Personal identification documents prove who a person is and where they may live, work, or drive. They include national ID cards, residence permits, driver's licenses, and similar cards issued by a ministry, a police authority, or a licensing office.
Authorities that do not read the source language usually ask for a translation before they accept the document. Typical cases are a spousal or work visa, a residence registration, a driver's license exchange, or a bank's customer due diligence check.
A certified translation reproduces every field on the card, front and back, including the machine-readable zone, stamps, and the issuing authority. Field labels, ID numbers, dates, and categories such as driver's license classes are kept exactly as printed, and security features such as holograms are described in brackets.
Names on IDs need special care. Where the source uses Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Greek, or another script, we follow the Latin spelling in the holder's passport, so the translation matches the person's other filings. Without a passport spelling, we apply the transliteration standard the receiving office names or one that fits the language.
Each certified translation includes a signed Certificate of Accuracy, and USCIS, embassies, courts, and government agencies decide what they accept. Our professional translation services also cover the supporting records that go with an ID, such as birth certificates and marriage records, and our translation agency can quote the whole set as one project.
Appointments at an embassy or consulate, whether a US one or that of a European country, can be supported by our expert interpreting services. Identity documents are sensitive, so only the linguists assigned to your project see the scans.