassy too.
- Used for: A translation that leaves Singapore, such as a visa or family file abroad.
- Time: 3 to 7 working days, plus the embassy's own time where needed.
- Good to know: SAL's apostille goes on our notarial certificate, not your register. The UAE and Qatar also need the embassy.
One thing we will always tell you straight
ICA does not endorse any private translation company. No company in Singapore can promise you that ICA will say yes. What ICA looks at is the route the translation took: an embassy, a notary, or a private translation that was notarised or attested later. So we do not sell you a promise. We build your file in the exact shape ICA asks for, and we tell you honestly when you do not need an extra step. Our ICA translation services page sets out the full rules in plain words.
Hukou, Koseki, Kartu Keluarga and Other Family Registers in English
Your family register may be a China household register (hukou, 户口簿): the head-of-household page plus one page for each member, with red police (公安局) seals. Read with your Chinese birth certificate translation. It may also be a Japan family register (koseki, 戸籍謄本), now often called 全部事項証明書 (full record) or 個人事項証明書 (one person's record); a Korean family relation certificate (가족관계증명서) or basic certificate (Korea replaced the old hoju register on 1 January 2008); a Taiwan household registration transcript (戶籍謄本) in Traditional Chinese; an Indonesian family card (Kartu Keluarga, KK); a Vietnamese household book (sổ hộ khẩu), which Vietnam stopped using on 1 January 2023, so newer files use a residence confirmation instead; a Thai house registration book (ทะเบียนบ้าน, Tabien Baan); or a Myanmar household list (အိမ်ထောင်စုစာရင်း). Kartu Keluarga in English: "Kartu Keluarga" means "family card". It is Indonesia's official family record, issued by the civil registry (Dukcapil). It lists each member's name, NIK number, place and date of birth, religion, education, job, marital status and relationship to the head of the family. Our guide on Kartu Keluarga translation for ICA explains every field.
Also: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Khmer
We translate every column, seal, amendment note and former name. Other register types are quoted on request. Rare languages cost more, so tell us the language.
Using a Translated Family Register Outside Singapore
Many families in Singapore also need the register in English for a trip or a move.
UK Visas
The translation must confirm it is accurate and show the date, the translator's full name, signature and contact details. Our certified translation includes all of these.
Schengen Visas
Rules differ by country. Some accept a certified English translation, and some want a translator from their own list. We check the embassy's page with you first.
Study and Work Abroad
Some universities and immigration offices want a translator's affidavit of accuracy, sworn before a Notary Public in Singapore and then apostilled by SAL.
Good to Know
Singapore has no state-appointed sworn translators. A "sworn" translation here means a translator's affidavit, or a translator on an embassy's own list.
How to Get Your Household Register Translated: Scan Every Page, We Handle Notary and SAL
Four steps, and we handle the notary and SAL for you.
Send a clear scan of every page
Include the cover, the head-of-household page, every member page and any amendment pages. Add the passport pages of everyone named so we can match the spelling. Keep the original at home.
Get a price and a plan
We reply within an hour with a fixed, itemised price. We tell you which pages the office needs, and whether you need the notary and SAL steps.
Translation and check
A human translator does the work. A second person checks every name, ID number, date, relationship and seal before it moves on.
Notary and SAL if needed
For ICA, we send your translation to a Notary Public in Singapore and then to SAL for the apostille. You get a PDF of the full set (original, translation, notary and SAL pages) to upload to ICA, plus the signed paper copy. A certified translation comes as a signed PDF, with paper on request. Courier for a small fee, or collect from our office.
Why Families Trust Us With Household Register Translation
Four things we do on every family register.
Names Checked Against Your Passport
A register can list five or more people. We match every name to each passport and add a translator's note where a character can be read two ways.
Nothing on the Page Is Skipped
Every police seal, amendment, former name and handwritten line gets translated. A missing seal can get a file sent back.
Notary Step Handled Here
We work with a partner Notary Public in Singapore and send the paper on to SAL after that. You do not have to book a lawyer or queue anywhere yourself.
Honest Timelines
Certified translation takes 24 to 48 hours. With the notary and SAL steps, the whole job usually takes 3 to 7 working days. We tell you the real date, not a nice one.
A Real Job: A 4-Page Hukou Translated and Notarised for an ICA PR File
A PR applicant from mainland China sent us a 4-page hukou: the head-of-household page and three member pages, each with a red 公安局 seal. Her ICA appointment was close, so there was no time for a second round.
Household Register Translation
Original: 4-page hukou with red 公安局 seals
The head-of-household page and three member pages, each with a red police seal.
What the client needed
PR applicant from mainland China
- Her ICA appointment was close, so there was no time for a second round.
- Every name and seal on four pages had to match the family's passports.
What we did
A native mainland Chinese translator did each page
- A native mainland Chinese translator did each page.
