When do you need to have a passport translated?

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on 11 October 2026

When does a passport need to be translated?

What matters is not the language spoken by the official handling your file, but the formal requirement of the receiving body. A translation is generally requested in the following situations:

• the body expressly requires it: reread its request and look for the words "sworn translation", "certified translation", "approved translator" or "official translation"
• some information appears only in the national language: place of birth, issuing authority, additional entries or endorsements, which are common on older passports or those not fully compliant with the standard
• pages other than the data page are requested: visas, entry and exit stamps, extensions, entries relating to nationality or a change of name
• the passport is submitted to a foreign authority: a French citizen may have to provide a translation of their passport into the language of the destination country, under that country's own rules (locally approved translator, legalisation or another formality)

These requests mainly arise for a marriage, a civil partnership (PACS), an estate or notarial deed, court proceedings, university enrolment or banking formalities abroad. For naturalisation and family reunification, see the articles dedicated to these procedures: most of the requirements there concern civil status documents, not the passport.

Before ordering, ask for written instructions specifying the pages to translate, the target language and the expected format (digital copy or paper original), especially if your deadline is tight.

Which pages of the passport should be translated?

The data page is the one most often requested. Its translation faithfully reproduces the information identifying the holder: surname, given names, date and place of birth, sex, nationality, passport number, dates of issue and expiry, issuing authority, and any entries on the page.

Other pages only need translating if they support a specific piece of information requested by the receiving body: a visa, an entry stamp proving a date of arrival, an endorsement or an extension of validity. Do not have the whole passport translated just in case: you would be paying for pages you do not need.

The photograph, signature, holograms and machine-readable zone are not translated. Their presence is indicated where they appear.

Spelling of names: the real risk with a translated passport

For a passport written in Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Greek or another script, the main difficulty is not translation but the transliteration of names. The same name can be written in several ways in Latin letters depending on the system used, and a single letter's difference may lead an authority to consider that two documents do not relate to the same person.

To avoid this:

• tell the translator which spelling is already used on your other documents: translated birth certificate, residence permit, an application already submitted
• flag any discrepancy between the Latin transcription in the passport and that of your other documents before the translation is produced
• in principle, the official transcription printed in the passport prevails: the translator reproduces it as it stands and does not "correct" a name

Does the passport need an apostille?

As a rule, no. A valid passport is neither apostilled nor legalised: it is an identity document whose authenticity is checked through its own security features. However, the documents accompanying it in the same file (birth certificate, marriage certificate, judgment, diploma) may require an apostille or legalisation depending on their country of origin. Do not infer the rule for those documents from the rule for the passport.

For the apostille and legalisation procedure in France since 2025, and for country-by-country requirements, see the dedicated articles.

How to prepare what you send to the translator

• A clear scan or photo of each page to be translated: all edges of the passport visible, characters legible, no glare. A blurred image can lead to an error in a name, a number or a date.
• No information hidden without the translator's prior agreement: they must be able to certify that the translation is faithful to the document provided.
• Your current, valid passport: a translation made from an old passport or a cropped copy creates an inconsistency with the other documents in your file.
• The receiving body's request, if it sets out specific requirements.
• Practical details: source and target languages, country where the document will be submitted, deadline, number of copies and delivery address if a paper original must be posted.
• Nothing more: a passport contains sensitive data. Do not send unrelated documents (bank statements, medical records) and use an appropriate transmission channel.

A passport contains little text, so its translation is usually quick when the scan is legible and the language is common. If your application is urgent, have the passport translated as soon as it is available, without waiting for the other documents to be gathered.

Finding a sworn translator for a passport

For a document intended for a French authority, choose a translator registered as a court-appointed expert on the list of a court of appeal. The Directory of Sworn Translators of France lets you search by language, département, region and court of appeal. For a rare language or a close deadline, widen your search to the whole of France or use the express file submission service with your scan as a PDF.

Before submitting your application, check the names, dates and passport number one last time, and make sure they are consistent with your civil status documents. A correction is always easier before submission than after a refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Does a French prefecture require a translation of a foreign passport?

Not systematically. The data page of a passport that complies with the international standard has field captions in English, French or Spanish and a transcription of names into Latin letters. A translation is only needed if the prefecture asks for it or if relevant information appears only in the national language.

Does the whole passport need to be translated?

No. The data page is usually enough. Visa, stamp or endorsement pages only need translating if the receiving body asks for them.

Can the translator correct the spelling of my name?

No. The translator reproduces the official transcription shown in the passport. If it differs from the spelling on your other documents, flag it before the translation: it is for the receiving body, possibly on the basis of supporting evidence, to establish that the documents relate to the same person.

Does a passport need an apostille before translation?

As a rule, no. A passport is neither apostilled nor legalised. The civil status documents accompanying it may be, however, depending on their country of origin.

Is a scan of the passport enough for the translator?

Yes, in the vast majority of cases, provided it is clear and complete. Keep the original: you will be asked for it when you submit your application.

Sources

• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Doc 9303 "Machine Readable Travel Documents"
• Lists of court-appointed experts of the courts of appeal, centralised by the Court of Cassation
• Decree No. 2004-1463 of 23 December 2004 on court-appointed experts
• Decree No. 2021-1205 of 17 September 2021, amended by Decree No. 2024-1200 of 23 December 2024, on legalisation and the apostille
• Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents