LEGAL DOCUMENTS
Bilingual and Foreign-Language Document Notarization
Bilingual document notarization takes more than a stamp. We review every language version in advance, prepare a Massachusetts certificate the Secretary of the Commonwealth will authenticate, and make sure nothing is left blank in either language before your document goes abroad.
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BILINGUAL DOCUMENTS
Complete in every language
For companies, counsel, families and individuals
- Every language version reviewed first
- Compliant English certificate prepared in advance
- Apostille or embassy legalization
- Certified translation in 65+ languages
How we handle bilingual and foreign-language documents
A document written partly or entirely in another language can be notarized in Massachusetts, but it needs more preparation than an English one. We confirm what the document is, where every signature and certificate belongs, and how the notarial certificate will satisfy both the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the office abroad.
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We review the document in advance
Send us the document, in every language version, before the appointment. We identify each signature line and certificate space, and ask for a short English description or translation when the text is in a language we do not read.
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We prepare the notarial certificate
When the document has no compliant certificate, or only one in another language, we prepare a Massachusetts certificate in English that the Secretary of the Commonwealth will authenticate, ready to attach at the signing.
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We meet your signer
At your office, home or a convenient location across Greater Boston. We confirm the signer understands what they are signing; when they do not read the language, an interpreter they trust should be present.
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Apostille, legalization or translation
We file in person with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, typically within 1–2 business days. For non-Hague countries we continue through the U.S. Department of State and the embassy, and we add certified translation where the destination requires it.
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Delivered where it is needed
Scans of the completed documents are emailed to you before they ship. Originals go to you or directly to the recipient abroad by tracked courier.
What bilingual document notarization involves
Many documents bound for another country are drafted in two columns, English beside the destination language, or entirely in the foreign language by counsel abroad. Powers of attorney, clinical trial agreements, corporate declarations, consent forms and affidavits all arrive this way. A Massachusetts notary can notarize them, because a notary certifies the signer’s identity and signature, not the content of the document.
What the notary must not do is notarize a blank or incomplete document. Massachusetts law prohibits notarizing a signature on a blank or incomplete document, and it prohibits affixing an official signature or seal to an incomplete notarial certificate (M.G.L. c. 222, § 16). When part of a document is in a language the notary does not read, the practical safeguard is preparation: knowing in advance what the document is, where it must be signed and which fields belong to the notary.
The notarial certificate itself is a Massachusetts form. It states the venue, the date and the facts the notary attests, and we complete it in English so the Secretary of the Commonwealth can authenticate it with an apostille. If the destination needs the certificate or the apostille in its own language, the answer is a certified translation, not a certificate improvised in a language the notary does not read.
From our recent work
Every example below is a real matter. Client details are kept confidential.
Greece: a power of attorney entirely in Greek
An individual needed a Greek-language power of attorney notarized for use in Greece. Because the document contained no certificate the Secretary of the Commonwealth could authenticate, we prepared an English Massachusetts notarial certificate in advance and attached it at the signing, so the document was ready for the apostille.
Costa Rica: a clinical trial agreement in two languages
A medical technology company’s clinical trial agreement arrived as separate English and Spanish versions, together with a Spanish-only sponsor commitment form and a legal representative letter in both languages. We confirmed the type of identification in advance and prepared every certificate before the appointment.
A signature page buried in both versions
While preparing that agreement for apostille, we found an additional signature page in the middle of the document, unsigned in both the English and the Spanish version. We returned before the signer traveled, so both language versions were fully executed before they shipped to Costa Rica.
Poland: certificate spaces on both sides
An investment fund’s English and Polish power of attorney had notarial certificate fields in both language columns. We completed both sides, so the custodian bank receiving it had nothing to return.
Lebanon: an Arabic power of attorney
For an Arabic power of attorney bound for Lebanon, a non-Hague country, the embassy’s questions concerned the Department of State step and whether its own form was required. We worked through them before the signing, because a document executed on the wrong form would have to be signed again.
Have a document in another language?
Send it to us before the appointment. We review every page and prepare the certificate in advance.
Does the signer have to understand the document?
Yes, in our practice. The notary confirms identity and willingness, and a signer who cannot read the document cannot meaningfully confirm that they are signing it voluntarily for its stated purpose. When the signer reads the foreign language, there is no difficulty. When they do not, they should have a trusted interpreter present, or a translation prepared in advance by a qualified translator.
The notary does not need to read the language of the document. The notary does need to communicate directly with the signer, so we confirm before the appointment which language the signer is comfortable using. Our notaries conduct the appointment in English, and we help you plan for interpretation when it is needed.
An interpreter at the signing is not the same as a certified translation of the document. If the foreign office also needs the document in English, or in its own language, see certified translation in 65+ languages.
Common bilingual layouts, and how we handle each
The layout of the document determines where the signer signs and which certificate the notary completes.
| Layout | What the signer does | What the notary completes |
|---|---|---|
| Two columns, English and the foreign language | Signs wherever the document calls for a signature, which may be once or in both columns | Every certificate field in both columns, when the form provides them |
| Separate English and foreign-language versions | Signs each version as a separate document | A certificate on each version, each authenticated separately when both must be apostilled |
| Entirely in a foreign language, with a foreign certificate | Signs as the document directs | A Massachusetts certificate in English, attached, because the Secretary of the Commonwealth authenticates a compliant Massachusetts certificate |
| Entirely in a foreign language, with no certificate | Signs as the document directs | A Massachusetts acknowledgment or jurat in English, attached, as the destination requires |
| English document with a required translation | Signs the English original | A certificate on the original; the certified translation is prepared afterward, often including the apostille |
When a document will be filed or recorded in another U.S. state, Massachusetts law allows a notary to use that state’s certificate form. For documents going abroad, the certificate must be one the Secretary of the Commonwealth will authenticate. See notarial certificate review before an apostille.
