Passports, ID Cards, True Copies
Passport Translation Singapore
Most passports already have an English page, but notes, stamps and ID cards often do not. Passport translation in Singapore covers those parts, so a bank, school or government office reads every line clearly.
For ICA, a private translation must be notarised by a notary public or attested by an embassy. We arrange the notary step. Need a certified true copy of your passport? We do that too.
- Data pages, ID cards, family cards
- Names copied exactly as printed
- Notarised PDF or certified true copy
- Long ID Numbers Double-CheckedEach digit compared against your card
- Entry Stamps Never GuessedFaded dates marked unclear, not invented
- Passport Scans Kept SecureOnly the order team can open them
- Fast Turnaround On PagesMost passport jobs done in 1–2 days
Certified Passport Translation Services And When ICA Needs Them
An English data page sits in most passports already, so a full translation is not always needed. Translating a passport helps when names, observation notes or ID cards are in another language. Check your form first.
Read the exact words on your form. "Translation" means the foreign words become English. "Certified true copy" means a notary checks that a copy matches the original. The two are often mixed up. For a copy, see our service to certify true copy in Singapore.
Going the other way? A Singapore passport copy may need a foreign language for a visa or a business file abroad. We do English to Chinese translation for China, and the notarised copy then gets SAL authentication, which adds an apostille certificate most countries accept.
Your Passport Translation Pack
- English translation of every page you send
- Names spelled as printed in the passport
- Translator's statement on our letterhead
- Notary stamp when the office needs it
- PDF, plus paper copy on request
Passport And ID Translation For PR, Banks And Marriage Registration
Identity papers sit at the centre of almost every form you file here. Passport and ID translation makes foreign names, notes and card details readable for ICA, banks, the marriage registry and schools.
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Singapore PR Application
ICA checks the identity papers of you and your family. Foreign ID cards, family books or passport notes need an English version, usually notarised.
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Citizenship Application
Citizenship files ask for identity records of the applicant and close family. Any non-English ID card or endorsement page should be translated and notarised.
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Long-Term Visit Pass
When a spouse or parent applies for an LTVP, ICA may ask for their national ID card. A translation shows the name, birth date and address clearly.
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Opening A Bank Account
Banks verify identity and home address for new customers. If your ID card shows the address only in another language, they may want it in English.
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Marriage Registration
The Registry of Marriages checks both parties' identity documents. Foreign-script ID cards or name notes may need translating before the solemnisation date.
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Enrolling A Child In School
Schools ask for the child's passport and sometimes a national ID or family card. An English copy helps them match names across every record.
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Visas And Business Abroad
Some foreign embassies want a Singapore passport copy in their own language. We translate it, and the SAL step on the notarised copy adds an apostille certificate.
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Employment Pass Or S Pass
Some employers and MOM officers ask for an English copy of passport pages that are not in English, such as extension or name notes.
Identity Card Translation In Singapore For Six Common Cases
Passports are only part of the story. Many offices also ask for a national ID card translation and family books. Here are six cases we see often. Each one needs a slightly different approach.
China Resident ID Card
Front: name, sex, birth date, address and the 18-digit ID number. Back: issuing office and valid dates. Both sides fit on one translated page in most cases.
Indonesian KTP And Family Card
The KTP is the Indonesian ID card. The Kartu Keluarga lists everyone in a household. Both often appear in family applications. We translate every row and column.
Tamil Script ID Cards
Sri Lankan identity cards and some older Indian papers carry Tamil text. Our Tamil to English translation keeps the name spelling from your passport, not a new one.
Arabic Passport Notes
Some passports from the Middle East have observation pages only in Arabic. Our Arabic document translation handles right-to-left script and writes dates the way Singapore does.
Observation And Name-Change Pages
A former name, a guardian or a note from the issuing office may sit on a back page. These lines matter to officers. We translate them in full.
Old Passports With Stamps
An office may ask about past travel. Visas and entry stamps in another language can be translated. Faded stamps are marked as unclear. We never guess a date.
National ID Card Translation From Chinese, Arabic, Thai And More
Few countries print every ID detail in English. National ID card translation is where most of our passport-related work happens, and these eight languages appear on the cards and passport notes we receive most.
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Chinese
居民身份证 resident ID cards from China, Taiwan 國民身分證 cards, and Chinese name lines on Hong Kong or Macau travel permits
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Indonesian
KTP electronic ID cards, Kartu Keluarga family cards and handwritten endorsement pages inside Indonesian passports
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Tamil
Sri Lankan national identity cards printed in Tamil and Sinhala, and Tamil-script name details on older family records
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Arabic
National ID cards from Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and Arabic observation notes or endorsements written inside passports
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Thai
บัตรประจำตัวประชาชน national ID cards, ทะเบียนบ้าน house registration entries and name-change certificates from Thai district offices
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Vietnamese
Căn cước công dân chip ID cards, older Chứng minh nhân dân cards and passport amendment pages from Vietnam
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Myanmar
National Registration Cards (NRC) written fully in Burmese script, showing the holder's father's name and Myanmar numerals
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Russian
Internal passports from Russia and Kazakhstan, with прописка registration stamps, marital notes and children's entries in Cyrillic
Holding a card in another script? We translate 100+ languages through native translators, so take a phone photo of both sides and send it over.
