I wrote an email to my fiance's embassy asking if I could do the translations myself, and then have it notarized (for his police certificate). They said that there must be a notartized copy from a CERTIFIED COURT TRANSLATOR. Are they just bullshitting me, or are they serious? How can I get around this? I'm out of the country, and won't be back in the states for 2 more months, we're waiting his visa now?

THANK YOU!!

Yes that is correct, when we got our police cert in China the notary office that issued the police, and other certs, also provided a certified translation to English.

Your fiancee in the foreign country should be getting the translations there in the foreign country.

Do you think that if I went back to the office they will issue me one in English or what? This is so stressful! I leave the country in 3 days to go to my fiance's country! He's from Kosovo, we're in Italy right now, where we need the "OFFICIAL" translation. Could I get my English speaking boss to write on a letterhead that it's "certified" and we go to the American consulate and get it notarized? Oh I'm so confused, and way stressing! HELP!

Hi LK
I would have your fiance contact the embassy in Macedonia and ask them for a list of translators they aprove.
They might have a list of people who do that just like they have their own places for medical exams.
Good luck!

There seems to be a communication disconnect here. The Consulate is telling your the straight stuff. The police report is issued in the native language. You then take it to an official government office that does certified tranlation of documents. That office translates the document and affixes an official government seal attesting to the accuracy of the translation.

This can vary by country but evidently for this Consulate, this is the procedure as it is in some other countries.

What happens for people that are outside of the country? How could they go about doing this (as I am leaving VERY soon and who knows if they will be able to have it finished by then)?

I guess the question is, how do you find such an office? They are in Italy... not in their home countries.
I am in France, and I ordered police certificates through a Russian consulate. They will (in 3 months after request) produce the document in Russian and French. From this thread it follows that I would need to take it somewhere else, to some "office" and have it translated to English. That's great, but where do I go???!!! I don't even speak French, so it is not trivial to find that place, wherever it may be!
Imagine I could have certificates from Japan or China, say they send it to me, to France. THEN where do I translate them to English???
That sounds horribly difficult!

Rika

Suggest making sure the police report is the only thing you need to be translated (so you don't get caught short on something else), then find an official translator. Can be done via express mail/post.

This process requires that the beneficiary spend at least some time in their country to take care of business. The USC's presence is not required to obtain the Police Certificate and translation. Are you talking about a police certificate for your fiancee from her home country or a third country?

try and go to the place where you recieved the police certificate and ask them there...otherwise maybe try going to the embassy in florence...im sure they would know where you have to go for that...try and keep your cool though, stressing will only make it worse

good luck

I just spoke with the courts here in Florence, Italy over the phone and they said that I have to translate it myself, then bring it to them and have it notarized, that do they not do court certified translations.
Will this be acceptable?

im sorry that i cannot answer that question, but please let me know when you do find out...itd be a great help to me

good luck

I've been trying to find the disconnect in communication here all along. Now, I take it you are talking about a police certificate from Italy. Your specific question then is how to obtain an English translation of an Itilian police certificate, in Italy. You may get a good answer here from somebody who has been through the process in Italy or from the Consulate in Florence. What will satisfy the Consulate in Florence will satisfy the Consulate in Macedonia. Don't expect the Consulate in Macedonia to know what can or should be done in Italy.

2 years ago I had to have some documents translate officially. The documents where in French and needed to be translated by a certified translator in English.
I contacted my embassy and on their website they had a list of local certified translator. I think I emailed the content (scanned the document), the translator sent the translated document by snail mail and I sent a check.

So if I were you I would find out with your embassy or consulate what they have to offer.

Good luck.

If it is not in your native language, then contact the American or British embassy and ask them for a list of certified translators.