Translation of documents

The Finnish authorities may require that documents issued in foreign languages be translated into Finnish or Swedish. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finnish missions abroad do not offer translation services.

The Finnish National Agency for Education maintains a registry of authorised translators in Finland(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Contact information for translators is available on The Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters’ (SKTL)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) website.

For more information about authorised translators in other countries, contact the authorities of the country in question.

If a foreign document is translated abroad, the Finnish authorities may require you to have the translation legalised following the appropriate procedure.

Translation of documents in Japan

Official Japanese documents, which you want to present to the Finnish authorities, must be translated into English, Finnish or Swedish. If the document is not translated in Finland as described above, the translation must be notarised by a notary public and legalised with an apostille. Some Japanese translation agencies can take care of this process. ​​​​​​Please note that customers' own translations can not accepted. 

Translation agencies