Malaysian Birth Certificate Translation and Legalisation
Short answer: most foreign authorities need three things for a Malaysian birth certificate: the original or a JPN extract, a certified translation of every entry and stamp, and often attestation at Wisma Putra followed by legalisation at the destination country's embassy. A JPN extract costs RM 5 online. Wisma Putra charges RM 20 to attest a certified birth certificate and RM 10 for the certified translation, under its published fee schedule.
We translate and legalise Malaysian birth certificates for any country. Our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters. Send your birth certificate on WhatsApp for a quote.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
Which birth document to use
Original birth certificate (Sijil Kelahiran). JPN does not issue certified photocopies of it, according to the US State Department's Malaysia reciprocity page.
Extract of birth registration (Cabutan Daftar Kelahiran). The usual substitute when the original is lost, damaged or laminated. Apply online through JPN's system (oslhr.jpn.gov.my) for RM 5, processed in about one working day, or at a JPN counter in Peninsular Malaysia for an RM 10 search fee plus RM 5 for the extract (form JPN.LM12). In Sarawak, extracts are issued only at the JPN state office and JPN Putrajaya, for RM 5.
New-design certificates. JPN began issuing birth certificates with new security features in stages from January 2023.
Does a bilingual birth certificate still need translating?
Usually, yes. The printed headings on a Malaysian birth certificate are in Malay and English, but the entries, notes and stamps can be in Malay. The Australian High Commission says Malaysian birth certificates "are not fully in English" and asks for an official translation. If the receiving authority wants the whole document in English, translate all of it, including stamps and handwritten notes.
What each country asks for
United States (USCIS): a full English translation with the translator's signed certification. See our USCIS guide.
United Kingdom: a translation confirmed as "true and accurate", dated, with the translator's name and contact details. See our UK guide.
Singapore (ICA): a translation by the issuing country's embassy or a notary public, or one attested or notarised that way. See our Singapore guide.
Australia: see our Australia guide.
China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and others: usually a translation into the local language plus Wisma Putra and embassy legalisation. See the country guides.
How to legalise a birth certificate for use abroad
Get the original or a fresh JPN extract.
Have it translated by a translator Wisma Putra accepts (see who can certify a translation).
Attest the certificate and translation at Wisma Putra: RM 20 for a certified birth certificate and RM 10 for a certified translation under the Ministry's fee schedule. Confirm current fees at the counter, as the schedule is undated.
Legalise both at the destination country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur, if that country requires it.
Malaysia does not issue apostilles, so this chain is what foreign authorities accept instead. See apostille in Malaysia.
Foreign birth certificates for use in Malaysia
A foreign birth certificate for JPN, Immigration (for example, a Dependant Pass) or a Malaysian court normally needs a translation into Malay or English and legalisation by the issuing country's authorities and its embassy in Kuala Lumpur. JPN accepts translations made in Malaysia only if they carry the translator's signature and original stamp. Ask the agency that will receive the document which steps it needs.
Common questions
Can I use a photocopy of my birth certificate?
Not on its own. Use the original or a JPN extract. Some authorities accept a certified true copy made by a notary public; check with the receiving authority first.
My birth certificate is laminated. Can it be attested?
Laminated documents can be refused, because the attestation stamp cannot be applied to them. A fresh JPN extract avoids the problem.
How long does the whole process take?
A JPN extract takes about one working day online. Translation can be done the same day. Wisma Putra returns documents the same day or the next working day, and embassy legalisation adds more time depending on the embassy.
Do you translate birth certificates into languages other than English?
Yes. We translate between Malay, English and other languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian.
Related guides
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