# How to translate a PDF document to English

To translate a PDF document to English, upload it, choose English as the target language and download the result. A PDF with selectable text works in most free tools, but in a scanned PDF the text is only a picture, and Google Translate leaves that text untranslated[1]. LoreAI reads the scan with OCR first and returns an editable Word file.

## Does your PDF contain text or a picture of text?

Open the PDF and try to select a single word with your cursor. If the word highlights, the file has a text layer and almost any translator can read it. If the whole page highlights as one block, or nothing happens, the PDF is a scan, a photo of each page saved as a PDF. Phone scanning apps and office copiers usually make this kind of file.

That difference decides which tool works. A tool that translates the text layer finds nothing to translate in a scan. Optical character recognition (OCR) turns the picture into text that a tool can translate.

## How to translate a PDF to English with LoreAI

1. **Create a free account.** Your first document is free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB, and no card is needed.
2. **Upload the PDF.** Choose the file on the upload page. LoreAI handles scanned and text PDFs the same way as JPG or PNG phone photos.
3. **Choose English as the target language.** Leave the source language on Auto-detect, or pick it yourself if the document mixes languages.
4. **Start and wait.** The Word file is ready to download when OCR and translation finish.
5. **Download the Word file and check it.** Open the .docx in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice. Compare names, dates and numbers with the original before you send it anywhere.

## What the English file looks like

- **Format**: An editable .docx file, not a picture of a page.
- **Layout**: Headings, paragraphs, lists and tables in the same order as the PDF. Tables come back as real Word tables.
- **Names and numbers**: Names, dates, ID numbers and amounts stay as they are written in the original.
- **Images**: You decide whether the page's images go into the Word file. Leave them out for a cleaner file to edit.
- **Size**: Free: 3 pages. Basic: up to 30 pages and 10 MB per document. Pro: up to 100 pages and 25 MB.

## Free options for translating a PDF to English

*Free options, checked on November 2, 2026*

| Option | Scanned PDF | File limit | What you get back |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Google Translate, Documents tab | Text in scanned pages is not translated[1] | 10 MB, and PDFs up to 300 pages[1] | A translated file to download |
| Copy and paste into a translator | Works only if you can select the text | Set by the translator you paste into | Plain text, without the layout |
| LoreAI, first document | Read with OCR, then translated | 3 pages and 3 MB | An editable Word file in the original layout |

Google's help page also says document translation is not available on smaller screens or mobile devices[1]. On a phone, a photo of the page uploaded to LoreAI is the quicker route.

## Getting a clean result from a scan

- Scan at 200 to 300 dpi. Small print blurs at lower resolutions.
- Photograph the page flat and straight on, in daylight. Shadows and glare hide letters.
- Crop away the table or background around the page before you upload.
- Check stamps, handwriting and faint print by hand. OCR reads these parts least reliably.

## When an office asks for more than a translation

You can prepare your own translation to read a contract, letter or manual. Submissions to immigration offices, courts and universities often need a certified translation. For USCIS, the translator certifies that the English version is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate the language[2].

LoreAI is not a certified translation service and does not sign translations. It gives you the English Word file to check and correct. The [guide to getting a certified translation](https://www.loreai.org/how-to-get-a-certified-translation) explains who can sign it and what the statement says.

## Questions people ask

### Can I translate a PDF to English for free?

Yes. Google Translate's document tab is free for files up to 10 MB[1], as long as the PDF has selectable text. LoreAI translates your first document free, up to 3 pages, scans included.

### Why did my translated PDF come back in the original language?

The PDF is most likely a scan. Google's help page says text in images and scanned PDF pages appears in the output but is not translated[1]. A tool that runs OCR first, such as LoreAI, can read it.

### Will the English version keep the layout?

LoreAI rebuilds headings, paragraphs and tables in a Word file in the original order. Look over very dense tables and merged cells after processing.

### Is the English translation certified?

No. LoreAI produces the translation. If an office asks for a certified translation, a translator signs a statement that it is complete and accurate. The [certificate of translation template](https://www.loreai.org/certificate-of-translation-template) shows the wording.

## Sources

1. [Google Translate Help: Translate documents and websites (computer)](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/2534559?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 2, 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 2, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 2, 2026