The part of a visa package that takes the most time is often the document translation. A person collects all the certificates and then it turns out that the consulate does not accept them in Azerbaijani, and another week is added to the queue. In some cases a translation is not enough either, and a notary and an apostille are needed on top. Below I have tried to separate these three concepts and find which one you need.
Which documents are translated
The general rule is this: every document not in the consulate’s language needs translating. In practice that means the birth certificate, the marriage certificate, property documents, vehicle registration and educational documents. Many banks now issue the bank statement in English, so there is no need to have that translated separately.
As for the employment letter, the simplest route is to get it in English from the start. Many companies’ human resources departments do this without difficulty and you skip a step entirely. If the letter is issued only in Azerbaijani, translation is unavoidable.
Where the document translation has to be done
Your own translation is not accepted, even if you know the language perfectly. Consulates require the translation to be entrusted either to an accredited bureau or to a translator the notary recognises. Some embassies have a list of the bureaux they recognise on their site, and if you have the translation done somewhere that is not on it, the document can be sent back.
When choosing a bureau for a document translation, look at two things rather than the price. First, whether the bureau works with a notary, because looking for the certification somewhere else loses a day. Second, the translation must carry the translator’s name, signature and stamp; plain text does not count as a document. There is detailed information on the translation and certification of official documents on the translation services page.
Notarisation, the apostille and legalisation
| Translation | Rendering the text in another language, with the translator’s signature |
| Notarisation | The notary confirms that the translator’s signature is genuine |
| Apostille | A special stamp applied so the document is recognised abroad |
| Consular legalisation | A longer procedure for countries where the apostille does not work |
Azerbaijan is a party to the Hague apostille convention, so for countries that have joined the convention an apostille is enough and there is no need to go through the long consular procedure. The apostille is applied by the state body responsible for the line of the institution that issued the document, that is, an educational document and a birth certificate do not go to the same address. Confirm this in advance, because going to the wrong address wastes a day.
There is one important subtlety: some countries want the apostille on the original document and some on the translation. If you get the order wrong, the process has to be started again. The text of the convention and the list of participating countries are published on the Hague Conference site.
Read more: A bank statement for a visa: how much money, which period and which form
The most common mistakes in document translation
The most repeated mistake is the spelling of the name. In the translation your name must be letter for letter the same as the Latin spelling in the passport; if “Rəşad” is written Rashad in one document and Reshad in another, the consul sees two different people. Give the bureau a copy of the passport and specifically ask for the name to be written in the passport’s form.
The second mistake is leaving out the stamps. The seals and stamps on the document have to be translated too, because a blank space where a stamp was creates an impression of incompleteness. The third mistake is an old translation; most consulates want a document prepared within the last three or six months. To assemble the document package in one place, getting support with preparing visa documents saves time.
In brief
First open the consulate’s list and write down which document is wanted in which language, then start the translation. Compare the spelling of the name with the passport, do not leave out the stamps, confirm whether the apostille goes on the document or the translation. To go through your documents together, fill in the application form.
Note: translation and apostille requirements vary by country, so check the consulate’s current list before applying.
