Translation With an Apostille: Which Comes First?

Do I translate first or apostille first?

It depends on who is receiving the document. Some want the translation notarized and apostilled, and others want the original apostilled and then translated.

Here’s how the two paths compare:

Neither path is “the right one” in general. The right one is whatever your receiving office asked for.

How do I find out which path I need?

Ask the agency, consulate or office that asked you for the document. They set the rules, and they’re the only ones who can tell you for sure.

Here’s what I’ve learned from these orders. The receiving office decides everything. Some want the translation notarized and apostilled. Some want it notarized only. Some just want a normal certified translation, no notarization and no apostille. The most important thing you can do is ask them exactly what they need. If they gave you written instructions, send them to me. I’ll read them before we start, so the job matches what they asked for.

I can’t tell you which document you need or what your destination country requires. That’s their call, not mine. What I can do is follow their instructions to the letter.

What happens in Path A?

In Path A, the translation itself gets the apostille. The document is translated, the translator’s certificate of accuracy is notarized, and then the notarized translation goes to the Secretary of State.

The notary matters here. The Idaho Secretary of State apostilles only documents “issued by Idaho officials or notarized by Idaho Notaries.” A document notarized in another state has to go to that state’s Secretary of State instead.

In most Path A jobs, I notarize the translator’s certificate myself. That’s what lets the apostille come from Idaho, and it keeps the whole job in one set of hands.

What happens in Path B?

In Path B, the original document gets the apostille first. Then the document and its apostille are translated together.

The translation in Path B needs no notarization and no apostille. For a vital record like a birth or marriage certificate, Idaho apostilles a certified copy of the record. My vital records apostille page walks through getting one.

What if they only want a notarized translation, or a plain one?

Then that’s all you order. Not every office wants an apostille.

Some receiving offices want a notarized translation and nothing more. Others take a normal certified translation with no notary stamp at all. If that’s what your instructions say, I won’t sell you an apostille you don’t need.

Who does the translating?

A certified translator network I work with does the translating. I don’t translate documents myself.

What I do is everything around it. I take the order, notarize what needs notarizing, submit the apostille and get the finished documents back to you. You deal with one person and get one invoice. My certified translation page has the details on languages and formats.

What does an apostille actually confirm?

An apostille confirms the signature, the capacity of the person who signed and, where there is one, the seal. That’s the full list under Article 5 of the Hague Apostille Convention.

That’s why the order of steps matters. Under Article 1, notarial acts and official certificates placed on privately signed documents both count as public documents. So in Path A, the apostille covers the notary’s signature on the translator’s certificate. In Path B, it covers the official who signed your original.

What does translation with an apostille cost?

An Idaho apostille is $199 for the first document and $75 for each additional document on the same order, with notarization included. Certified translation is $60 per page, or $85 per page for rush at 1 to 2 days.

• The Idaho Secretary of State charges a $10 fee per document. I pass it through at cost.
• A page is up to 225 words. Longer pages are quoted before you pay.
• A notarized translation with no apostille is $60 per page plus $85 for the notarization.
• In Path A, the notarization is part of the $199 apostille price. You don’t pay for it twice.

Can I order this if I don’t live in Idaho?

Yes. I take apostille orders by mail from all 50 states.

The limit is on the document, not on you. Idaho can only apostille documents issued by Idaho officials or notarized by Idaho notaries. A document issued in another state goes to that state. I route it there at the same service structure, plus that state’s fee and return shipping. My apostille services page covers the full list.

What about Spanish, or a sworn translation?

Spanish is one of the 150+ languages the translator network covers. Some countries want something different: a sworn translation by a translator their own government appointed.

A sworn translation needs no notarization and no apostille on the translation itself. My sworn translations page lists the countries and how pricing works. If you’re translating a foreign document for USCIS instead, that’s a different job. My USCIS translation page covers it.

How do I get started?

Get your receiving office’s instructions first, then book. If you have them in writing, send them over with your order.

I answer the phone Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday, 8am to noon. You can book online any time.

Schedule Online 24/7 or call (208) 826-1210.