Mistakes that cause bilingual documents to be returned
- Only one language column completed. When certificate spaces appear on both sides, a blank side can lead the receiving office to reject the document.
- A certificate the Secretary of the Commonwealth will not authenticate. A foreign-language notarial block, or one that omits required Massachusetts elements, cannot carry the apostille. We attach a compliant English certificate.
- Signature pages overlooked. Long bilingual agreements often embed signature pages mid-document, sometimes in both versions. We review every page.
- Signing before the appointment. A document signed in advance cannot be acknowledged as signed in the notary’s presence. Bring it unsigned.
- A signer who does not read the document, with no interpreter. Arrange interpretation or a translation before the appointment, not at it.
- Inconsistent names. Names in a foreign script or with accents should match the signer’s identification. Tell us in advance if the document spells the name differently.
- Translating before authenticating. If the destination wants the apostille translated, the translation must be prepared after the apostille is issued.
- Assuming one apostille covers two versions. Separate English and foreign-language documents are separate documents. Each needs its own certificate and, usually, its own apostille.
Working against a foreign deadline?
Tell us the date and the destination. We will tell you plainly which route can meet it.
Foreign-language corporate documents
Companies frequently receive documents prepared by counsel abroad: powers of attorney appointing local agents, shareholder declarations, bank forms and regulatory appointments. An officer signs on behalf of the company, so the notarial certificate must record that capacity. The Massachusetts acknowledgment for an entity representative states that the officer signed as a named officer of the company, as its voluntary act.
When counsel abroad has drafted a notarial block in its own language, we do not translate it on the spot. We attach the compliant Massachusetts certificate and, where the destination asks, provide a certified translation of the certificate and apostille afterward. For corporate signings, see corporate powers of attorney for use abroad and UAE company formation attestation, where English and Arabic documents are common.
Signers who are traveling or in another state
Our notaries are commissioned in Massachusetts and notarize documents signed in Massachusetts. Visitors to Boston can sign at a hotel or office here, and the apostille is then issued by Massachusetts.
When the signer is in another state, that state issues the apostille. We coordinate a trusted notary there, share the prepared certificate and the review notes, and manage the authentication, so you keep one point of contact.
What to send us before the appointment
- Every language version of the document, unsigned
- The destination country and the office that will receive it
- A short English description of the document, or a translation if one exists
- The signer’s name exactly as it appears on their government-issued photo ID, and the language they are most comfortable using
- Whether an interpreter will attend, and your deadline
We are notaries and document specialists, not attorneys. We do not draft or interpret foreign documents or advise on their legal effect; we make sure they are executed and authenticated correctly.
Related services
- Certified translation: 65+ languages, ATA corporate member
- Spanish translation: for Latin America and Spain
- Greek translation: for documents bound for Greece
- Arabic translation and legalization: for the Middle East
- Notarial certificate review: before an apostille
- Corporate power of attorney: for use abroad
- Using a U.S. power of attorney abroad: a guide for individuals
- Apostillas y traducciones en español: our Spanish-language page
Official sources
- M.G.L. c. 222, § 16: prohibited notarial acts, including blank or incomplete documents
- M.G.L. c. 222, § 15: Massachusetts notarial certificate forms
- M.G.L. c. 222, § 1: definitions, including notarial certificate
- Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: apostille and certification information
- U.S. Department of State: authenticating documents for use abroad
- Hague Conference: Apostille Convention member countries
Requirements change, and the receiving office always has the final word. We link to official sources so you can check the current rules yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Massachusetts notary notarize a document in a foreign language?
Yes. The notary certifies the signer’s identity and signature, not the content. We review the document in advance, confirm where it must be signed and attach a compliant English notarial certificate when needed.
Does the notary have to speak or read the language of the document?
No, but the notary must be able to communicate directly with the signer and must not notarize a blank or incomplete document. We ask for a short description or translation when we do not read the language.
Can a document in Spanish be notarized and apostilled in Massachusetts?
Yes. Spanish and bilingual English–Spanish documents are among the most common we handle. The certificate is completed in English, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth issues the apostille.
Should the notarial certificate be in English or in the foreign language?
We complete the Massachusetts certificate in English, which the Secretary of the Commonwealth can authenticate. If the destination needs it in its own language, we provide a certified translation of the certificate and the apostille.
What if the signer does not read the language of the document?
The signer should understand what they are signing. Arrange a trusted interpreter at the signing or a translation prepared in advance, and let us know so we can plan the appointment.
Do both columns of a bilingual document need to be signed?
The signer signs wherever the document calls for a signature. When notarial certificate spaces appear in both columns, we complete both.
Do separate English and Spanish versions need separate apostilles?
Usually, yes. Each version is a separate document with its own signature and certificate, so each is authenticated on its own unless the destination tells you otherwise.
Can you translate the document and the apostille?
Yes. As a corporate member of the American Translators Association, we provide certified translation in 65+ languages, prepared after authentication when the apostille must be translated too.
Do you prepare foreign-language documents?
No. The document should come from your counsel or the office abroad. We review the execution and certificate details and prepare the notarial certificate itself.
Need a bilingual or foreign-language document notarized?
Send us every version of the document, the destination and your deadline.