Journal
Articles on document translation
We break down apostilles, legalization, and country-specific requirements — based on real orders.
Articles: 36
The police record "expired" three days before submission
A classic case of the wrong order of steps: the apostille and translation were done in advance, but the record itself expired before the residence-permit submission date.
When you need a police record from several countries at once
If you have lived in two or three countries in recent years, each may require its own record with its own legalisation. How to plan it and how to organise the translations.
Apostille on an electronic police record: a case study
The record was issued as a PDF with an electronic signature, but the foreign authority requires an apostille on paper. We go through two working ways to get one from the other.
Family reunification: a case where one missing certificate translation was enough
The reunification package was almost complete — and was rejected because there was no translation of the name-change certificate. We explain the concept of the "chain of documents".
Translating a diploma for a work visa: a case of an "unrecognised" specialisation
A literal translation of the specialisation name did not match the destination country's classifier — and the employer had to prove the equivalence of the qualification separately.
Financial documents for a residence permit: how to translate statements and income certificates
Bank statements, income certificates, tax returns — what to translate in full, what selectively, whether certification is needed, and what the immigration authority looks at.
"Certified translation" — three different things under one name
The client asks for a "certified translation", the receiving side means its own thing, the agency means its own. We go through the three types of certification and when each is needed.
Sworn, court, notarial translator: the difference by country
The same document is certified in Russia by a notary, in Poland by a tłumacz przysięgły, in the Czech Republic by a soudní tlumočník, in Spain by a traductor jurado. We systematise it.
Case study: an urgent translation of a document package overnight before a flight
What can realistically be done in 12 hours, what cannot be done for any money, and how urgency affects quality, price, and the probability of error.
Translating documents for a temporary residence permit in Russia: common reasons for refusal
Foreign documents for a temporary residence permit are checked strictly. We have collected the typical mistakes in translation and formatting that get a package rejected.
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