Official French to English Translation Services in Singapore
Moving to Singapore from France, Belgium, Switzerland or Canada? Or sending Singapore papers to France? Our French translation services in Singapore cover official French to English translation, and English to French, for ICA, MOM, the Traffic Police, HDB, schools, banks and French offices. Native French translators do the work by hand, and a second person checks every name, date and number.
Quick answer: A certified French translation starts from S$50 a page and takes 24 to 48 hours for a short certificate. The ICA version (translation + notary + SAL) starts from S$212.20 for a 1-page document and usually takes 3 to 7 working days. Need it fast? Send a short document before 11am on a weekday for same-day translation (+S$20 a page). The notary and SAL steps then add a few working days.
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Official French to English Translation: Certified, Notarised or Apostilled?
"Official" means different things to different offices. The office that reads your French paper decides which version you need. 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 translation is complete and correct.
- Used for: MOM work passes and Dependant's Passes, Traffic Police licence conversion, schools, banks, employers and most private offices.
- Time: 24 to 48 hours for a short certificate.
- From: S$50 per page.
2. Notarised Translation
- Who signs it: A Notary Public in Singapore (a senior lawyer), who notarises our certified translation.
- Used for: ICA PR, citizenship and LTVP files, and any office that asks for a notarised copy, such as HDB in some cases.
- 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.
- From: S$212.20 for a 1-page document (S$50 translation + S$75 notary + S$87.20 SAL).
3. Going to France or Another French-Speaking Country
- Who signs it: The Notary Public, then SAL, and for some countries the embassy too.
- Used for: Singapore papers going to a French registry, school, court or mairie, or to a French-speaking country.
- From: Included with notarisation. Embassy legalisation quoted on request.
One thing we will always tell you straight
Some offices in France do not accept any translation made outside France. They ask for a translator listed as a judicial expert with a French court of appeal, often called a "traducteur assermenté". Singapore has no state-appointed sworn translators, so no Singapore company can give you that stamp. Before you pay for an English to French job, ask the French office who must make the translation. If it must be a French court-listed translator, we tell you so. If an apostilled translation from Singapore is fine, we do it. For ICA, the rule is ICA's own: a notarised translation, not a company stamp alone.
French From France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Africa, Both Directions
French is written the same way everywhere, but each country prints its papers differently. Tell us which country issued your document and who will read the translation. From France we see the "copie intégrale" or "extrait avec filiation" birth record, the livret de famille, court extracts and payslips. Swiss papers may mix French and German, and we translate both parts. Papers from Morocco and Tunisia often carry French and Arabic side by side. We translate both, and our Arabic translation team checks the Arabic part.
Also: English to French (standard French, or Canadian or Swiss usage on request), DR Congo, Madagascar
We work both ways. French to English is for Singapore offices. English to French is for France and French-speaking offices, written in standard French unless you ask for Canadian or Swiss usage. Accents (é, è, ç) stay exactly as printed in names. Where a form here cannot take an accent, we add a short note with the plain form, so the officer sees one person, not two. Amounts such as 1 500,50 € are kept as printed, with a note.
French Documents We Translate, With the Right Route for Each
Several documents? Send them together for one bundled quote with an itemised breakdown.
Birth Records
Acte de naissance, copie intégrale or extrait avec filiation, see birth certificate translation.
Marriage, Family and Divorce
Acte de mariage and livret de famille, see marriage certificate translation. Jugement de divorce and "extrait des minutes" from a tribunal judiciaire, see divorce certificate translation.
Licences and Police Records
French, Swiss, Belgian and Quebec licences for the Traffic Police, see driving licence translation. Extrait de casier judiciaire, see police clearance translation.
Diplomas and Income Papers
Diplôme, relevé de notes, attestation de réussite, see academic certificate translation. Bulletins de salaire (payslips) and employer letters, see payslip translation.
Naturalisation, Name Change and Medical
A décret de naturalisation or a change of name, see name change certificate translation. Lab results and X-ray reports for ICA or an insurer, see medical translation.
Going Into French
An ACRA Business Profile and constitution for France, see ACRA document translation; a passport copy or a power of attorney, see power of attorney translation.
French to English Translation From Overseas: Upload, Pay, Receive
Four simple steps, and your originals can stay in France.
Send clear photos or scans
Include every page, the back of each page and the stamps. Tell us the country that issued it and the office that will read it. Your originals can stay in France.
Get a fixed price within an hour
We reply during office hours with an itemised price, and we tell you whether you need certified, notarised or a French court-listed translator instead.