- We checked every name against the family's passports.
- We used the passport pinyin and described each seal instead of skipping it.
- The English was ready in 24 hours.
- The notary and SAL steps followed, and the full set was ready within the quoted time.
How Much Does Household Register Translation Cost in Singapore?
You pay per page, and you get a fixed price before we start. Registers are often 2 to 6 pages. Several documents, such as the register, birth and marriage certificates? Send them together for one bundled quote with an itemised breakdown.
Notarised for ICA
3-7 daysStarting from · 1 page, notary + SAL included
- Includes the notary fee (S$75) and the SAL fee (S$87.20)
- +S$40 for each extra page (a 4-page hukou: from S$322.20)
- PDF for the ICA upload plus the signed paper set
Certified Translation
24-48 hrsStarting from
- Signed and stamped by our company
- For MOM, schools and UK or Schengen visas
- Signed PDF, paper copy on request
Urgent
Same day*Extra charge
- *Same-day translation if sent before 11am on a weekday (short documents)
- The notary and SAL steps still take a few working days, depending on the notary's schedule
Languages: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai are standard languages for us. Burmese, Khmer and other rarer languages cost more, so tell us the language.
What Clients Say
Real Client Experiences
Real Client Experiences
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Great Choice For Expats
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My Thesis Feels Complete
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Other Papers You May Need for the Same Application
A register usually goes in with birth and marriage certificates. We run the set as one job, so every name is spelt the same way.
Helpful guides
Send Your Register and We Will Take It From There
Send your register with your birth and marriage certificates in one go. We run the set as one job, so every name is spelt the same way.
Common Questions About Hukou and Family Register Translation
Straight answers to the questions we hear most about family registers.
FAQ Group
Does ICA accept a certified translation, or must my household register be notarised?
For PR, citizenship and LTVP, plan for notarised. ICA accepts an embassy translation, a notary's translation (in Singapore or the issuing country), or a private translation that a notary has notarised. ICA does not endorse any translation company, so a company stamp alone is not enough. We do the translation and the notarisation in one order.
How much does household register translation cost in Singapore?
A certified translation starts at S$40 a page. The ICA version, with translation, notary and SAL, starts at S$202.20 for 1 page, and each extra page adds S$40, so a 4-page hukou is from S$322.20. Same-day translation costs S$20 more a page for short documents sent before 11am on a weekday. Send us a scan for a fixed price within an hour.
What is Kartu Keluarga in English?
Kartu Keluarga means "family card". It is Indonesia's official family record from the civil registry (Dukcapil). It lists every member of the household with their NIK number, birth details, religion, job and relationship to the head of the family. For ICA, it needs an official English translation, usually notarised.
Do I need every page, or only the head-of-household page?
For ICA, usually every page. ICA checks the links between parents and children, and those links sit across the member pages. Some MOM files need only your own page. Send us the whole register, and we will tell you the smallest set that fits your office, so you do not pay for pages you do not need.
What is the difference between a koseki tohon and a shohon?
A tohon (now often 全部事項証明書) is a full copy of the family register. A shohon (個人事項証明書) shows only one person. For PR or citizenship, ICA usually needs the full record to see the family links. If you only have a shohon, we will tell you whether to order a full copy from your city office in Japan.
My Vietnamese sổ hộ khẩu or Korean hoju register is old. Is it still used?
Vietnam stopped using household books on 1 January 2023, and Korea replaced the hoju register with family relation certificates in 2008. Old books can still show family history, but an office may ask for the newer record. We translate both, and we will tell you which one fits your file.
Names on my register are spelt differently from our passports. Is that a problem?
It is common, and it can be fixed. We follow the passport spelling for every person and add a short translator's note where the register reads differently, or where a character has two readings. Please send the passports of everyone named.
Do I need SAL authentication or an apostille for ICA?
You do not need a separate step. When a Singapore notary signs your translation, SAL must authenticate it, and since 16 September 2021 it does this with an apostille. We arrange it, and the S$87.20 fee is included in our notarised price. Embassy legalisation is only needed for some countries abroad.
My ICA appointment is in a few days. Can you still help?
The translation can be ready the same day if you send a short document before 11am on a weekday. A long register may take longer. The notary and SAL steps depend on their schedules and usually add a few working days. Message us on WhatsApp today and we will tell you honestly whether your date is possible.
Do I get a paper copy as well as the PDF? And do you need the original?
A clear scan of every page is enough, and your original stays with you. Faded or older registers are fine; we mark unreadable words as unclear rather than guess. Notarised sets always come on paper, plus a PDF of the full set to upload to ICA. Collect the paper set, or we courier it for a small fee.
Get Your Household Register Translation Done the Right Way
Send a scan of every page of your hukou, koseki or Kartu Keluarga, tell us which office it is for, and get a fixed price within an hour.