FAQs on Translation of COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

Below are some of the most common questions we get asked at Samurai Translators about the translation of COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates and some of answers we have typically given our clients.

How do I place an order?

Fill in all the required fields on our “Online Application” attaching all the original data you need translated and send it to us. For more information, go to our “Ordering Process” page.

How do I send the original files I need translated?

You can send us your files as scanned documents (PDF files), photographic images or send them by FAX.
* Please ensure that you send us a clear copy of your data in which words and characters, etc. are clearly legible.
* If you are applying to have your translation notarized, you will need to provide us with the original document.

I don’t know which documents I need / I can’t read the Japanese (or English) document I received from the institution I intend to send my documents to and would like it to be read for me.

Being that we are a translation company, we are only involved in the translation of documents and not with finding out and confirming the requirements and policies of each institution to which each individual client intends to submit their documents. Please check with your destination institution yourself.

I was told I need the translator’s signature and a company seal.

Our translations are printed on company letterheaded paper and each page is stamped with our company seal. We also deliver all our translations together with a “Certificate of Translation” signed by the translator in charge of your translation”. (Certificate of Translation Sample: https://www.translators.jp/download/certificate_of_translation.pdf）

How much does a Certificate of Translation cost?

The translation fee includes the cost of the “Certificate of Translation” and the “postage fee for delivery within Japan”.

What are your delivery times?

Standard delivery takes 5-6 business days from the date we receive your payment.
(This may be extended if your documents need to be notarized or you have a large volume for translation. We will provide you with more specific details when we give you our estimate.)

I need my translation ASAP….

Express delivery and same day delivery are available for an additional charge. This will vary depending on the content and volume of your translation, so please contact us to find out the exact details. (Please note that in some cases, we may not be able to comply with your request.)

How do I pay?

You can pay by credit card or bank transfer.
1. Bank Transfer: To MUFG Bank, Ltd.
2. Credit Card: Only VISA and MASTERCARD
*For more information, please visit our “Payment” page.
*If you apply for notarization services, we only accept payment by “bank transfer”.

I would like to get a receipt.

Please let us know that you want us to issue a receipt when you send in your application and we will enclose one when we send you your translation.

Does my translation need to be notarized?

We cannot answer this question as it is entirely up to you and dependent on the requirements of the institution you are submitting your translation to. Please contact the institution you are submitting your translation to directly to find out whether it needs to be notarized.

The institution I am sending my translation to needs the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate to be in English. If I place an order for a translation with your company, will it be accepted as an official translation?

We cannot give you a definitive answer as to whether our translation will be regarded as an official translation. The COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate translation requirements are not universal and vary from country to country and institution to institution and depend on the purpose you are using the translation for and your individual circumstances. You will need to find out what constitutes an official translation in your case.
In Japan, there is no licensing system for translators and no accreditation body for translators approved by the state. Because there are no official translation organizations which operate as a public body in Japan, the certificates issued by the state and local authorities which translation companies translate (such as in this case, the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate) are official documents while the documents translated by translation companies which are then attached to such documents are technically private documents. In the case of Japan at least, there is no such thing as an “official” translation in the strictest sense of the word.
Broadly speaking, we handle the translation of official documents in one of two ways.
1. We issue a Certificate of Translation when we translate official documents. On the Certificate of Translation, the translator solemnly and sincerely declares 1. that s/he is a qualified translator who is proficient in both the English and Japanese languages (in the case of Japanese to English translations) and 2. that the document/s attached is a true and faithful translation from Japanese into English of the original document. The certificate also contains the name, address and other contact information of the translator and translation company, the date of the translation, the signature of the translator and the seal of the translation company. ⇒ Sample of our Certificate of Translation (PDF)
2. In addition to the above, the translator also swears the same before a notary public (or consular officer) at a notary public office (or consulate of the country the translation is being submitted to) making the documents certified documents.
If the institution your translation is being submitted to requires a certification statement akin to a notarization (a notarial or notary statement, an affidavit under oath or statement by a notary public, etc.), you will need us to undertake the process in 2. ⇒ Translation Notarization Service
Once you have checked the translation requirements and confirmed that the above methods meet those requirements, then you can place an order with us.
Please note that we cannot answer any questions you have prior to you placing an order with us such as whether your company meets the assigned requirements by you just attaching the requirements from the institution you intend to submit your documents to in a foreign language as is. Since we do not know your individual circumstances, we cannot give reliable advice on individual cases. The document requirements are determined by the institution you are submitting your documents to and we cannot confirm these matters on behalf of the institution.

Does your Certificate of Translation include a registration number and a seal of an affiliated translation association?

Click here to see the declaration made in our Certificate of Translation ⇒ Sample of our Certificate of Translation (PDF)
We are a corporate member of the Japan Translation Federation (JTF). Our membership number is “”c09120125″” but as the Japan Translation Federation does not issue seals to its registered members, a registered seal affiliated to the federation is not stamped on our Certificate of Translation.
Our Chief Translator is also a member of the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) but the Japan Association of Translation also does not issue seals to its members, so a registered seal affiliated to the association is not stamped on our Certificate of Translation.