Translation and Notaries

[captainofiron 2]

Ok so my fiancee has translated her birth certificate.

But there is a minor technicality that I want a little clarification upon.

On the US embassy Moscow website it says that documents need to be translated into English and if the document is in any other language besides Russian the translation will need to be notarized.

So here lies the Rub

Her birth certificate is from the former Ukrainian SSR, and it is written in Russian and Ukrainian, and the old notary stamp is in Ukrainian.

So would we need a notarized copy for the translation of the birth certificate?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[captainofiron 2]

some more detail

So back when she moved from Ukraine to Russia a notary translated the stamp from Ukrainian to Russian and notarized it.

Yea... Confusing isnt it

[Waitinggent 2]

Since the document is at least partly in Ukrainian, you should follow the instructions for a document in a language other than Russian. My wife was in the same situation (Ukrainian citizen living in Russia with a Moscow interview), and so she had her birth certificate translation notarized.

[captainofiron 2]

Since the document is at least partly in Ukrainian, you should follow the instructions for a document in a language other than Russian. My wife was in the same situation (Ukrainian citizen living in Russia with a Moscow interview), and so she had her birth certificate translation notarized.

Awesome thanks. I will tell her.

The part that makes it less clear for me is the fact that when they moved from Ukraine to Russia they had the birth certificate and stamp translated into Russian, so would there really be a need for a notary?

since in essence its already in Russian

[Waitinggent 2]

You must get a translation of the original document, which is a Ukrainian document. They don't want the Ukrainian document translated into Russian. They want it translated into English.

Awesome thanks. I will tell her.

The part that makes it less clear for me is the fact that when they moved from Ukraine to Russia they had the birth certificate and stamp translated into Russian, so would there really be a need for a notary?

since in essence its already in Russian

[captainofiron 2]

You must get a translation of the original document, which is a Ukrainian document. They don't want the Ukrainian document translated into Russian. They want it translated into English.

Yes I realize that, but

1) the original document has been translated into Russian

2) the Russian Translation was notarized

3) we have then translated the notarized Russian translation into English

I dont know if you are understanding my original question

[Waitinggent 2]

You didn't write anything about a further translation into English in your original post, but it doesn't change anything. It is the English translation must be notarized. This is the document you will be giving them. They have absolutely no interest in this Russian translation that your wife has - be it notarized or not. The translation into English should have been done from the original document, not this Russian translation version, so I wouldn't even mention this "notarized" Russian translation that you used for the English translation. That could be more of a problem than a help if they learn that the document you gave them is a translation of a translation, rather than a translation of the actual birth certificate.

[captainofiron 2]

Ok so my fiancee has translated her birth certificate.

But there is a minor technicality that I want a little clarification upon.

On the US embassy Moscow website it says that documents need to be translated into English and if the document is in any other language besides Russian the translation will need to be notarized.

So here lies the Rub

Her birth certificate is from the former Ukrainian SSR, and it is written in Russian and Ukrainian, and the old notary stamp is in Ukrainian.

So would we need a notarized copy for the translation of the birth certificate?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Thats where I mentioned it

Also the Embassy website states that a document that is in Russian that has been translated into english will not need to be notarized

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ok so my fiancee has translated her birth certificate.

But there is a minor technicality that I want a little clarification upon.

On the US embassy Moscow website it says that documents need to be translated into English and if the document is in any other language besides Russian the translation will need to be notarized.

So here lies the Rub

Her birth certificate is from the former Ukrainian SSR, and it is written in Russian and Ukrainian, and the old notary stamp is in Ukrainian.

So would we need a notarized copy for the translation of the birth certificate?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Short answer...NO

Her birth certificate IF in Ukrainian AND Russian does NOT need a notary. Most of them are this way. Alla changes her certification slightly to read "Translated from the original Russian document..." The ONLY time she notarizes documents for Moscow is when she translates them from Ukrainian documents that have no Russian language (new birth certificates, divorce or marriage or police certificates)

A notary from anywhere is acceptable. Alla gets hers notarized at our bank.

[captainofiron 2]

Short answer...NO

Her birth certificate IF in Ukrainian AND Russian does NOT need a notary. Most of them are this way. Alla changes her certification slightly to read "Translated from the original Russian document..." The ONLY time she notarizes documents for Moscow is when she translates them from Ukrainian documents that have no Russian language (new birth certificates, divorce or marriage or police certificates)

A notary from anywhere is acceptable. Alla gets hers notarized at our bank.

