Companies handling overseas documentation for the first time usually discover that translation is only the first layer. Understanding the structure lets you budget properly and avoid paying for a layer you do not need.
Layer one: sworn translation
The document is translated by a certified translator, then stamped, signed and accompanied by a statement of conformity. This is the only layer whose price can be published in advance, because it is counted per finished page. Rates run from IDR 50,000 per page for English to IDR 230,000 for Western European languages. The full table is on the pricing page.
Layer two: notarial certification
A notary certifies the translator's signature, not the content of the translation. This layer is not always required. What determines it is the party receiving the document: some foreign banks and some embassies require it, others do not. Asking the receiving party first can save a whole layer of cost and several working days.
Layer three: chain legalisation or Apostille
This is where the route forks, and the destination country decides which fork applies.
Two international certification routes
| Apostille route | Chain legalisation route | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | Apostille Convention member states | Non-member states |
| Number of authorities | One certificate | Ministry of Law, then Foreign Affairs, then embassy |
| Typical elapsed time | Shorter | Longer, depends on embassy queues |
| Fee basis | Per document | Per document, per authority |
| Embassy appointment needed | No | Usually yes |
The cost difference is real. On the chain route, a single document attracts three fees at three different authorities, each with its own waiting time. On the Apostille route, one document receives one certificate.
The order that cannot be reversed
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Confirm the source document is final
Restarting because the source was revised means redoing the whole chain, including agency fees already paid.
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Translate with a sworn translator
Every later certification attaches to this translated file, which is why the order cannot be swapped.
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Certify at a notary if required
Ask the receiving party first. If they do not ask for it, skip it.
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Take the Apostille or chain legalisation route
Determined by the destination country, not by preference.
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Print the number of copies requested
Adding copies after the chain is complete means repeating part of it.
The question that saves the most money
Before starting anything, ask whoever will receive the document exactly which form of certification they require, and how many copies. The answers to those two questions frequently remove an entire layer from your plan.
Ask us to map the chain for your documentsExpensive mistakes
- Running chain legalisation when the destination country is an Apostille Convention member.
- Translating a document that is not yet final, then having to repeat the chain.
- Printing one copy when the authority asks for three.
- Skipping notarial certification that turns out to be required, so the document is rejected at the last stage.
- Processing documents one at a time, when handling them together reduces both handling cost and waiting time.