Native translator and second check
A native French translator does the work by hand. A second person checks every name, accent, date and amount against the original and your passport.
Delivery
Certified: a signed PDF, with a paper copy on request. Notarised: one PDF of the full set (copy of the original, translation, notarial certificate and SAL certificate) for upload, plus the signed paper set. Courier for a small fee, or collect from our office.
Why French Speakers Trust Us With Their Papers
What you get with every French job we take on.
Native French Translators
French papers are done by translators who grew up with the language, not by a machine. We do not claim titles we do not hold.
Names, Accents and Dates Checked Twice
A second person checks every accent, date and number, and matches names to your passport.
Your Papers Stay Private
Your documents are not pasted into public AI tools, and we sign an NDA on request.
Honest Timelines
24 to 48 hours for a certified certificate, 3 to 7 working days with the notary and SAL. If a French office needs its own translator, we say so before you pay.
A Typical Job: A 6-Page French Divorce Extract Translated, Notarised and Apostilled
This is how a typical French court extract job runs. It shows our usual process, not one named client. A client in Singapore needs a French divorce judgment in English for an official file.
Divorce Judgment Translation
Original
An "extrait des minutes" from a tribunal judiciaire: 6 pages with text, about 1,600 words, plus one blank page.
What the client needed
French divorce judgment needed in English for an official file
- Paying for a blank page in the extract.
- The court's case number, the judges' names and every date have to match the original exactly.
What we did
Translation, notary and SAL in one order
- We counted only the pages with text, so the client did not pay for the blank one.
- A native French translator kept the court's case number, the judges' names and every date exactly as printed.
- A second person checked the names against her passport.
- The translation then went to a Notary Public and to SAL for the apostille.
- The full set came back as one PDF plus the signed paper set.
How Much Does French Translation Cost in Singapore?
You pay per page for certificates and per word for long files, and you get a fixed price before we start. Several documents? Send them together for one bundled quote.
Notarised for ICA
3-7 daysStarting from · 1-page document, notary + SAL included
- Includes the notary fee (S$75) and the SAL fee (S$87.20)
- +S$50 for each extra page
- PDF for upload plus the signed paper set
Certified Translation
24-48 hrsStarting from
- French to English or English to French
- For MOM, the Traffic Police, schools, banks and HDB
- Signed PDF, paper copy on request
Long Files
QuotedStarting from
- Contracts, payslip sets, company papers and reports
- Repeated text such as payslip headers counted once
- Same-day: +S$20 a page for short documents sent before 11am on a weekday (translation only)
Worked example: a PR set (from a real enquiry). A French applicant needs a 1-page birth certificate, a 6-page divorce judgment and a 1-page diploma translated for an ICA PR file. Birth certificate, notarised: S$212.20. Divorce judgment, notarised: S$212.20 + 5 extra pages × S$50 = S$462.20. Diploma, notarised: S$212.20. Total: from S$886.60, ready in 3 to 7 working days. This assumes each document gets its own notarial certificate and SAL apostille. Your quote shows the exact count before you pay. French is a common language for us. Old handwritten records, very faded pages or a French dialect inside a document may take longer, and we tell you before we start.
What Our French Clients Say
Here is what clients said after we translated their French papers.
Real Client Experiences
Swipe to read more success stories
Finally Found a French Translator I Can Trust
"After searching many places, I chose them for my French birth extract into English. I was worried about small errors. They reviewed every line slowly. The final copy looked neat..."
My ICA File Went Through Without Trouble
"To complete my PR papers, I needed my French marriage record translated into English. I asked them many questions first. They replied clearly. The document came back clean and well..."
Clear English Copy That Matched Every Detail
"Sending my French academic transcript made me nervous at first. Marks and names had to be exact. They handled it carefully. The English version looked organised and readable. My university..."
Fast Turnaround for Urgent Job Matter
"With a tight deadline, I shared my French work letter for English translation. They started quickly. I liked how they kept the layout similar. The wording was simple and clear...."
Careful Handling of My Divorce Paper
"Preparing personal documents is never easy. My French divorce certificate needed English translation. They checked all dates and names properly. The final file looked tidy and correct. I felt at..."
Business Profile Now Ready for French Clients
"Expanding my company meant translating our English profile into French. I wanted simple words, not heavy terms. They adjusted the tone nicely. The French text sounded natural. My partners responded..."
Product Details That Sound Truly French
"Launching in France required English product text changed into French. I did not want awkward phrases. They shaped the sentences smoothly. The message stayed clear. Sales inquiries increased after we..."
