Questions about translation and legalisation in Indonesia
The questions we are asked most. If yours is not here, send the document and ask — we answer before you commit to anything.
How much does a certified translation cost?
It depends on the language pair, the length and complexity of the document, and how many authorities have to certify it afterwards. A one-page birth certificate and a 40-page share purchase agreement are not comparable jobs, which is why we quote each file rather than publish a rate card. Send a scan and you will have a written price the same working day.
Do I need an apostille or embassy legalisation?
The destination country decides. If it is one of the 120+ members of the Hague Apostille Convention, a single apostille from the Ministry of Law is enough. If it is not, the document goes through the Ministry of Law, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the country's embassy. Tell us the country and we will confirm the route before you pay anything.
Do you need my original documents?
Only when a physical stamp has to go onto the document — notary, ministry or embassy steps. For the translation itself, a clear scan or phone photo is enough. If originals are needed, a courier collects them from your address and brings them back.
How long does the whole process take?
A sworn translation alone is usually two to five working days. Add an apostille and expect roughly one to two weeks in total. Full embassy legalisation is typically two to four weeks, because embassies release documents on their own schedule. Every quote carries a date, and rush handling is available for most routes.
Can you handle everything if I live outside Indonesia?
Yes. This is a large part of what we do. With a signed power of attorney we can retrieve the document from the issuing office in Indonesia, translate it, take it through legalisation and ship it to your address abroad.
Is a scanned copy of the finished translation accepted?
Sometimes. Universities and some employers accept a PDF; ministries, courts and embassies almost always want the stamped hard copy. We send the scan immediately and courier the originals in parallel, so you can start whichever process accepts the digital version.
What happens if the authority rejects the document?
If the rejection is caused by a formatting or certification fault on our side, we correct and resubmit it at our cost. If the receiving authority has changed its requirements or asks for a document we were not told about, we quote the additional work before doing it.
Are my documents kept confidential?
Yes. Files are transferred over an encrypted connection, seen only by the linguist and the officials handling them, and stored no longer than the job and our legal obligations require. We sign your own non-disclosure agreement on request.
Can you translate a document that is already in English into another language?
Yes, and we do it directly rather than through Indonesian. We work between more than forty languages in any combination the receiving authority will accept.
Do you provide interpreters outside the big cities?
Yes, with travel time quoted upfront, and remote video interpreting where an interpreter on site is not practical. For rare languages in remote locations, give us as much notice as you can.