Sworn vs. Certified Translation: What’s the Difference in Indonesia?

🅿️ You’ve got an important document—maybe for a visa, a business deal, or legal paperwork—and now someone tells you it needs to be translated. But not just any translation: it must be sworn or certified. 🤔 Wait—aren’t they the same thing?

🅰️ Many expats and travelers in Indonesia make the mistake of assuming that a certified translator and a sworn translator are interchangeable 😬 This confusion can lead to delays, rejections, or even legal problems when submitting documents to Indonesian immigration, courts, or government offices.

🆂 The truth is, there’s a big difference between the two. A sworn translation in Indonesia must be done by a translator who has taken an official oath and been appointed by Kemenkumham (Ministry of Law and Human Rights). On the other hand, a “certified” translation might just mean someone added a stamp or signature—without legal standing. If you need your translation for visa processing, marriage registration, or document legalization in Bali, sworn is the only safe path.

🆃 “I submitted my certified translation of a diploma to immigration, and they told me it wasn’t valid,” says Sofia, a digital nomad from Germany. “Turns out, it had to be a sworn translation. Once I fixed it, my KITAS application was accepted with no issues!” 💬

🅴 For example, documents like birth certificates, divorce papers, contracts, and diplomas all require sworn translation if they’re going to be legalized or apostilled for use in Indonesia or abroad. Certified ones may be fine for internal business use—but not for legal procedures.

🅰️ Want to avoid delays, confusion, or wasted time? Keep reading to learn when you need a sworn translator in Indonesia, how they’re different from standard translators, and what types of documents require official translation. 📜✍️