Thanks Gary, I appreciate it

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

some more detail

So back when she moved from Ukraine to Russia a notary translated the stamp from Ukrainian to Russian and notarized it.

Yea... Confusing isnt it

Not at all confusing.

For quite some time during the Soviet Union the documents of the Republics were printed in both Russian and the native local language. When Alla translates these (Including Armenia, Kazakhstan, etc) she translates "from" Russian and states so in her certification. Her certification also states she is "competent in English, Russian and Ukrainian" so she makes no claim to have translated it from Kazakh, for example.

You do not need a notary for the English translation of this document. If you get one it will not hurt anything. Ukrainian translators ALWAYS notarize the documents as it is a Ukrainian requirement for many documents, so it may be a moot point if she has it translated there. The problem we have seen with Ukrainian translations is that they are always notarized but not always "certified" and we know of several case where they were rejected by the consulates. In one case the document WAS certified, but the translator wrote the certification in Ukrainian!

Edited July 8, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[captainofiron 2]

Not at all confusing.

For quite some time during the Soviet Union the documents of the Republics were printed in both Russian and the native local language. When Alla translates these (Including Armenia, Kazakhstan, etc) she translates "from" Russian and states so in her certification. Her certification also states she is "competent in English, Russian and Ukrainian" so she makes no claim to have translated it from Kazakh, for example.

You do not need a notary for the English translation of this document. If you get one it will not hurt anything. Ukrainian translators ALWAYS notarize the documents as it is a Ukrainian requirement for many documents, so it may be a moot point if she has it translated there. The problem we have seen with Ukrainian translations is that they are always notarized but not always "certified" and we know of several case where they were rejected by the consulates. In one case the document WAS certified, but the translator wrote the certification in Ukrainian!

Ok,

Let me ask you this Gary.

My Fiancee has been translating all the documents herself into English, is that ok? Or does she need to go to a translator

So far the only Full Ukrainian document we have had to get is the police report from her birth city,and she translated it and took it to the notary in Moscow and they stamped it

About the notary certification, how would one know if they were certified, and would this be a problem for a Russian notary?

Edited July 8, 2010 by captainofiron

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ok,

Let me ask you this Gary.

My Fiancee has been translating all the documents herself into English, is that ok? Or does she need to go to a translator

So far the only Full Ukrainian document we have had to get is the police report from her birth city,and she translated it and took it to the notary in Moscow and they stamped it

About the notary certification, how would one know if they were certified, and would this be a problem for a Russian notary?

There is NO prohibition against her doing her own translations. Alla will not do translations for our own family as she does not consider it professional. That is her thing.

The "certification" applies to the document, not the translator. The consulate will know the document is certified because your fiancee says so....

"I, (name of translator) certify that I am competent in the English an (Other langauge) languages and that this is a true and correct translation of the (name of document). Translated from the Russian original on (date)"That is all.

They are also capable of reading both languages at the consulate, so t isn't like she is going to pass off her high school diploma as a birth certificate.

[captainofiron 2]

There is NO prohibition against her doing her own translations. Alla will not do translations for our own family as she does not consider it professional. That is her thing.

The "certification" applies to the document, not the translator. The consulate will know the document is certified because your fiancee says so....

"I, (name of translator) certify that I am competent in the English an (Other langauge) languages and that this is a true and correct translation of the (name of document). Translated from the Russian original on (date)"That is all.

They are also capable of reading both languages at the consulate, so t isn't like she is going to pass off her high school diploma as a birth certificate.

HAHAHAHA

Well I will let Yana know, thanks

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

HAHAHAHA

Well I will let Yana know, thanks

Funny, yes, but Alla got to witness a case when she went for Sergeys intervew where a woman tried to pass off a court order allowing her to take her son out of the country for a VISIT to the United States into a PERMANENT order and get a K-2 visa. There was a lot of yelling and screaming by the woman and her USC fiance and then they both got escorted out by US Marines! Did this woman think they could not read Ukrainian at the consulate? All of the people you deal with there are fluent in Ukrainian, Russian and English.