ICA Translation Service In Singapore

Certified translation works for most ICA PR cases. But if you submit from overseas or if multiple government agencies need to see the document, notarisation makes things simpler. Notarisation means a lawyer or official verified both your original document and translation are real. It adds extra proof. Many ICA officers prefer seeing notarisation because it means two professionals checked your work, not just one translator. If you are unsure, add notary stamp — it costs little more but stops questions later.

No. ICA requires professional certified translation. If you translate it yourself, ICA rejects it immediately — even if your English is perfect. Why? Because ICA needs someone who is officially registered and has no connection to you personally. They need someone who accepts responsibility if translation is wrong. That is the entire point of certified translation. Self-translation looks like you are trying to hide something. It is a red flag to ICA officers. Yes, professional translation costs money. But rejected applications cost weeks of waiting and cost more in the end.

No. ICA only accepts certified translations from Singapore-registered translators. People selling translation on Fiverr, Upwork, and similar websites are not registered with Singapore authorities. Their translations have zero legal standing. If you use them, ICA rejects your application immediately. Then you waste weeks and still have to pay a proper certified translator to redo everything. It seems cheap at first. But it ends up costing way more time and stress.

Certified ICA translation starts at S$40 per page. Adding notarisation costs about S$75-80 extra per document. SAL legalisation (needed for overseas use) costs around S$120 per document. So a typical PR case with birth certificate, marriage certificate, and academic records costs between S$300-600 total — depending on number of pages and which services you add. Exact price depends on: how many pages, which languages, whether you need urgent service. We give you final price before starting work so no surprises.

Cheapest is not always best for ICA. Very cheap translators sometimes skip details or use wrong format — then ICA rejects the file. You end up paying more to fix it. Our standard price (S$40/page) is fair market rate for Singapore certified translation. We are not the most expensive. We are not the cheapest. We focus on getting approved first time so you do not waste weeks reapplying. Paying slightly more upfront saves you time and stress.

Certified translation alone takes 24-48 hours for standard service. Adding notarisation takes a few more hours — usually same day possible. But SAL legalisation (Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp) takes 5-7 working days because it goes to government office. If your ICA deadline is close, order urgent certified translation (12-24 hours) plus notary (same day). Then plan 7 extra days if you need SAL. Do not wait if deadline is tight — urgent slots fill up fast.

We offer same-day urgent ICA translation service. Send your documents before 10 AM and get certified translation by 5 PM same day. This costs more (S$70/page instead of S$40) but if your ICA appointment is tomorrow, it saves everything. We keep translator slots reserved for urgent cases only. If you need this service, call us or WhatsApp immediately — do not send email because email is slow. Call: +65 3129 4104. WhatsApp: same number.

Even if your English birth certificate has a stamp from another English-speaking country, ICA might want verification that stamp is authentic. Some translators add a certified statement saying "This English document is certified as true copy" — it is not exactly translation but ICA accepts it. If your certificate has any non-English text at all (even just location names), get formal translation. Better to be safe than have ICA send it back asking for proper translation.

Foreign marriage certificates for Long-Term Visit Pass need certified translation plus notarisation. Here is how: 1) Send clear scan of marriage certificate to us. 2) We translate it perfectly into English. 3) Notary public verifies both original and translation are real. 4) You get certified translated copy with notary stamp ready for ICA. Typical time: 2-3 days. Cost: around S$150-180 total (translation plus notary). LTVP officers specifically want to see notary stamp on marriage documents because it proves certificate is real and translation is accurate.

No. You send us a clear scan or photo of your document — we do NOT need the physical original. Your original stays completely safe with you at home. Clear scan is enough for us to make certified translation. Original documents only matter if ICA asks to verify directly with you — and that is between you and ICA, not our problem. We work from scans only. This keeps your documents safe and makes process faster. You keep control of originals the whole time.