Vermont Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Vermont, from $65 per page, with most translations ready in 1 to 2 business days. We work remotely from our office in Lake Oswego, in the Portland, Oregon area. You upload your document through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. Each one carries a signed certificate of accuracy. This page sets out the Vermont rules that affect translated documents.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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What Vermont agencies and courts say about foreign-language documents
Rules differ by the office that will receive your document, so check with that office first. These are the published positions we found on official sources.
- USCIS. Federal rule 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) says any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must come with a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, plus the translator’s certification of competence to translate from that language into English.
- Vermont courts. The Vermont Judiciary provides interpreters for court proceedings at no cost to the person who needs one. Its Language Access Operations Manual says the Judiciary translates vital documents that the Judiciary itself generates and is not responsible for translating documents generated by other agencies or entities. The same manual bars machine translation, such as Google Translate, for vital documents.
- Vermont DMV. A nonresident may drive on a valid foreign license if the driver is 18 or older, lawfully present and has been in the United States for not more than one year. If the license is not in English, an International Driver Permit must accompany it. The DMV describes the permit as a translation document that can only be obtained in the country that issued the license.
- Universities. The University of Vermont’s catalogue says certified translations are required when international applicants’ documents are not in English.
Where certified Vermont vital records come from
Vermont splits vital records between local clerks and the state, and the right office depends on the record and its year. A translation for use abroad normally starts from a fresh certified copy, so it helps to know who holds yours.
The Vermont Department of Health describes the town or city clerk as the fastest and cheapest route and also takes orders online and by mail. Only family members, legal guardians, certain court-appointed parties or their legal representatives may apply for a certified birth or death certificate, and valid identification is required.
| Town and city clerks | Certified copies of birth, death, marriage and civil union certificates from January 1, 1909 to the present |
|---|---|
| Vermont Department of Health | Births and deaths from 1909 onward, plus marriages, civil unions, divorces and dissolutions; online and mail orders |
| Vermont State Archives (VSARA) | Certified marriage, civil union and divorce records from 2013 and earlier |
| Fee for a certified copy | $10 per certificate; $2 processing fee added for online orders through the Department of Health |
How the Vermont apostille process works
Apostilles and certificates of authentication for Vermont documents are issued by the Vermont Secretary of State. The request goes in with form VSARA-35, which asks for the country where the document will be used. The form covers two kinds of document: a Vermont notarized document and a Vermont certified public record.
The Secretary of State sets conditions by document type. Signatures on notarized documents must be original and the notarization must meet 26 V.S.A. Chapter 103. Official copies of vital records must be certified by the legal record custodian. Court documents must show the printed name of the court staff member who issued them and the date certified. We found no county-level certification step on the Secretary of State’s apostille page.
A translation is not a public record, so it reaches the apostille desk as a notarized document. When a translation has to be notarized for a Vermont apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in Vermont to notarize the translator’s statement. Whether the receiving country wants the apostille on the original record, on the translation or on both is decided by the authority abroad, so ask them before you order.
| State fee | $10 per apostille or authentication |
|---|---|
| Payment | Check or money order in U.S. dollars, payable to the Vermont Secretary of State; cash and cards are not accepted |
| Mailing address | 1078 U.S. Route 2, Middlesex, Montpelier, VT 05633-7701 |
| In person | Same site in Middlesex; requests are accepted in person and a drop box is available |
| Office hours | Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed state holidays |
| Return | USPS First-Class Mail to a U.S. address at no charge; international return needs your own prepaid envelope or carrier label |
| Questions | 802-828-3700 |
Certified, notarized and apostilled: three different things
- Certified translation. The translator signs a statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that he or she is competent in both languages. This is what the USCIS rule describes.
- Notarized translation. A notary witnesses the translator signing that statement. The notary confirms the signer, not the quality of the translation. The University of Vermont Graduate College, for example, asks for a notarized English translation of documents not issued in English.
- Apostille. A certificate from the Secretary of State that lets a Vermont notarization or certified public record be recognized in another country.
Vermont notaries and translated documents
Vermont notaries public are governed by 26 V.S.A. Chapter 103 and administered through the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State’s notary FAQ says a notary may not act on a record in which the notary or the notary’s spouse has a direct beneficial interest, and may refuse an act if not satisfied that the signer is competent or is signing knowingly and voluntarily. It also says a Vermont commission cannot be used to perform notarial acts in another state.
That last point matters for apostilles. The Vermont Secretary of State’s form covers Vermont notarized documents, which is why the notarization on a translation headed for a Vermont apostille is done by a Vermont notary.
Languages in Vermont and the languages we translate
Census Reporter’s profile of Vermont, drawn from American Community Survey data, puts the state’s population at 648,493, with 4.5% of residents born outside the United States and 5.5% speaking a language other than English at home. The Vermont Office of Racial Equity’s 2023 Language Access Report, citing the 2021 ACS five-year estimate, counts 7,705 residents who speak English less than very well.
That report recommends 14 languages for translating the state’s vital documents: Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese, Dari, French, Kirundi, Simplified Chinese, Nepali, Pashto, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. The Judiciary’s online interpreter request forms are offered in 12 languages, including Nepali, Somali, Swahili, Burmese and Hindi.
We work in 100 languages. The ones customers request most are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. If your language is not in that list, ask us before ordering and we will tell you whether we cover it.
How to order a translation from anywhere in Vermont
We have no office in Vermont. Everything is handled online and by mail from Lake Oswego, Oregon.
- 1. Upload. Send a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
- 2. Confirm. We reply with the price, from $65 per page, and the delivery time. Most jobs take 1 to 2 business days.
- 3. Tell us the destination. Say which agency, court, school or country will receive the document so the certificate and any notarization match what that office asks for.
- 4. Receive. You get the certified translation electronically, by mail, or both.
Translation pages for Vermont cities
We have a page for each of these Vermont cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Montpelier · Burlington · South Burlington · Rutland
- Vermont apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Vermont document translation questions
Apostille Authentications provides certified translation to customers anywhere in Vermont, working remotely from the Portland, Oregon area. Documents are uploaded online and returned electronically or by mail.
Our certified translations start at $65 per page, and most are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The exact price is confirmed after you upload the document.
The Vermont Secretary of State issues apostilles and authentications. The state fee is $10 per document, requested with form VSARA-35 by mail or in person at 1078 U.S. Route 2, Middlesex.
Yes, the rule is federal and applies everywhere. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any foreign-language document sent to USCIS needs a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, with a statement of the translator’s competence.
Vermont town and city clerks issue certified copies of birth certificates from 1909 to the present, and the Vermont Department of Health takes orders online and by mail. The fee is $10 per certified copy.
The Vermont DMV says a foreign license that is not in English must be accompanied by an International Driver Permit, which is obtained only in the country that issued the license. A translation from a translation company does not replace that permit.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Vermont Secretary of State: Apostille or Authentication
- Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request, form VSARA-35
- Vermont State Archives and Records Administration: hours and directions
- Vermont Department of Health: order vital records
- Vermont State Archives: certified vital records
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), eCFR
- Vermont Judiciary: language access, interpreters and translators
- Vermont Judiciary Language Access Operations Manual
- Vermont DMV: licenses issued by foreign jurisdictions
- Vermont Secretary of State: notary FAQs
- Vermont Office of Racial Equity: 2023 Language Access Report
- Census Reporter: Vermont profile (ACS)
- University of Vermont catalogue: international student admissions
- University of Vermont Graduate College: international applicants
Get your Vermont 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.