Pennsylvania Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Pennsylvania from $65 per page, and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each one comes with a signed certificate of accuracy. We work remotely from the Portland, Oregon area: you upload your document through the quote form and we return the translation electronically or by mail. This page sets out the Pennsylvania and federal rules that decide what your translation needs.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
Upload Your Documents For Translation
What USCIS requires of a translation
Federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) says that any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from the foreign language into English.
The rule asks for the translator’s certification. It does not mention notarization. Our certified translations carry a signed certificate of accuracy written to cover both points in the regulation. We cannot promise how any agency will treat a particular filing.
How the Pennsylvania apostille works
Apostilles and certifications are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg. An apostille is for countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention. A certification is for other countries and, the Department notes, may need further diplomatic or consular legalization.
The Department only authenticates original documents signed by, and bearing the seal of, a Pennsylvania official such as a state or county officer, a judge or a Pennsylvania notary public. Photocopies are not accepted. Its guidance says diplomas, transcripts and criminal records must be notarized by a Pennsylvania notary first, birth certificates should not be notarized, death certificates must be signed by the state registrar and not a local registrar, marriage records need the signature of the register of wills or clerk of the orphans’ court, and county documents must be signed by the clerk in charge and not a deputy or assistant.
The request form asks for a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return and warns you not to remove the staple once a document has been authenticated.
| Fee | $15 per document, not per page |
|---|---|
| Payment | Check or money order payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; credit cards at the counter; no cash |
| Mail to | Pennsylvania Department of State, Apostilles & Certifications, North Office Building, Room 201, 401 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029 |
| Walk-in | Same address, first come, first served; front doors lock after 3 p.m. |
| Mail processing | Two to three weeks, not counting mailing time |
| Questions | (717) 787-5280 or ra-certifications@pa.gov |
Notarized translations and what Pennsylvania notaries may do
A translation is not a public record, so it reaches the apostille desk through a notarization. Pennsylvania’s notary regulations allow a notary to notarize a translation in a language the notary does not understand only if the person who made the translation verifies on oath or affirmation that it is accurate and complete. The translation and that verification must be attached to the original record.
The Department of State also states that the notarial certificate must always be in English. It may be worded in a second language at the same time, placed next to the English.
When a translation needs to be notarized for Pennsylvania, for example for a Pennsylvania apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in Pennsylvania to notarize the translator’s statement.
Under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, a Pennsylvania notary who is not also a licensed attorney may not use the term notario or notario publico. Notaries who advertise must display a statement, in each language used, that they are not attorneys licensed in the Commonwealth and may not draft legal records or give advice on legal matters, including immigration. A notary witnesses the translator’s sworn statement. The notary does not check the translation.
Where certified Pennsylvania records come from
Birth and death certificates are issued by the Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records. A birth certificate costs $20, with a $10 service fee added to online orders placed through the state’s approved vendor. Mail applications go to the Division in New Castle. Six public offices take applications in person, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and a request received before 2:30 p.m. may be filled the same day.
- Erie. 156 E 14th Street, Erie, PA 16503
- Harrisburg. Forum Place, 1st Floor, 555 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
- New Castle. 105 Nesbitt Road, New Castle, PA 16105
- Philadelphia. 110 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; appointments are required
- Pittsburgh. 411 Seventh Avenue, Room 360, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
- Scranton. Scranton State Office Building, Room 112, 100 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Pennsylvania courts, interpreters and foreign licenses
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts runs the Interpreter Certification Program, which orients, tests and certifies court interpreters. Under the statewide Language Access Plan, courts appoint interpreters from the statewide roster and prefer certified interpreters, and interpretation and translation are provided by the court at no cost to people with limited English proficiency. Act 172 of 2006 is the state law behind this.
That covers what happens in a courtroom and the court’s own forms. The plan does not set a rule for foreign-language documents that a party files as evidence, so ask the court handling your case, or your attorney, what kind of translation it expects.
PennDOT states that an International Driving Permit is not required to drive in Pennsylvania and that a valid foreign driver’s license is sufficient for eligible drivers. It describes the permit as an optional document that provides translations of your license. If another office asks you for an English version of a foreign license or driving record, we can prepare a certified translation of it.
Languages in Pennsylvania
Census Bureau American Community Survey figures, as published by Census Reporter, put the state’s population at about 13.08 million, with 13.1 percent of people, roughly 1.63 million, speaking a language other than English at home. The courts’ Language Access Plan reports that Spanish is the language most often requested for interpreters, followed by American Sign Language and Mandarin Chinese.
We translate in 100 languages. Those requested most often are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. If yours is not on that short list, ask us and we will tell you whether we cover it.
Ordering a translation from anywhere in Pennsylvania
- Upload. Send a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
- Say where it is going. Tell us whether it is for USCIS, a court, a school or use abroad, and whether you need the translator’s statement notarized or help with an apostille.
- Confirm the quote. Translation starts at $65 per page and most jobs take 1 to 2 business days.
- Receive it. We return the certified translation electronically or by mail.
- Ask questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We have no office in Pennsylvania; our address is 5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 400, Lake Oswego, OR 97035.
Translation pages for Pennsylvania cities
We have a page for each of these Pennsylvania cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Harrisburg · Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Allentown · Reading · Erie · Scranton
- Pennsylvania apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Pennsylvania document translation questions
The Pennsylvania Department of State issues apostilles and certifications from the North Office Building, Room 201, 401 North Street, Harrisburg. The fee is $15 per document.
The Department of State lists two to three weeks for mailed requests, not counting mailing time. Walk-in requests are handled first come, first served at its Harrisburg office.
The federal rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), requires a full English translation with the translator’s certification of accuracy and competence. It does not mention notarization, and it applies the same way in Pennsylvania as elsewhere.
A Pennsylvania notary can notarize a translator’s sworn statement that a translation is accurate and complete. A notary who is not an attorney may not give legal or immigration advice or use the title notario publico.
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation, and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The service is provided remotely from the Portland, Oregon area.
PennDOT says a valid foreign driver’s license is sufficient for eligible drivers and an International Driving Permit is not required. The permit is an optional document that provides translations of the license.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Document Certification
- Apostille/Certification Request Form
- Department of State: Notary Regulations Changes
- Department of State: Notario Publico, the Practice of Law and Advertising
- Department of Health: Request a Birth Certificate
- Vital Records Public Offices
- Language Access Plan for the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania
- PennDOT: Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver’s License
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
- Census Reporter: Pennsylvania profile (ACS)
Get your Pennsylvania translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.