Chinese Names And Other Passport Details We Handle
Delays usually come from small details. This table shows what a passport and ID page translation must get right. Got a licence in the same language? Add a translation of driving license to your order.
| On the passport or ID | What it means | How we translate it |
|---|---|---|
| Name in native script (e.g. 王小明) | Your name in your own language | English spelling copied from the passport, native name shown beside it |
| Pinyin that differs from the passport | Two ways to write one Chinese name | We follow the passport, never a new spelling |
| 18-digit citizen ID number | Your personal number in China | Copied digit by digit, checked twice |
| Issuing authority (e.g. 公安局) | The police office that issued the card | Public Security Bureau, with the place name |
| Validity like 2020.05.01–2040.05.01 | Start and end dates of the card | Written as 1 May 2020 to 1 May 2040 |
| Observation page notes | Extra facts such as a former name | Translated word for word, nothing skipped |
If a stamp or line cannot be read, we mark it [illegible] instead of guessing.
Translation Of Passport Pages In Four Simple Steps
Getting passport pages translated takes four steps and no visit. Most pages are ready in 1–2 working days, and a single ID card can often go same day. This is how our certified translation services in Singapore work.
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Photograph Each Passport Page
Shoot each page you need. Show all four corners. Tilt the passport to avoid glare from the plastic. WhatsApp it to us, or upload it with the form.
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Get A Fixed Passport Translation Price
We reply with one price and one ready date. Translation starts from S$25 per page.
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Check Passport Names And Receive The Translation
Read the English draft. Check names, dates and ID numbers. One wrong digit can delay an application. Then you get a PDF for online forms, with paper at Suntec or by courier from S$15.
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Notarise Your Passport Translation If Needed
ICA asks for a notarised translation of a non-English passport page in a PR or pass file, and some embassies do too. A bank or employer often takes a plain certified copy. We arrange the notary and the SAL authentication that all notarised papers have needed since 2019, from S$162.20 per document.
Notarised Copy Of Passport And Translation Price In Singapore
Passport and ID translation starts from S$25 per page, as a starting price. A notarized copy of passport pages or a certified true copy of NRIC is extra, charged per document. One fixed quote comes first.
What decides your final price
Pages You Need
Most people need the data page only. Observation pages, visa pages or a whole passport add to the page count.
Both Sides Of An ID
Front and back of one ID card usually fit on one translated page. Your quote shows the exact count.
Notarisation For ICA
ICA needs a private translation to be notarised or embassy-attested. We arrange it, and notarisation including SAL authentication is from S$162.20 per document.
Certified True Copy
A notary checks your real passport against the copy. A certified true copy (notary + SAL) starts from S$172.20 per document and needs the original in person.
SAL Step Already Included
Every notarised paper also gets SAL authentication, required since 2019 and included in our price. For papers going overseas, it adds an apostille certificate.
Express And Courier
Express is +50% on the translation fee. Courier for printed copies starts from S$15. Pick only what you need.
quote
Starting from
S$25
per page
Notarisation + SAL authenticationfrom S$162.20 / document
Certified true copy (notary + SAL)from S$172.20 / document
Express same day+50%
Courier hard copyfrom S$15
Starting prices. Your exact price comes in one fixed quote before you pay.
Get my exact priceIncluded In Every Passport Translation Order
Every passport and ID order comes with a fixed quote and a native translator. Each name and number is checked against your passport, and queried wording is fixed at no cost. On WhatsApp, request a sample with personal numbers removed.
See a sample translation first
Want to check our work before you order? Ask us on WhatsApp for a past translation of the same kind of document, with all personal details removed.
What every order includes
- A draft for you to check
- Names matched to your passport
- Free fix if ICA asks for a change
- Notarised PDF for upload
Frequently Asked Questions
01Will ICA accept my translated passport or ID card?
ICA accepts a private translation when a notary public notarises it, or when the embassy attests it. We translate and arrange the notary step. The final decision on any application always rests with ICA.
02Do you translate every page of my passport?
Only the pages you need. Most people send the data page and any page with notes. If the form asks for every page, we do that too.
03My name in Chinese reads differently from the English line. Which do you use?
We use the English spelling printed in your passport. That keeps it the same as your other records. We never create a new spelling.
04Can you make a certified true copy of my passport from a photo?
No. A notary must see the real passport. Bring the original to our Suntec office. Message us first so we can book the notary time.
05Can you certify a true copy of my NRIC?
Yes, we can arrange it with a notary. You must bring the real card. People often need this for bank forms or papers sent overseas.
06My passport copy is going overseas. What extra steps are needed?
Every notarised copy or translation also gets SAL authentication from the Singapore Academy of Law, and that is already in our notarisation price. For apostille countries, the same SAL step adds an apostille certificate. Ask the receiving office what else it wants before you order.
07Is my passport copy kept safe?
Yes. Files are handled under Singapore's PDPA. Only the team on your order sees them. We never share them outside the order.
08How fast can I get my passport pages translated?
Most pages take 1–2 working days. One ID card or data page can often be ready the same day on express, at +50%. The notary step may add a little time, and your quote shows the exact date.
09Can my embassy translate my passport for ICA instead?
Yes. ICA accepts translations done by the embassy of the country that issued the document. Some people find an embassy slower or harder to book, so a private translation notarised by a notary public is the other common route. ICA endorses no private translation company.
10Is a passport translation valid if it is not notarised?
It depends on who reads it. ICA expects a private translation to be notarised or attested by the embassy, and notarisation including SAL authentication starts from S$162.20 per document. Banks, schools and employers often accept a company-certified translation, so ask them first.
11How much does a notarised passport copy cost in Singapore?
A certified true copy of a passport, done by a notary and authenticated by SAL, starts from S$172.20 per document. The notary must see the original. Page translation starts from S$25 per page. For use abroad, the same SAL step adds an apostille certificate.
Send Your Passport Pages On WhatsApp Today
Send the pages on WhatsApp. Tell us which office asked for them. We reply with the right service, one fixed price and a ready date. No guesswork.