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How Long Does Notarised Translation Take? A Realistic Timeline for ICA Deadlines
Translation (24hr) → Notary Public (1–2 days) → SAL Authentication (1–2 days) → Delivery
A complete notarised and SAL-authenticated translation — the tier ICA requires for PR, Citizenship and LTVP applications — takes 3 to 5 working days under standard service. Expedited service can compress this to 1 to 2 working days. The actual timeline depends on how many documents you have, when you start, and whether an ICA appointment is already booked. This page breaks down every step so you can plan your submission with confidence.
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Days until your ICA appointment?
Standard service — all steps included comfortably
Translation + Notarisation + SAL + Physical delivery
Expedited — priority scheduling, next-day notary
Same-day translation; SAL by end of Day 3
Emergency — WhatsApp now for availability check
Same-day SAL counter service; tight but achievable
24hr
Translation delivery (standard)
1–2 days
Notary Public appointment
1–2 days
SAL authentication at Singapore Academy of Law
3–5 days
Total standard chain
Step by step
The complete notarised translation timeline, step by step
Every step in the chain is handled by us except the ICA submission itself. Here is exactly what happens at each stage and how long each one takes.
- 1
24 hrs
3–8 hrs urgentWe do this
Translation
We translate your document in full — all pages, stamps, seals, annotations, and court endorsements. For standard documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, SPM certificate), delivery is within 24 hours of receiving clear copies of all pages.
Standard: 24–48 hours · Urgent: 3–8 hours same day · Complex documents (deed polls with enrolled copies, multi-page transcripts): allow 48 hours
- 2
1–2 days
next morning urgentWe coordinate this
Notary Public appointment
The completed translation goes to a Singapore Notary Public, who witnesses our translator’s signed declaration and issues a Notarial Certificate. This is the step that gives the translation legal standing in Singapore proceedings.
Standard: 1–2 working days after translation is approved · Urgent: next-morning slots usually available when requested before midday · We book and attend the appointment — you do not visit the Notary Public
- 3
1–2 days
same-day counterWe handle this
SAL Authentication (Singapore Academy of Law)
The Notarial Certificate is authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). This is the mandatory final step before the document is accepted by ICA, MOM, or other government agencies. SAL charges S$87.20 (including GST) per certificate.
Standard: 1–2 working days after submission · Counter service: submissions before approximately 3pm may be collected the next working day · We submit to SAL on your behalf — no visit required from you
- ✓
same day as SAL
Delivery
Delivery — digital and physical
On the day SAL authentication is collected, we email you a high-resolution PDF of the complete authenticated document and dispatch the original physical copy by courier (or arrange self-collection). ICA requires the physical original for most submission types.
Digital PDF: emailed same day as SAL collection · Physical original: courier next working day or self-collect · Ready to submit to ICA, MOM, ROM or ACRA
Total standard chain: 3–5 working days. This assumes no page gaps in the document, no extended SAL backlog, and that you send us the document on Day 1. Sending us incomplete pages is the single most common cause of delay — we will always ask for the complete document before we start.
Choosing your translation tier
Certified, notarised, or notarised + SAL: turnaround and use cases
Not all Singapore agencies require the same translation tier. Choosing the wrong one wastes time re-doing the work. Use this table to match your requirement to the fastest correct option.
Certified translation
MOM (EP/S Pass)
ROM
ICA (PR/Citizenship)
Notarised translation
Some Singapore courts
Legal proceedings
ICA (requires SAL too)
Notarised + SAL authenticated
ICA (PR/Citizenship/LTVP)
All Singapore government agencies
Know your deadline
What to do based on how much time you have
The right service tier depends entirely on your ICA appointment or submission date. Here is the recommended action for each deadline window.
Plenty of time — standard service
Standard service covers translation, notarisation and SAL authentication comfortably within 3–5 days, leaving buffer for any last-minute queries. Send us your documents today and confirm your ICA appointment date.
Tight but doable — expedited service
Expedited scheduling is available: same-day translation, next-morning notary appointment, and priority SAL submission. WhatsApp us with your appointment date before 10am for confirmation.
