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A notary does not speak Japanese. So what does a Ukrainian notary certify?

A fair question. The notary looks at a translation into German, Polish or Japanese and puts a seal on it. How does the notary know the translation is correct? They do not — and they do not have to. Here is how it works and what it means for you.

What the law says

It all comes down to Article 79 of the Law of Ukraine “On Notaries” (our translation):

“A notary certifies the accuracy of a translation of a document from one language into another if the notary knows the relevant languages. If the notary does not know the relevant languages, the document may be translated by a translator whose signature the notary certifies as genuine.”

So there are two different kinds of certification. A notary certifies the accuracy of the translation itself only if they know both languages. In every other case the translator translates, and the notary confirms that the signature under the translation is really the translator’s. In practice, most notarized translations are done this way.

Who is responsible for what

  • The translator is responsible for the accuracy of the translation.
  • The notary is responsible for the notarial act being done correctly: whose signature it is and whether the source document is acceptable.

The key takeaway: the quality of a notarized translation depends on the translator, not the notary. That is why it matters who translates your documents.

What we need from you

  • A photo of your passport. Names in the translation must match the passport letter for letter, or the document may be refused.
  • The original document. Notarization is impossible without it. You do not need to come in person: send the original by Nova Poshta and we return the finished document the same way.
  • For foreign documents — an apostille or legalisation. Without it the notary will not certify the translation. More: foreign documents without an apostille: why a Ukrainian notary refuses.

How we work

We translate in over 45 languages and have been translating official documents since 2001. Before the translation goes to the notary, we check names against the passport, seals and dates. Turnaround — from 1 working day.

Send a photo of your document via Telegram — we will tell you the turnaround and price straight away. More about notarized translation.