Who Can Certify a Translation in Malaysia?

Oct 14

Short answer: Malaysia has no sworn-translator register, so "certified" depends on who receives your document. For Wisma Putra attestation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepts translations by a Malaysian court translator, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) or the Malaysian Translators Association, the Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM), or a translator appointed by a foreign embassy in Malaysia. Other agencies and foreign governments set their own rules, listed below.

We provide translations that meet these rules. Our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters. Send your document on WhatsApp and we will tell you what it needs.

Last reviewed: October 2026.

The four translators Wisma Putra accepts

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' attestation guidelines say a document in another language "perlu diterjemahkan oleh salah satu daripada berikut" (must be translated by one of the following) (MFA guidelines and fee schedule):

A Malaysian court translator (Penterjemah Mahkamah Malaysia).
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) or the Malaysian Translators Association (Persatuan Penterjemah Malaysia, PPM, also known as MTA).
The Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM).
A translator appointed or certified by a foreign embassy or high commission in Malaysia.

A translation by anyone else, including a general translation agency without these credentials, can be refused at the attestation counter. See our Wisma Putra translation guide for the rest of the attestation steps.

What other Malaysian agencies ask for

National Registration Department (JPN): for marriage registration, documents not in Malay or English must be translated in Malaysia, signed and stamped with the translator's original stamp. A translation made abroad must be verified by the relevant embassy or by Wisma Putra. See our JPN guide.
Courts: under Order 92 rule 1 of the Rules of Court 2012, court documents are in the national language and may be accompanied by an English translation; in Sabah and Sarawak they are in English. See our High Court guide and Malay-English legal translation.
Immigration (JIM): see our Immigration guide.
Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE): see our MOHE attestation guide.
Full list by agency: translation rules of Malaysian government agencies.

What foreign authorities ask for

If your document is going abroad, the receiving country's rules decide what "certified" means:

United States (USCIS): a full English translation with the translator's signed certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). See our USCIS guide.
United Kingdom: the translator confirms it is a "true and accurate translation of the original document" and adds the date, their full name and contact details. See our UK guide.
Singapore (ICA): accepts translations by the issuing country's embassy or a notary public, or private translations attested or notarised that way. ICA does not endorse private translation companies. See our Singapore guide.
Australia: see our Australia guide. Our team includes NAATI-certified translators.
Germany: the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur states that there are no certified and sworn translators in Malaysia under German regulations, so ask the German authority which translation it will accept before you order one.

Common questions

Is MTA accreditation required to certify a translation?

No. The Malaysian Translators Association describes its accreditation as optional ("pilihan dan bukan syarat wajib"), run by a professional body rather than the government. It is a useful sign of competence, but each authority decides whose translations it accepts.

Can a Commissioner for Oaths or notary certify my translation?

A Commissioner for Oaths takes statutory declarations and affidavits, and a notary public can witness documents for use outside Malaysia. Neither checks whether a translation is accurate. Some authorities, such as Singapore's ICA, still want a notarised translation, in which case the translator signs before the notary.

Can I translate my own documents?

Wisma Putra and JPN only accept translations by the translators they list, so a translation by the applicant is normally refused. Use a translator the receiving authority accepts.

What does a certified translation from MYLegalTrans include?

A complete translation of the document, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes, signed and stamped by the translator, with their name and credentials. We can also arrange notarisation, Wisma Putra attestation and embassy legalisation.

Related guides

Sources:

Zhihan Chew