Very urgent — call for availability
Achievable if you contact us before 9am. Same-day translation is confirmed first; we then check next-morning notary availability and same-day SAL counter service. Not guaranteed but our most common emergency outcome.
Emergency — discuss options now
A same-day notarised + SAL-authenticated package is not reliably achievable in one calendar day. However, we can often provide a notarised translation (pre-SAL) on the same day, with SAL to follow. ICA does not accept pre-SAL documents — discuss options with Emily first.
What affects your timeline
Factors that can extend or compress the notarised translation timeline
Most delays are preventable. Here are the variables that affect how quickly your authenticated document is ready.
Document page count and complexity
A 1-page birth certificate translates in 2–4 hours. A deed poll with enrolled copy, multiple endorsements, or a 30-page transcript takes longer. Always send every page upfront so we can give an accurate timeline before starting.
Image quality of the document you send us
Blurry, glare-affected, or incomplete photos require a resend before we can begin. The clearest photo you can take in natural light, with all four corners of the document visible, avoids this entirely.
Notary Public availability
Notary Public appointments are scheduled — they are not walk-in. We book proactively as soon as translation is approved, but during peak periods (start/end of month, school holidays), appointment slots may push to Day 3. We flag this immediately.
SAL counter schedules and public holidays
SAL operates on working days only. Submissions made late in the afternoon may roll to the next day. Public holiday clusters — especially around Chinese New Year and Deepavali — can add 1–2 days. We plan around these proactively when you confirm your deadline upfront.
The single most effective thing you can do: send us all pages of every document on Day 1 and confirm your ICA appointment date. With the complete document set and a known deadline, we can almost always work backwards from your date and schedule every step to meet it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about notarised translation timelines
Answers to the questions Malaysians ask most before submitting to ICA Singapore.
- Last updated: June 2026
For urgent ICA submissions, expedited service can deliver a fully notarised and SAL-authenticated translation in 1–2 working days in most cases. This requires you to send us clear copies of all pages of the document before 10am on the day you contact us, and for the Notary Public to have a morning slot available the following day. WhatsApp Emily with your deadline for an immediate feasibility check.
Same-day completion of the full notarised + SAL-authenticated chain is not reliably achievable in a single calendar day — the SAL counter process requires at minimum a same-day submission and next-day collection. However, same-day translation is available, and the complete authenticated package — translation, notarisation and SAL — is achievable within 2 calendar days in most emergency cases. Contact us before 9am for the best outcome.
SAL authentication at the Singapore Academy of Law typically takes 1–2 working days after the Notarial Certificate is submitted. Counter service is available on working days — submissions made before approximately 3pm are usually processable by the next working day. We handle the SAL counter submission on your behalf; you do not need to visit SAL at any point.
Allow a minimum of 5 working days before your ICA appointment under standard service. If you have flexibility, 7–10 working days provides comfortable buffer for any resubmission or unexpected hold. If your appointment is in 3 days or fewer, contact us immediately — expedited service can often still meet that deadline, but we need to confirm Notary Public and SAL availability first.
For most ICA submissions, the original physical document — not a scanned or digital copy — is required. The Notarial Certificate and SAL Authentication Certificate are physical stamps and signatures on the translation; a digital copy does not carry these. We always provide both a PDF and a physical original. Check with ICA whether your specific application type permits digital submission.
A certified translation takes 24–48 hours. A notarised translation (without SAL) takes 2–4 working days. A notarised + SAL-authenticated translation takes 3–5 working days. For MOM Employment Pass applications, certified translation is sufficient. For ICA PR and Citizenship submissions, the full notarised + SAL chain is required — there is no shortcut that ICA will accept.
The main delay factors are: sending incomplete document pages (translation cannot start until all pages are received), high document page count, peak-period Notary Public availability, and SAL counter schedules around Singapore public holidays. The single best preventive step is sending all pages of every document on Day 1 and confirming your ICA appointment date — we then schedule every step backwards from your deadline.
Know your deadline? Let us confirm the service tier for you.
WhatsApp Emily with your ICA date — free timeline check
Start today — every day counts
Confirm your ICA deadline and we will map the exact timeline
WhatsApp Emily your ICA appointment date and the documents you need translated. We will confirm the service tier, start time, and delivery date — before you pay anything.
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