Certified Iranian Document Translation

A certified translation (Tarjome-ye Rasmi / ترجمه رسمی) of an Iranian document is a translation produced by a translator who has been officially licensed by the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran after passing the certification examination and completing the swearing-in ceremony. The translator affixes their judiciary-issued seal, handwritten signature, and a formal certification clause attesting that the translation is complete and accurate. This certification gives the translation legal standing before Iranian courts, government ministries, and institutions. Iranian authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Organization for Civil Registration, courts at all levels, and universities, only accept translations bearing the seal of a judiciary-authorized certified translator. For international use, foreign immigration authorities, courts, and institutions similarly require certified translations of Iranian documents.

Yes. Every translator in our Iranian network is a motarjem-e rasmi (certified translator) holding an active license issued by the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Our translators have passed the official certification examination, completed the required interview process, and participated in the swearing-in ceremony. Before each project assignment, we verify the translator's current license status. Our translators are also affiliated with the Iranian Association of Certified Translators and Interpreters (IACTI), which maintains professional standards and ethical guidelines. Our network covers all major Iranian cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Tabriz, and provides coverage across more than 40 language pairs.

Our Iranian certified translation pricing follows a transparent per-page structure with volume discounts that apply automatically for larger documents. Pricing varies based on document length, language pair, and the processing speed you select. Express and rush service options are available for time-sensitive projects. Consular legalization fees through the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant embassies are quoted separately based on the destination country. Upload your documents on our order page to receive an instant, detailed quote before work begins — no hidden fees.

Iran is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (formally the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents). As a result, the simplified apostille process that allows documents to be authenticated with a single certificate between member states is not available for Iranian documents. Instead, Iran uses the traditional consular legalization (Tasdig-e Qonsuli) process, which involves a multi-step authentication chain through notaries, foreign affairs ministries, and embassies or consulates of both the originating and receiving countries. While this process takes longer than an apostille, it serves the same fundamental purpose of verifying document authenticity for cross-border use. DoVisa manages the complete legalization chain to minimize delays and ensure all steps are completed correctly.

The consular legalization timeline depends on the specific embassies and government offices involved. Within Iran, notarization at a Notary Public office typically takes 1-2 business days, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation takes 2-4 business days. Embassy or consulate legalization by the destination country varies significantly: most embassies in Tehran process legalization requests within 5-10 business days, though some may take longer depending on the current diplomatic situation and processing volume. The complete chain from certified translation to fully legalized document typically takes 10-18 business days. DoVisa tracks each step and provides regular status updates throughout the process.

All Iranian official documents use the Solar Hijri calendar (Shamsi calendar), which begins its year at the spring equinox and has different month names and year numbering than the Gregorian calendar. For example, the year 1403 in the Solar Hijri calendar corresponds to March 2024 through March 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. Our translators accurately convert all Shamsi dates to Gregorian equivalents in the translation while including the original Solar Hijri date in parentheses for reference. This dual-date approach ensures that foreign authorities can correctly interpret the timeline while maintaining traceability to the original document. Date conversion accuracy is verified during our quality review process, as even a small conversion error can cause complications with immigration applications or legal proceedings.

Iranian applicants to Canadian immigration programs including Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), and family sponsorship must provide certified English translations of all Persian-language documents. Common requirements include: Shenasnameh (identity booklet) pages showing personal details, parental information, and marital status; birth certificate pages; academic transcripts and degrees for Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) through WES or IQAS; police clearance certificates (Govahi-e Adami Sou-e Pishine); marriage certificate (Aqd Nameh) for spousal sponsorship; employment references; and military service completion card (Kart-e Payan-e Khedmat) where applicable. IRCC requires translations accompanied by the translator's certification statement. DoVisa ensures every translation meets IRCC requirements to avoid Requests for Additional Documents (RADs).

Yes. Many Iranian documents from before the computerization era — including older Shenasnameh booklets, handwritten marriage contracts, property deeds (Sanad-e Malekiyat), and pre-digital court documents — use older Persian calligraphic styles, traditional Nastaliq script, and archaic legal terminology that require specialized translation expertise. Our translators are experienced with historical Iranian document formats dating back several decades. All dates in the Solar Hijri calendar, including those from older documents, are accurately converted to Gregorian equivalents. For documents that are partially illegible due to age or damage, we provide a translator's note identifying any text that could not be fully deciphered, ensuring transparency with the receiving authority.

For the translation process itself, clear digital scans or photographs are sufficient. Our translators work from the digital copies you upload through our secure portal. However, for notarization, the Notary Public office may require sight of the original or a certified copy. For consular legalization, original documents must be submitted at certain steps in the authentication chain. We recommend keeping your original documents safe and accessible. For customers outside Iran, we can coordinate with local representatives to handle physical document submission for the legalization process. Our certified PDF translations are suitable for preliminary submissions and digital applications while the notarized hard copies are in transit.

In most cases, yes. A certified English translation of an Iranian document is generally accepted across English-speaking countries including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, provided it meets the certification standards of each receiving authority. However, some countries require country-specific certification formats. For example, IRCC (Canada) requires the translator's signed declaration, while the UK Home Office requires a specific certification statement format. For non-English-speaking countries such as Germany, France, or the Gulf states, a translation into the target country's language is typically required. DoVisa can provide translations in multiple target languages from a single source document submission, and we advise on the specific certification format needed for each destination.

Persian names and terms in translated documents require careful transliteration to ensure consistency across all official paperwork. When translating from Persian to English, our translators follow established transliteration conventions and cross-reference the spelling used in the individual's passport or other official English-language documents to maintain consistency. Persian contains characters and sounds that may be transliterated differently depending on convention — for example, the letter خ may appear as 'Kh' and غ as 'Gh'. For documents where name consistency is critical, such as immigration and civil status applications, we verify spellings against passport data you provide to prevent discrepancies that could cause delays at government offices.

DoVisa offers an acceptance guarantee for all Iranian certified translations. If an immigration authority, court, embassy, university, or other official institution rejects our translation due to a formatting, terminology, or certification issue, we revise and reissue the translation at no additional cost within 24 hours. Rejections are extremely rare (under 1.2% of submissions) and typically involve institution-specific formatting preferences rather than translation errors. When a revision is needed, our translators promptly adjust the document to meet the particular authority's expectations. If a revision does not resolve the issue, we provide a full refund. This guarantee does not cover rejections based on the content of the original document itself or missing source documentation.

Yes. We offer Persian-to-Arabic translation services specifically designed for Iranians relocating to or conducting business in Gulf states. The UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain each have specific requirements for document formatting and legalization. Our Arabic translators are familiar with the official terminology used by Gulf labour ministries, professional licensing authorities, and educational credential evaluation bodies. For Gulf state employment, we typically translate and authenticate degree certificates, police clearances, and employment contracts. The complete process includes Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation followed by embassy legalization from the destination country.

Iranian authorities generally require the physical original of a certified translation bearing the translator's judiciary-issued seal and handwritten signature. Digital PDF copies are useful for preliminary submissions, pre-checks, and personal records, but most government offices will request the hard-copy original during your in-person appointment. This is particularly important for the notarization and legalization process, which requires physical documents at each stage. DoVisa includes free priority shipping within Iran for all certified translations. For international customers, we ship via tracked courier. Our certified PDFs include high-resolution scans of the sealed and signed translation for your digital records while the physical originals are in transit.