ICA Translation FAQs: Clear Answers Before You Order

ICA takes three kinds. A translation by the embassy of the country that issued the paper, a translation by a notary public, or a private translation that a notary public has notarised or the embassy has attested. Most of our customers use the last route with a translation with a notary public.

ICA does not accept a translation just because a company stamped it. It must come from an embassy or a notary public, or be notarised by one. In Singapore a notarised paper also needs SAL authentication, so a full ICA order is translation, notary and SAL together.

No, and no one else is either. ICA does not endorse any private translation company, and it does not keep a list of approved translators. Be careful of anyone who says they are "ICA approved".

Yes. ICA asks for an English translation of every document that is not in English. This includes documents in Malay, Chinese and Tamil, even though they are official languages in Singapore.

Go through your ICA checklist and pick out every paper that is not fully in English. Common ones are birth, marriage and divorce papers, household registers, school certificates and income papers. Send them together so we quote once and keep names the same. Our translation for a Singapore PR application page goes through each one.

Mostly the same papers come up: birth certificate, school certificates and any marriage, divorce or name change papers. Malaysians often add Borang K as well. Our citizenship translation page has the full list.

Most often the marriage certificate, the birth certificate that links parent and child, and any proof of income that is not in English. Our long term pass translation shows the common papers for each type of pass.

Both. ICA asks for a copy of the original document together with its English translation. We send your translation as a PDF, so you can upload it next to the copy of your original.

Yes. ICA checks each person's papers on their own, so a child's birth certificate needs a translation too if it is not in English. We use the same name spellings across the whole family set.

Send us a photo of ICA's letter and the document they named. We tell you what is needed, give you a fixed quote and can usually start the same day. Keep to the deadline in the letter.

Not for ICA. A translation by you, a friend or a relative is not one of the routes ICA accepts. It must be done by an embassy or a notary public, or be a private translation that a notary public has notarised.

Apps and AI tools often get names, dates, stamps and seals wrong, and no official person stands behind the result. ICA does not treat it as an official translation. A human translator and a notary public are needed.

We promise an accurate translation in a form ICA accepts, and a free fix if ICA asks for a change to our translation. We cannot promise approval, because ICA decides each case on its own facts.

Not always. If the paper has not changed, the earlier notarised translation is often fine. Some officers ask for recent papers, so check your checklist. We can make a fresh notarised copy from your old order.

After our translator finishes and you approve the draft, a Singapore notary public checks the translation and signs a notarial certificate. Since 1 October 2019, SAL must then authenticate that certificate. We arrange both steps for you.

For a notarised order, you get the translation with a notarial certificate signed and sealed by the notary public. A simple certified translation, without a notary, carries our translator's statement and company stamp.

Since 1 October 2019, every paper notarised by a Singapore notary public must be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). So a notarised translation for ICA means translation, notary and SAL authentication. The SAL fee is S$87.20 including GST for each notarial certificate.

It is the same SAL step. For papers going to an Apostille country, SAL issues an apostille certificate. Countries outside the Apostille Convention may also need embassy legalisation after SAL. Our apostille service in Singapore explains the steps.

No. Since 1 October 2019, a Singapore notarial certificate must be authenticated by SAL, even for use in Singapore. If your office does not need a notary at all, for example MOM in most cases, a translation from us without a notary may be enough.

Usually not, because the notary public checks our translation, not you. A few papers, like a statement you must sign yourself, need you to attend. We tell you before you pay if this applies.

No. We are a translation company that works with a Singapore notary public. Our translator does the translation, and the notary public checks and notarises it in the same order.

No. When a lawyer or embassy asks for a sworn translation, we prepare the translator's declaration and have it signed before a notary public, with SAL authentication after that. See our sworn English translation page.

Only after our translator checks it against your original. If it is accurate, we arrange notarisation and SAL authentication. If it has errors, we tell you before we quote.

A notary public confirms that a copy matches your original, and SAL then authenticates it. Banks, schools and overseas offices often ask for one. You must bring the original. See our certify a true copy.

Often yes. You can send scans for the translation. Singapore-issued public papers, like a Singapore birth or marriage certificate, can be apostilled by SAL directly, with an SAL fee from S$10.70 per document, but SAL may need the original. Tell us your situation and we confirm what is possible.

They are charged per document, on top of the translation. Notarisation including SAL authentication starts from S$162.20 per document. Your quote shows each step on its own line.

Send every page that has writing. ICA usually wants the cover, the head of household page and the page of each person in your application. If you are unsure, send the whole booklet and we tell you which pages count.

Yes. A stamp or a note in the margin can change what a document means. We translate every stamp, seal and handwritten note, and we describe seals in square brackets so the officer knows what is there.

