Why You Cannot Translate Documents Yourself for Official Purposes

Legal Requirements for Document Translation

Russian legislation does not contain a direct prohibition on self-translation. However, for official purposes, notarial certification of the translation is required (Art. 81 of the "Fundamentals of Russian Federation Legislation on Notaries"). The notary certifies the accuracy of a translation from one language to another if they are proficient in that language, or certifies the translator's signature confirming the accuracy of the translation.

In practice, this means: the translation is performed by a translator (an individual or a bureau employee), then the translator personally appears before the notary, presents their passport and diploma (confirming language proficiency), signs the translation — and the notary certifies their signature.

Why a Notary Won't Certify Your Own Translation

Theoretically, you can go to a notary and ask them to certify your translation. In practice — most notaries will refuse. The reasons:

• The notary bears responsibility for the actions they certify. If the translation turns out to be incorrect and causes damage to third parties, claims will be made against the notary as well.
• The notary must verify the translator's qualifications. Standard practice is to check a linguistics or translation diploma. If you don't have a relevant degree, the notary has the right to refuse.
• Working with trusted translators — notaries cooperate with specific translation agencies and individual translators whose work quality has been confirmed by years of experience.

Risks of Self-Translation

Even if you somehow managed to get a self-translation notarized, errors will be costly:

Visa refusal. Embassies of Germany, France, Canada, and Australia regularly reject document packages due to translation inaccuracies. Resubmission means a new consular fee (from €35 to €160) and 2–4 weeks lost.

Residence permit refusal. Immigration services scrutinize translations particularly carefully. A mismatch in name or date of birth (due to transliteration) is grounds for returning the entire package.

Inadmissibility in court. A court may reject a translation made by a party to the case as biased. A new translation will be required, which means delays in proceedings.

Penalties for company registration. Submitting founding documents of a foreign company to the Federal Tax Service with an incorrect translation results in registration refusal and loss of the paid state fee.

Embassy and Consulate Requirements

Most embassies directly state in their requirements: "notarized translation performed by an accredited translator/translation agency." Some countries have additional requirements:

• Germany: translation must be performed by a sworn translator (in Russia — notarized translation)
• United Kingdom: translation + translator's certificate indicating qualifications and contact details
• Canada: translation by a certified translator (CTTIC) or notarized
• Australia: translation by an accredited translator (NAATI) or notarized

What to Do: Step-by-Step Guide

The correct procedure for obtaining personal document translation:

1. Determine which documents require translation (check with the embassy or receiving organization)
2. Order translation from a translation agency or certified translator
3. The translator completes the translation and signs it
4. The translator appears before the notary, presents their diploma, and confirms the accuracy of the translation
5. The notary certifies the translator's signature (cost: 100 ₽ notarial fee + technical services from 1,200 ₽)
6. If an apostille is required — submit the notarized translation to the Ministry of Justice

Cost and Timeframes for Professional Translation

Cost of notarized translation at Translation Agency "Universal":

• Passport — from 900 ₽ (translation + notarization)
• Birth/marriage certificate — from 900 ₽
• Diploma with supplement — from 2,500 ₽
• Criminal record certificate — from 900 ₽
• Employment record book — from 200 ₽/page

Turnaround: standard documents — 1 business day. Lengthy documents (diploma with supplement of 10+ pages) — 2–3 business days. Urgent translation — from 3 hours.

Send a document scan via the form on our website — we'll calculate the exact cost within 30 minutes. We've been working since 2013, with over 50 in-house translators covering all major language pairs.