Notarised Translation

Notarisation is therefore not a seal of quality but a seal of identity. Responsibility for the accuracy of the translation rests with the translator; the notary merely documents where that responsibility lies. This is precisely why institutions ask for it: so that, if a dispute arises, there is no doubt about who is answerable.

Which documents require notarisation?

The general rule is this: where a document creates a right, proves a status or places someone under an obligation, institutions tend to require notarisation. For informational texts, marketing material and internal correspondence it is usually not required.

The “varies by institution” row is where most time is lost. The same diploma may be accepted by one university with a sworn translation alone, while another will not process it without notarisation. We collect the detail document by document in our document guide.

How the chain is built

A notarised translation is a physical chain resting on wet-ink signatures, and if one link is missing the chain breaks. The order runs: a valid original document, a faithful translation of it, the translator’s signature and stamp, then the notary’s certification. Each link presupposes the one before it, and going back to repair an earlier link is usually not possible.

In practice the original document, or a certified copy of it, is expected to be produced at the notary office. The translator prepares the translation by reference to the original; the notary then records the translation together with the document it rests on. For this reason, even where work begins from a scan sent electronically, the original has to be available by the delivery stage.

The steps

1. The original or a certified copy is obtained; missing pages, illegible stamps and erasures are checked.
2. The receiving institution’s requirement is clarified: translation only, notarisation, or an apostille on top.
3. The translation is produced by a translator suited to the document type and given a second reading.
4. The translator signs and stamps the translation; the declaration is appended to it.
5. The file is submitted to the notary, who certifies the signature against the record held on file.
6. The certified copy is delivered. If it is to be used abroad, the apostille stage follows.

What quality control focuses on

The checklist for a translation heading to a notary is nothing like the one for a literary text. The order of priority is: figures, dates, proper names, document numbers, complete description of stamp and signature areas, and preservation of the page layout. Transposing the day and month in a date has consequences far heavier than any lapse of style.

The second focus is everything on the document that is not text. Stamps, holograms, barcodes and handwritten notes are shown in the translation, described in square brackets. Omitting them creates the impression that the translation does not correspond exactly to the original.

Why seeing the original matters so much

The question that causes the most argument in notarised translation is which document the translation rests on. Institutions distinguish three situations: a document whose original has been seen, a copy certified as true to the original, and an ordinary photocopy. These three do not carry the same weight in official procedure, and which one suffices is decided by the institution that will accept the document.

The most common difficulty runs like this: the applicant sends a scan, the translation is completed, and at the certification stage it emerges that the original must be produced as well. If the document is in another city – or another country – the process waits for days. So even where work starts from a scan, where the original is and when it will be available are questions for the outset.

Some documents are now issued electronically and verified by QR code. For these the notion of an “original” works differently: the printout carries meaning together with its online verification address. Carrying that verification information across into the translation matters, because it is what allows the receiving institution to confirm the document for itself.

Keeping multi-page documents intact

A single-page registry extract raises no difficulty; a twenty-page set of articles of association, or a transcript covering many terms, makes page integrity a subject in its own right. Delivering a translation with the pages unfastened can be grounds for rejection where integrity is required. Page numbering is equally expected to match the source.

The second point is pairing the original with the translation. The institution must be able to see without hesitation which translation belongs to which document. The translation is therefore assembled as a single file together with the document it rests on. Adding or removing pages afterwards puts the validity of the certification in question.

A third point in long documents is tables and structured layouts. In transcripts and financial statements, preserving the column structure comes before readability; the official compares row by row. A translation in which columns have moved or rows have been merged makes checking harder – even when every figure is correct – and lengthens the time the file takes to process.

How the fee is made up

A notarised translation involves two separate items, and they should not be confused. The first is the translation fee, which varies with volume, language pair and document type. The second is the notary’s fee, and that is not a price the agency sets. Notary fees are governed by an official tariff and are identical throughout Türkiye.

Looking for “the cheapest notary” is therefore pointless; there is no tariff difference between notary offices. The only variable is the scope of the translation itself. You can see how the translation fee is calculated on our pricing page, and where we can handle your paperwork on our provinces page.

Situations that come up often

• Obtaining the apostille in the wrong order. In some cases the apostille goes on the original document, in others on the notarised translation. Get the order wrong and the whole procedure is repeated.
• Documents issued abroad. Before a document issued by a foreign authority can be used in Türkiye, it is expected to have been certified in its own country. A Turkish notary does not certify the authority of a foreign official.
• Submitting the same document to several institutions. A certified copy stays with the institution. If you are applying to three, ordering three copies at the outset is faster than running the procedure again.
• Changing translator. The certification is tied to the translator who signed. Even the smallest later correction to the text invalidates it, and the process starts again.

If you would like to see the steps your file will go through before you commit, send the documents through the quote form and we will set out the sequence and the number of copies you need in writing.

This page gives the general framework; details specific to your case may differ. It is worth checking current requirements against an official source.