# Affidavit of translation: fill in the sworn statement and the notary jurat

An affidavit of translation is the translator's statement of competence and accuracy, sworn before a notary who completes the jurat at the bottom. Fill in the form below to get it as a Word file with the jurat left blank. Sign it only in front of the notary, who confirms who you are and does not check the translation[1].

## How to make an affidavit of translation

1. **Finish and check the translation.** Read it against the original, line by line. Names, dates, numbers, stamps and handwritten notes should all be there.
2. **Fill in the form above.** Your name, the two languages, the document, and the state and county where you will sign. Leave the state and county empty to write them in by hand at the notary's office.
3. **Download the Word file and print it.** Do not sign it yet. The signature line is for the notary's office.
4. **Sign in front of the notary.** Bring a photo ID. The notary gives you an oath, watches you sign, then dates, signs and seals the jurat[1].
5. **Attach it to the translation.** Staple the affidavit behind the translation and a copy of the original, and keep a copy of all three.

## What the translator affidavit says

The statement is the translator's own, in the first person. It opens with the venue, the state and county where it is sworn, and then makes three numbered statements.

- **Venue**: State of ..., County of ..., where you sign
- **1. Competence**: You are competent to translate from the source language into the target language
- **2. The document**: You translated the attached document, named so it can be matched to the translation
- **3. Accuracy**: The translation is complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge and ability
- **Your details**: Signature, printed name, an optional line for credentials, address and contact
- **Jurat**: Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me, the date, the notary's signature, commission expiry and seal

The wording follows the two facts USCIS asks a translator to certify, completeness and accuracy, and competence in both languages[2]. That keeps one statement usable for most receivers that want the sworn form.

## Affidavit of translation sample

AFFIDAVIT OF TRANSLATION. State of Texas, County of Travis. I, Carmen Ruiz Ortega, being first duly sworn, depose and say: 1. I am competent to translate from Spanish into English. 2. I have translated the attached document, the birth certificate of Lucía Fernanda Morales Quintero, Book 04, Certificate No. 00718, from Spanish into English. 3. The attached translation is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability.

Under the signature and printed name comes the jurat. "Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on this ___ day of ______, 20__, by Carmen Ruiz Ortega." Then the notary's signature, printed name, commission expiry date and seal. The names in the sample are invented.

## What does the notary check?

In a jurat the notary certifies four things. You appeared in person on that date in that county, you signed in their presence, they gave you the oath or affirmation, and they confirmed your identity[1]. The notary does not read or judge the translation. California puts that in a boxed notice at the top of every jurat, which says the notary "verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document"[1].

Notary rules are set by each state. California prescribes its jurat word for word[1], and the generator uses that wording, notice box included, when you enter California as the state. For other states the block uses the common "subscribed and sworn to" form. Ask the notary whether it suits them; if they prefer their own jurat certificate, let them attach it.

Do not sign before you get there. A California notary may not attach a jurat to a document the signer did not sign in their presence, even if they know the signer[1].

## Affidavit, certificate or declaration?

*Three ways to sign a translation statement, checked on November 3, 2026*

| Form | Who signs | Notary | Generator |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate of translation | The translator | No | Certificate of translation template |
| Affidavit of translation | The translator, under oath | Yes, the notary completes the jurat | This page |
| Declaration under penalty of perjury | The translator, unsworn, dated | No | Not offered |

USCIS asks for the translator's certification, not an affidavit[2]. For a USCIS filing use the [certificate of translation template](https://www.loreai.org/certificate-of-translation-template), which saves you the trip to a notary. Under federal law, where a rule asks for a sworn statement, a written declaration signed as true "under penalty of perjury" and dated has the same force, with exceptions such as depositions[3]. Courts, schools and offices outside that rule set their own terms, so ask the receiver which form it accepts. The [notarized translation guide](https://www.loreai.org/notarized-translation) covers who asks for one.

## Where LoreAI fits

LoreAI is not a certified translation service and does not notarize anything. The generator only fills in the wording, and nothing you type is stored. The translator who swears to the statement answers for the translation.

What LoreAI does is the translation draft. Upload a scan or a phone photo of the foreign document in the [LoreAI app](https://www.loreai.org/app) and you get an editable Word file in English with the tables and headings in the original order. Your first document is free, up to 3 pages. A person fluent in both languages then checks it and signs the affidavit.

## Questions people ask

### Is an affidavit of translation the same as a certified translation?

It is a certified translation with one more step. The translator's statement is the same kind of statement, but it is sworn before a notary, who completes the jurat and confirms the translator's identity[1].

### Does USCIS need an affidavit of translation?

No. USCIS asks for a full English translation with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate[2]. A signed certificate is enough.

### Can the notary check my translation?

No. The notary confirms who signed and gives the oath. In California the jurat itself says the notary does not vouch for the truthfulness, accuracy or validity of the document[1].

### Can I sign the affidavit at home and bring it to the notary?

Bring it unsigned. In a jurat the notary certifies that you signed in their presence, and a California notary may not complete one otherwise[1].

## Sources

1. [California Secretary of State: Notary Public Handbook 2026, Jurat and Government Code section 8202 (PDF)](https://notary.cdn.sos.ca.gov/forms/notary-handbook-current.pdf), accessed November 3, 2026
2. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 3, 2026
3. [28 U.S.C. 1746, Unsworn declarations under penalty of perjury, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1746), accessed November 3, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 3, 2026