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When an apostilled document needs a translation
An apostille does not translate a document. Whether you need a translation depends on the authority that will receive it.
Mexico, as an example
The Consulate of Mexico in Miami explains that a foreign birth certificate used to register a record in a Mexican civil registry must be legalized or apostilled and translated by an authorized perito traductor. Consulate of Mexico in Miami
The same page says that for registration at the consulate itself, translation is requested if the document is in another language, and that documents issued in English do not require translation for that step.
What to do
- Ask the receiving authority, in writing, whether it needs a translation and who may certify it.
- Confirm that the translator is one the authority accepts, such as a sworn or authorized translator.
- Keep the apostilled original and the translation together.
Our country pages include the translation rule we found for each destination, with the source and the date we checked it.