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Passport and Travel Document Translation Services
for Visa Applicants

Have you had your passport, birth certificate or other important travel documents translated? You might want to read this before you book that next flight.

Are you traveling abroad for work, school, or getting married outside the United States? Do you plan on living in a foreign country for an extended amount of time? Before you buy that ticket or book that flight, you might need to have your passport, birth certificate, marriage license, or other important travel documents translated and notarized by a professional translation agency before you apply for a travel visa.

  • Is it necessary to have my visa or passport documents translated?

    Whether you plan on vacationing, studying, or working abroad, most countries require that you present your passport, birth certificate, and other visa documents necessary in order to travel and live abroad for an extended period of time. In fact, before you can apply for a visa, some governments (like the United States for example) will request that you present them with a notarized translation of some of your most important documents before they will grant your visa request or entry into the country.  Having these important travel documents translated by a professional language service provider will make your entry or stay, in any country, easier and stress-free. 

Did You Know?

After the October 21, 1920, meeting of the League of Nations, US passports were issued in the English and French languages. It wasn't until some time during the Clinton administration that the Spanish language was added to
all US passports.

  • What is a Passport?

    A passport is a document that is issued by national governments. It is a legal document,  (a form of identification) that governments issue to citizens who wish to travel abroad. In short, It is a legal document that helps the holder of a passport to be identified by their legal name and country of citizenship. People who wish to stay in a country for an extended period of time or who want to study or work abroad must often obtain a visa, which usually gets added to the passport book.

  • What are the benefits of having your travel documents translated?

    Indeed, there are many benefits of having your personal travel documents translated from your language to the native language of the country you plan to visit. And, in fact, as mentioned above, in many parts of the world it is a requirement.  Most seasoned travelers know that having your passport, birth certificate and other government-issued documents translated before making any travel plans is important and will make traveling to your foreign vacation spot, or preparing for work stint overseas, an easier one. 

    Another asset of having your travel documents translated is the benefit of having a government-issued document that affirmatively proves your identity in case of an emergency, whether legal, medical or otherwise, that may help you in receiving the proper services you need in an efficient and timely manner. In many cases having a copy of your translated passport, birth certificate or another type of identity document on hand as you travel around a foreign country may save you a substantial amount of time and potential trouble.

  • What is required should you need a document translated?

    Should you need a translation of one of your documents in order to obtain a study or work visa you might need to have your letter of invitation, birth certificate, passport, health certificate, diploma from your school or university,  and criminal background check translated to the native language of your host country. These documents will be important to establishing your identity, your qualifications, as well as help to reassure the host country that you are not a threat.

    For example, the US Department of State requires that all documents that are not in English, or in the official language of the country where the visa application is initiated, must be submitted along with a certified (notarized) translation. Additionally, there a few things to take note of when it comes to having your documents translated.

    For example:
     

  • All words on the document must be translated, regardless whether or not they are important. Even the most insignificant word or phrase on a document is significant when applying for a visa. 
     

  • Another important matter to take note of when having your document translated is the fact that you cannot translate the document yourself and you should not have a friend or family translate your document for you, in order to avoid any problems. 
     

  • Also, any document you have translated should be certified (notarized) by the translator or translation agency carrying out the translation. This means that the translator (or translation agency), should provide you with a document stating that the translation was carried out by someone who is fluent in both languages. The document must also include the date, name, address, and signature of the person certifying the document (this will generally be the translator, project manager, or supervisor at the translation agency).

If you are planning on traveling abroad and need to have your travel documents (i.e., passport, birth certificate, health certificate, diploma) translated into English or from English into another language, write to us or call to speak to one of our knowledgeable agents who will assist you in getting your documents translated.

Concordis Language Services | USA

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