Certified French Translation of Malaysian Documents
Short answer: French authorities want foreign documents translated into French by an authorised translator. For Malaysian documents, that means a translator authorised by the French Embassy in Malaysia or by the French government, such as the official centre for the French language in Kuala Lumpur; in France itself, a traducteur agréé, "un expert judiciaire inscrit sur les listes établies par les cours d'appel et la Cour de cassation". The French translation does not need Wisma Putra attestation, and a translation attested at Wisma Putra is not accepted. The translation is done before legalisation.
What we do: French translations certified by the official centre for the French language in Kuala Lumpur, a stamp the French Embassy accepts. The translation needs no Wisma Putra attestation; only the original goes through Wisma Putra and the embassy. Send your document on WhatsApp and tell us which French office will receive it.
Last reviewed: October 2026. For legalisation, see legalising Malaysian documents for France.
Who may translate
For the French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur: a translator authorised by the French Embassy in Malaysia or by the French government, such as the official centre for the French language in Kuala Lumpur. France's general rule also mentions translators authorised "auprès des autorités de l'État de résidence", but in our experience a translation by a translator authorised only by Malaysian authorities, or attested at Wisma Putra, is not accepted.
Translations made abroad: the list of translators approved by local authorities is published by the consulate, and the translator's signature is certified by the consulate (certification matérielle de signature: €15 for French nationals on the register, €30 for others).
The French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur's translator list is for information only: it "ne constitue pas une liste de traducteurs agréés par les autorités locales", so check what the receiving authority needs.
For French courts: a translator on a court of appeal's list of judicial experts.
What an accepted translation stamp looks like
French translations accepted by the French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur carry a certification stamp reading "Translation certified by the …, official center for the French language in Kuala Lumpur". We provide French translations certified this way. The centre's name and the signature are blacked out in this example.
What each French office asks for
Préfecture (residence permits): a translation "par un traducteur interprète agréé".
Town hall (marriage in France): documents translated by a sworn translator.
French Embassy (marriage in Malaysia): the foreign spouse's birth certificate "le cas échéant traduit par un traducteur assermenté et légalisé".
Courts: a translation by a translator on a judicial experts list.
Ask the receiving office whether a translation made in Malaysia is enough, or whether it wants a traducteur agréé in France.
Translate before legalisation
France's rule: "Cette traduction doit être faite avant de commencer les démarches de légalisation." Only the original then goes through Wisma Putra and the French Embassy; the French translation does not need Wisma Putra attestation. This is the opposite of Germany, where the embassy asks you to translate after Wisma Putra; see our Germany guide.
Common questions
Is a French translation made in Malaysia accepted?
Yes, if it is certified by a translator authorised by the French Embassy in Malaysia or the French government, such as the official centre for the French language in Kuala Lumpur. A translation attested at Wisma Putra, or by a translator authorised only by Malaysian authorities, is not accepted. Some French offices, such as préfectures, may still want a traducteur agréé in France.
Does the French translation need Wisma Putra attestation?
No. Only the original goes through Wisma Putra and the French Embassy. A translation attested at Wisma Putra is not accepted.
What is a traducteur agréé?
A translator registered as a judicial expert on the lists of a French court of appeal or the Cour de cassation.
Do English documents need translating for France?
Generally yes: French authorities ask for documents in French or with a French translation.
Related guides
Sources: