Short answer: the Malaysian single status certificate (JPN's Surat Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan) is issued in Malay. A marriage registry, embassy or immigration office abroad needs it translated into English or its own language by a translator Wisma Putra accepts. The translation goes with the original letter: Wisma Putra attests both, then the destination's embassy in Kuala Lumpur legalises both. We translate the letter, the AM80 statutory declaration behind it when it is asked for, and take the set through Wisma Putra and the embassy in one chain. Our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters.
Send your single status certificate and the country on WhatsApp and we will give you one fixed quotation for the translation and the legalisation.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
When the single status certificate needs a certified translation
You marry abroad. The marriage registry reads only its own language or English. A registry in an English-speaking country takes a certified English translation; a registry in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam or most of Europe needs its own language.
You apply for a spouse or family visa. Embassies and immigration offices ask for the letter with a translation into English or the destination's language.
The office asks for the AM80 declaration as well. The AM80 statutory declaration you made for JPN is in Malay too; it is translated into English with the letter. See certified translation of a statutory declaration.
You are Muslim. Your marital status letter comes from the state Islamic religious department (JAWI in the Federal Territories), in Malay. We translate and legalise it in the same way.
Do not have the letter yet? Our Legal, a practising Advocate & Solicitor and Notary Public in Malaysia, applies at JPN for you: see the single status certificate guide.
Who may translate it
Malaysia has no sworn-translator register. For Wisma Putra attestation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepts translations by a Malaysian court translator, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka or the Malaysian Translators Association, ITBM, or a translator appointed by a foreign embassy in Malaysia. A translation by anyone else, or by the applicant, can be refused at the counter. See who can certify a translation in Malaysia and the translation requirements for Wisma Putra attestation.
Our translations meet these rules: our team is certified by ITBM, DBP and the Malaysian Translators Association and includes Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak High Court interpreters and NAATI-certified translators. Each translation is complete, including the JPN letterhead, the reference number, the officer's signature block, stamps and handwritten notes, and is signed and stamped by the translator with their name and credentials. If an authority rejects a certified translation we prepared within 30 days of delivery, we re-do it free (our guarantees). Your documents stay confidential under our client NDA.
The right order
Get the original letter from JPN (or the state Islamic religious department). Wisma Putra and every embassy require the original; a copy is not accepted.
Check the dates. The letter is valid for six months from the date of issue, and the destination may set a shorter limit. Start the translation as soon as you have the letter.
Translate the letter into English or the destination's language, with the AM80 declaration if the receiving office asks for it.
Wisma Putra attests the original letter and the certified translation. Official fees are in our legalisation fees tracker; we lodge them under your authorisation letter.
The destination's embassy in Kuala Lumpur legalises the letter and the translation.
We courier the legalised set to you anywhere, or you collect it in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia does not issue apostilles; this chain replaces one. See apostille in Malaysia.
Destination rules that matter
China: the single status certificate must be the original. A JPN letter issued for use in China may already carry Wisma Putra's attestation stamp on the same page; the Chinese translation still goes to Wisma Putra, and the letter and the translation both go to the Embassy of China. See legalisation for China.
Spain: the Spanish Embassy legalises the letter together with its Spanish translation, and the embassy-legalised Malaysian translation is usually accepted unless the receiving office states otherwise. See Spanish translation for Spain.
Austria: we recommend a German translation. See certified translation for Austria.
Vietnam: Malay documents usually go into both English and Vietnamese. See Malay to Vietnamese translation.
English-speaking destinations (for example the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States or Singapore): a certified English translation of the Malay letter, attested at Wisma Putra when the receiving office asks for legalisation. See Australia and the United Kingdom.
Plan around the six-month validity: the translation and both legalisation steps have to finish before the wedding or visa appointment, with time to spare for courier.
What gets a translation refused
A translation by a translator Wisma Putra does not accept, or by the applicant or a family member.
A partial translation: the letterhead, the reference number, the stamp or the signature block left out.
A translation attached to a copy instead of the original letter.
A letter older than six months, or older than the destination's own limit, by the time it reaches the registry.
Names spelled differently from the passport.
Foreign single status documents for use in Malaysia
A foreign partner marrying in Malaysia needs a single status document from their home country, legalised for use in Malaysia. JPN takes documents in Malay or English; anything else needs a certified translator's signature and official stamp, and a translation made abroad must be verified by that country's embassy in Malaysia, a Malaysian mission or Wisma Putra. A government-certified translation usually suffices for JPN unless it asks for embassy authentication. We translate these documents in Malaysia with the original stamp JPN requires. See certified translation for JPN.
Ringkasan dalam Bahasa Melayu
Surat Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan JPN (sijil status bujang) dikeluarkan dalam bahasa Melayu. Untuk kegunaan luar negara, surat asal dan terjemahan bertauliah ke dalam bahasa Inggeris atau bahasa negara destinasi disahkan oleh Wisma Putra, kemudian oleh kedutaan negara tersebut di Kuala Lumpur. Terjemahan mesti dibuat oleh penterjemah yang diterima oleh Kementerian. Surat sah selama enam bulan. Kami menterjemah surat dan Akuan Berkanun AM80 serta menguruskan Wisma Putra dan kedutaan dalam satu proses.
中文简介
马来西亚国民登记局（JPN）的婚姻状况证明信（单身证明）以马来文发出。在海外结婚或申请配偶签证时，须由马来西亚外交部（Wisma Putra）认可的译者翻译成英文或目的国语言，原件和翻译件一并经外交部认证，再由目的国驻吉隆坡使馆认证。送往中国使用的单身证明必须是原件。证明信有效期六个月。我们一站式提供翻译、外交部认证及使馆认证。
Common questions
Is the Malaysian single status certificate in English?
No. JPN issues it in Malay. An English-speaking office needs a certified English translation; other destinations need their own language.
Can I translate the letter myself?
No. For Wisma Putra the translation is made by a translator the Ministry accepts: a Malaysian court translator, DBP or the Malaysian Translators Association, ITBM, or a translator appointed by a foreign embassy in Malaysia. Our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters.
Is the translation done before or after Wisma Putra?
Before. Wisma Putra attests the original letter and the certified translation together, and the embassy then legalises both.
Can you translate a copy or a scan?
Yes, we translate from a scan so the work starts at once, but Wisma Putra and the embassy need the original letter with the translation.
Does the AM80 declaration need translating too?
Only when the receiving office asks for it. It is in Malay, so it is translated into English (or the destination's language) with the letter.
How long is the letter valid?
Six months from the date of issue. The destination may set a shorter limit, so plan the translation and legalisation around it.
Related guides
Malaysian Single Status Certificate: JPN Letter, Translation and Legalisation
Certified Translation of a Malaysian Certificate of Good Conduct
Certified Translation of a Statutory Declaration in Malaysia
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