Contract Translation Done with Care
"Before signing a deal, I asked them to convert my English agreement into French. Every clause needed to stay accurate. They followed the meaning closely. Delivery came on schedule. I..."
Smooth Change from English to French Letter
"Writing to my French supplier required proper wording. I shared my English letter for translation. The French version felt polite and clear. My supplier replied without confusion. I appreciated the..."
French Medical Note Translated to Arabic Clearly
"During a family emergency, I needed my French medical note translated into Arabic. Time was important. They worked calmly and kept me updated. The Arabic text was easy to understand...."
Other French Services and Guides
A French file rarely has one paper. We run the set as one job, so every name and accent is spelt the same way on every page.
Helpful guides
Several Documents? One Bundled Quote
Send them together for one bundled quote with an itemised breakdown.
Common Questions About French Translation in Singapore
Short, direct answers to the questions clients ask us most.
FAQ Group
Does ICA or MOM accept a certified French translation?
MOM, yes. A certified English translation by a translation company is enough for an Employment Pass, Dependant's Pass or Work Holiday Pass. ICA, plan for notarised. ICA accepts an embassy translation, a notary's translation, or a private translation that is notarised or embassy-attested, and it does not endorse any translation company. For a French birth or divorce paper in a PR file, we do the translation and the notarisation in one order.
How much does French translation cost in Singapore?
A certified French translation starts at S$50 a page. The ICA version, with notary and SAL, starts at S$212.20 for a 1-page document, and each extra page adds S$50. Long files such as payslip sets are priced from S$0.22 a word. Same-day adds S$20 a page. Send a scan and you get a fixed, itemised price within an hour.
Do you notarise through the French Embassy or through SAL?
Through a Notary Public in Singapore, and then SAL. Every Singapore notarisation must be authenticated by SAL, which does this with an apostille. The S$87.20 SAL fee is included in our notarised price. We do not use the French Embassy for this. If an office in France wants something from the embassy itself, ask the embassy directly.
My appointment or deadline is in a few days. Can you still help?
Often, yes. A short French certificate can be translated the same day if you send it before 11am on a weekday. A licence for a Traffic Police slot is usually easy. The notary and SAL steps for ICA depend on their schedules and add a few working days. Message us on WhatsApp with your date, and we will tell you honestly if it works.
Do I get a PDF and a paper copy? Do you need my original French document?
A clear photo or scan is enough to start, so your originals can stay in France. Certified jobs come as a signed PDF, with paper on request. Notarised sets are made on paper because the notary signs a real page, and you also get one PDF of the full set to upload. Collect the paper set from our office, or we courier it for a small fee.
Will a French office accept your English to French translation, or do I need a "traducteur assermenté"?
It depends on the office. Some offices in France accept an apostilled translation from abroad. Others, often courts and some registries, want a translator listed as a judicial expert with a French court of appeal. Singapore has no state-appointed sworn translators. Ask the French office first. If it needs its own listed translator, we tell you before you pay.
My French birth certificate is a "copie intégrale" or an "extrait". Which should I send?
For ICA or MOM, send the version that shows your parents' names: the copie intégrale or the "extrait avec filiation". The short extract without parents may not be enough for a PR file. Some offices also want a recent copy, issued in the last 3 to 6 months, so check your office's rule before you order a new one from France.
Can you translate my French or Swiss driving licence for the Traffic Police?
Yes. The Traffic Police asks for a translation by a Singapore-registered translation company, which a certified translation from us is. We translate both sides of the card, keep every licence class as printed, and write dates in day-month-year form. You do not need a notary for licence conversion. See our driving licence translation page for the full steps.
My papers are from Belgium, Quebec or Senegal. Is that the same as France?
The language is the same, but the office names and layouts differ, so tell us the country. For papers coming to Singapore, ICA's rule is the same whatever the country. For papers going out, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal accept SAL's apostille. Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, DR Congo and Madagascar also need embassy legalisation, which we arrange.
Can I use Google Translate or my own French translation?
Not for an official file. MOM wants a translation by a translation service provider, and the Traffic Police wants a Singapore-registered company. For ICA, a translation you make yourself is not one of the routes ICA lists; it would still need to be notarised or attested by the embassy. It is simpler and often cheaper to start with a professional translation.
Get Your French Translation Done Right the First Time
Send photos of your French papers, tell us the country that issued them and the office that will read them, and get a fixed, itemised price within an hour.