Many birth and marriage certificates have registration notes or stamps on the reverse. If they are left out, the officer may ask questions later. Please send both sides whenever there is any writing.

We spell every name the way it appears in your passport or NRIC. If a name should be written in a special way, tell us before you approve the draft. We then use that spelling on every page.

We follow your passport and can add a short translator's note. If you have a deed poll or name change paper, we translate that too, so the officer can see the two names belong to one person.

Our translator reads as much as possible and asks you about any unclear word. If a word truly cannot be read, we mark it as illegible instead of guessing. A clear photo in daylight helps a lot.

Usually yes, for the parts that are not in English. We translate those parts and keep the English parts as printed, so the whole page reads in English.

Some offices accept part of a long file, like page 1 of a transcript. For ICA, a partial translation can cause problems. We tell you if we think more pages are needed.

As close as we can make it. We follow the same order of boxes and sections, so an officer can compare the two side by side.

Yes. We can send each document as its own PDF, for example your passport and birth certificate in separate files. Just tell us how you want them.

Birth certificates, marriage and divorce papers, household registers like the hukou, koseki and Kartu Keluarga, and ID cards. See our official translation of a birth certificate and household booklet translation.

A Malaysian birth certificate and an SPM certificate, mostly for citizenship. We use the same name spelling on both. See Malaysia birth certificate in English and SPM translation to English.

Bank statements, payslips, tax papers and employment letters are common for LTVP and PR. We keep every figure and currency exactly as printed. Read about bank statement and payslip translation.

100+ languages to and from English. The ones we see most are Chinese, Malay, Tamil, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, French, German and Spanish.

Yes. People need Singapore papers in French for a property sale, in Spanish for a job, or in Chinese for an office in China. See our Chinese translation for use in China.

Yes. Papers from mainland China use Simplified Chinese, and papers from Taiwan and Hong Kong often use Traditional Chinese. Our Chinese to English translation service covers both.

Yes. Some older Malaysian and Bruneian papers, such as marriage certificates, have parts in Jawi. Our Malay to English translation team covers Jawi and Rumi.

Yes. We have received documents in all of these. Rare languages may take a little longer and cost a bit more, because we need a specialist translator. We confirm the time and price in your quote.

Yes. The translator reads your paper's language as a first language and knows how papers from that country usually look. This helps with stamps, dates and name order.

We write the normal year and keep the original year beside it, so nothing is lost. This is common for Thai papers, Arabic papers and Taiwanese papers.

Your initial stays where it is printed, and we show the full name from your passport beside it when needed. Our certified Tamil translation page has more detail.

Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai are among the most common. See our Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai translation services.

Yes, ask us first so we can match the right person. We write down what is said and can translate it into English. See our transcription service in Singapore.

Translation starts from S$25 per page. Notarisation including SAL authentication starts from S$162.20 per document, and a certified true copy from S$172.20 per document. See our translation price page.

Your quote shows every part on its own line: translation, notarisation with SAL authentication, express and courier. The total at the bottom is what you pay for that work. Nothing is added later without asking you.

Some pages have a lot of small text, tables or stamps, and rare languages cost more. Notarisation with SAL authentication, express delivery (plus 50%) and hard copies are also added. Each item is shown in your quote.

Per document. A five-page household register is one document for the notary step, and SAL authenticates one notarial certificate for it, so you do not pay these fees five times.

A clear photo of every page, what the translation is for and your deadline. You can send it through our quote form, WhatsApp or email. We reply with one fixed price and a delivery date.

We can give a rough idea, but a fixed quote needs to see the page. A one-page birth certificate and a one-page dense contract can take very different time. A photo is enough.

We keep our prices fair and show what each part costs. You can save by choosing standard delivery instead of express, and by checking if your office needs a notary at all. MOM, for example, usually does not.

Not for the work in your quote. If you add pages or services later, we quote only those extra items.

You pay after you accept the quote and before we start work. We send the payment details together with your quote. Our order terms explain this.

For larger orders, like a whole family's papers, ask us. We look at the full set and give you one quote for everything.

The PDF is included in every order. A printed hard copy or courier delivery, from S$15, is added to your quote so you see the cost before you pay.

Most documents take 1 to 2 working days for translation. Long files, such as a full household register, take a little longer. The notary and SAL steps add time, and we confirm the full date in your quote.

Yes. Express costs 50% more, and many single-page documents can then be ready the same day if they reach us early. Tell us your deadline and we say honestly if it can be done.

Send the deadline with your document and we plan around it. Approve the draft quickly, because the notary and SAL steps start only after you approve.

