translation & notarisation
Half of Nepal's civil documents are issued in Nepali only. Turning them into something a foreign university or embassy will read — and believe — is a small, cheap step that people get wrong by doing it in the wrong order.
Not everything. Most academic documents from Nepali boards and universities are already issued in English, and translating a document that is already in English wastes money and can confuse an assessor.
Usually already in English
NEB transcripts and certificates, most university transcripts, provisional and character certificates, and the police clearance certificate.
Usually in Nepali
Citizenship certificate, birth and relationship certificates, marriage certificate, land ownership records, and most ward-office documents.
Depends on the issuer
Income-source certificates, sponsor declarations, and some bank documents. Ask the issuing office whether they can produce it in English directly — many can.
Always in English
Anything you write yourself for a foreign reader — sponsor letters, statements of purpose, affidavits intended for a mission.
Ask the issuing office whether it can produce the document in English before you pay anyone to translate it — many can.
Foreign institutions generally want a translation that somebody has taken responsibility for — not one you typed yourself. In Nepal, that usually means a translation prepared by a translation service and then notarised by a notary public, who attests the translator's declaration.
Notaries public in Nepal are licensed practitioners. A notarised translation is what most universities and missions mean when they ask for a "certified" or "official" translation from Nepal.
Some destinations go further and want a sworn translator recognised in their own country, or a translation done after arrival. Germany and several other European systems work this way for certain documents. Check your destination before paying for a translation it will not accept.
The usual Nepali standard accepted abroad: a translation prepared by a translation service and notarised by a notary public
A translation you produced yourself: generally not accepted
An affidavit is a sworn written statement, notarised. Three come up constantly in Nepali student files:
One-and-the-same-person affidavit
States that two spellings or forms of your name refer to one person. Needed whenever your citizenship and your academic certificates disagree — which is common, and which an embassy will notice.
Sponsorship / financial support affidavit
Your sponsor swears they will fund your study, usually naming the amount and the relationship. Sits alongside the bank and income evidence rather than replacing it.
Relationship affidavit
Where a ward-issued relationship certificate is unavailable or incomplete, a sworn statement can support the link — but a genuine ward certificate is stronger evidence, so get that first where you can.
This is the whole reason this page exists as its own guide. Translation sits at the front of the attestation chain, not the back.
Translate and notarise BEFORE the attestation chain starts — a ministry will not attest a document, then attest a translation of it added afterwards.
So: original issued → translated → notarised → ministry verification → MoFA attestation → embassy legalisation if required. Reversing any two of those means paying twice.
Keep the Nepali original attached
Submit the translation with the original or a certified copy of it. A translation on its own is not evidence of anything.
Consistent transliteration
Your name should be transliterated identically across every translated document — matching your passport. Tell the translator the spelling; don't let them choose.
Get extra copies notarised
Notarising three copies at once costs marginally more than one. Reordering later means the whole trip again.
Costs are small
Translation and notarisation are among the cheapest steps in this process. If someone is quoting a large sum, get a second quote.
We deliberately do not list translation businesses. Recommending private vendors is exactly the kind of commercial relationship this site refuses — ask your college, your ward office, or other students who have recently gone through it.
My university only asked for a 'certified copy'. Is that the same thing?
No. A certified copy is a photocopy someone authorised has confirmed matches the original — usually a notary or the issuing body. A certified translation is a rendering into another language with a declaration attached. Read the wording carefully; they cost different amounts and satisfy different requirements.
Can my college teacher translate and sign it?
Some institutions accept it; most do not. The safe standard is a translation notarised by a notary public, because it is the one a Nepali attestation chain will carry forward.
Does the translation need attesting too?
If the destination requires attestation at all, then yes — the translation travels through the chain with the original. That is why translating first matters.
How long is a notarised translation valid?
There is no fixed expiry, but the underlying document can change — a bank statement or income certificate goes stale even if its translation doesn't. Translate documents that are stable; leave the short-lived ones until the file is being assembled.