Can ChatGPT translate a document?

How to translate a document with ChatGPT

1. Attach the file. Use the PDF or Word file itself, not a screenshot of part of it, so nothing on the page is left out.
2. Ask for a full translation. Say which language you want, and ask for every line in the original order, with nothing summarized, shortened or explained.
3. Ask it to flag what it cannot read. A stamp, a signature or a smudged number should be marked as unreadable instead of guessed.
4. Compare the result with the original. Count the lines and table rows on both sides, then check names, dates, amounts and record numbers one by one.

These steps lower the risk of missing lines or wrong numbers, but you still need to compare the result with the original.

What happens with a scanned PDF?

OpenAI documents this for its API, not for the ChatGPT app. For models that can see images, the API extracts text and an image of each PDF page and sends both to the model. Each file has to be under 50 MB[2]. The page images use extra tokens, so a long scan uses more context than a typed file of the same length[2].

OpenAI's help page on file uploads in ChatGPT could not be opened when we checked on November 2, 2026, so this page does not quote ChatGPT's own upload limits. Look them up there before you upload a long document.

Check for changed numbers, missing lines and invented text

A study of large multilingual translation models, published in the Transactions of the Association for Computational Linguistics in 2023, looked at hallucinations, meaning output that is not supported by the source[3]. The models produced unsupported text mainly in low-resource translation directions and when translating out of English. Larger models trained on the same data did not reliably fix the problem[3]. The preprint names ChatGPT as one of the systems tested[1].

An invented sentence is a nuisance in a letter. A changed digit in a birth date or grade makes a certificate or transcript wrong. Read the translation against the original for what was added as well as for what is missing.

Does ChatGPT keep tables and layout?

We did not test ChatGPT's file output for this page, and none of the OpenAI pages we could open describe how ChatGPT lays out a translated document. If you need the result as a file, ask for the format you want and check that each table still has the same rows and columns as the original.

LoreAI returns an editable Word file with headings, lists and tables in the original order. It keeps names, dates and numbers as written. The guide to translating a scanned PDF shows the steps.

ChatGPT, DeepL and LoreAI side by side

DeepL vs ChatGPT for documents

DeepL is a translation tool with document upload built in. It lists file types and file limits on its plans page, for example 1 file a month of up to 5 MB on the free version[5], and it says it translates scanned PDFs in its desktop and mobile apps[6]. ChatGPT is a general assistant you prompt to translate, so you can ask for a tone or have it explain a term, but the OpenAI pages we could open list no file limits for it.

Style determines the choice for a contract or manual. An official record needs a translation you can check line by line against the original, whichever tool you use.

When should you use ChatGPT or a document tool?

• ChatGPT can help you understand a letter or a term in context. You can also ask it to reword an existing translation.
• Choose a document tool if you need an editable translation of the whole file with its order and layout preserved.
• Have a person check and sign a machine translation before sending it to an office that will decide whether to accept it.

Can you use a ChatGPT translation for USCIS or WES?

Not on its own. USCIS asks for a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, with the translator's certification of their competence[7]. WES asks for translations completed by a professional translator and does not accept translations completed by applicants[8].

LoreAI is not a certified translation service either. Its Word file gives the person who signs a draft to correct, and the guide to getting a certified translation covers the steps after that. For other tools, see DeepL vs Google Translate and alternatives to Google Translate.

Questions people ask