They add some time after you approve the draft, because the notary signs first and SAL then authenticates. We include this time in the date we give you.

SAL has its own processing time, which comes after the translation and notary steps. We give you the expected date in your quote, so plan your trip or deadline around it.

You can message us any day. Our team and the notary work on working days, so a document sent on Saturday is usually started on Monday unless we agree express work with you.

From the time you accept the quote and we receive payment.

If we miss the date in your quote, you can ask for part of your money back. Our refund rules explains the amounts.

Tell us your travel date when you send your document. We send the PDF by email or WhatsApp, so you can receive it anywhere, even after you leave.

Yes. A licence has little text, so it is often ready within 1 to 2 working days. If you already have a Traffic Police appointment, tell us the date.

Yes. We work from a clear scan or phone photo, so you never post us your paper for translation. The real paper is only shown to the notary for a few services, like a certified true copy.

Use daylight, show the whole page with all four corners, and avoid shadows and glare. Include the reverse if it has any writing or stamps.

Yes. We translate from the copy you have. For ICA, you upload a copy of the original anyway, so a clear soft copy works for most applications.

WhatsApp is the fastest. Email also works. Use whichever is easiest for you.

You get a PDF by email or WhatsApp, ready to upload. If you also need a hard copy, you can collect it at our Suntec office by appointment or we can courier it.

Yes. Please contact us first, so your hard copy is ready when you arrive.

Yes. Courier delivery within Singapore starts from S$15. For overseas delivery, ask us for the options and cost.

Yes. Many customers send scans from abroad, and we send the finished PDF online.

Yes. Check every name, date and number in the draft before we finalise it and pass it to the notary.

Yes. Some customers prefer a call, others prefer WhatsApp only. Tell us how you want us to reach you and we will stick to it.

Yes. We send a standard PDF that works for online uploads. If a file is too large for the portal, tell us and we can send a smaller version.

Yes, if you ask us to. Give us their email and we copy them on the delivery.

Traffic Police wants the translation from your Embassy or High Commission. If your embassy does not provide one, a local registered translation company can do it. See our driving license translation for Traffic Police.

Usually not. A notary is normally not needed for a licence conversion. If another office asks for notarisation, we can add it.

Foreigners who have lived in Singapore for more than 12 months must convert to a Singapore licence. Holders of an ASEAN licence do not need an International Driving Permit. Check the Traffic Police checklist before your visit.

MOM accepts translations from a translation service provider, and notarisation is usually not required. People send us degrees, birth certificates and marriage papers for work passes and dependant passes.

Yes. We translate degrees, transcripts and school leaving certificates for universities, polytechnics and private schools. See our translation of educational documents.

Yes. We have translated papers for HDB eligibility, bank account changes and property purchases. Tell us which office will receive it, so we know if a notary is needed.

Yes. We keep every test value, unit and medicine name exactly as written. See our medical translation services.

Yes. We translate judgments, contracts, invoices and agreements for lawyers and courts. See our legal document translation services.

Yes. Each country has its own rules. Apostille countries take an SAL apostille, and other countries may also need embassy legalisation. Tell us the country and send its requirement, and we prepare the translation to match.

Ask the office in China what it accepts first, such as a notary, an SAL apostille or a translation done in China. Then we prepare the translation to match.

Yes. We translate Borang K for your citizenship file, and we can make certified true copies of your Singapore IC, passport and citizenship certificate.

Mostly passports and ID cards. We translate both and keep every number as printed. See our passport and identity card translation.

Yes. We write down recordings, mark each speaker and add time marks, and we can translate them into English.

WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted, and we use your files only for your order. You can email us instead if you prefer.

Only those who need to: your translator, the notary public and SAL if your order needs them, and a courier for hard copies. Our PDPA privacy policy explains this.

Yes. We handle your personal data under Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA).

Yes. WhatsApp or email us with your order details and we delete your files, except any records the law says we must keep.

Reply with the page and the correct detail before you approve, and we fix it free.

Yes, if the change is to our translation. Send us the office's message so we can correct it quickly.

Yes. Send us the original document and, if you have it, the old translation and the office's comments. We make a new translation and notarise it if needed.

Yes, but it may cost extra, because the notary may need to sign a new certificate and SAL must authenticate it again. Checking the draft carefully before you approve saves time and money.

Yes. If you cancel before a translator is assigned, you get a full refund. Once a translator has started work, we cannot refund.

Once we have paid these to the notary, SAL or courier for you, they cannot be refunded, even if you cancel later.

You can look up our UEN, 202215635R, on ACRA's BizFile, and our office is in Suntec Tower One. ICA does not endorse any private translation firm, including us. Read more about us.