In short:
- Consulate addresses, opening hours and requirements should only be taken from each consulate’s official website.
- Services that most often involve translation: birth registration, marriage, passport renewals and document legalisation.
- Most consulates work by appointment, so get translations ready well ahead.
- The consulate alone decides whether it accepts a translation. We provide a stamped, signed translation checked by a second translator.
Jeddah is home to a large number of consulates general. It is a city of many communities and the gateway to the Two Holy Mosques, with millions of residents from all over the world. So we hear the same question almost every day: “I have a consulate appointment next week. Do I need a translation, and for which document exactly?”
This guide collects what we have learned from handling translation requests linked to the consulates in Jeddah. One important caveat first: every consulate sets its own rules, and those rules change from time to time. The only reliable reference is the official website of the consulate or of your country’s embassy.
Why would a consulate need a translation?
Documents issued to you in Saudi Arabia, such as a hospital birth certificate, a marriage document or a court deed, are usually in Arabic. A consular officer needs to read them in your country’s language, or in English, to record the event in your home country’s official registers. It can also work the other way round: a document from your home country may need translating into Arabic for a Saudi authority.
Consular services that commonly involve translation
Registering a birth
When a baby is born in Jeddah, many consulates ask parents to register the birth to obtain a home-country birth certificate or passport. This usually means translating the Saudi birth certificate, and sometimes the parents’ marriage document.
Marriage and divorce
Registering a marriage concluded in Saudi Arabia, or recording a divorce, often requires a translation of the document issued by the Ministry of Justice or the court, along with both parties’ passports.
Passports and personal records
Some passport renewals or data changes need a translated document proving the change, such as a change of name or marital status.
Legalising documents
If you need to use a Saudi document back home, the consulate may require it to be attested by the Saudi authorities first and then translated. The order of steps varies by country, so ask the consulate before you start.
Visas
Some consulates ask for translated salary certificates, bank statements or employment letters with visa applications, and they often specify the exact language required.
The other direction: home-country documents for Saudi authorities
Not every request is aimed at a consulate. Sometimes the consulate issues you a document, such as a birth certificate, a marital status statement or an attested school certificate, which you then need to submit to a Saudi school, employer or court. In that case it is translated into Arabic, and the Saudi body may want it attested by your consulate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before or after translation. Check the order with the Saudi body first so you do not have to redo the translation.
Before your appointment: a quick checklist
- Open your consulate’s official website and read the page for your specific service.
- List every document required and mark any that are not in the consulate’s language.
- Check whether a document must be attested by a Saudi authority before or after translation.
- Send us the documents with a copy of your passport so names are spelled consistently.
- Order the translation several days before the appointment, not the night before.
- Bring the originals and the stamped translations on the day.
Why planning matters
Most consulates in Jeddah see visitors by appointment booked online, sometimes weeks ahead. If you turn up with a missing document or a misspelled name in a translation, you may have to book again and wait. Finish the translation first, then check it calmly yourself before the appointment.
What our certified translation looks like
- A complete translation of the document, including stamps, signatures and side notes.
- Our office stamp and the translator’s signature.
- A check by a second translator before stamping.
- Names spelled as in your passport.
- A stamped e-copy on WhatsApp plus a printed copy.
We translate to and from almost any language, including Asian community languages and African languages. Learn more about our consulate and embassy translation and birth and marriage certificate translation services.
Common mistakes we see
- Name spelled differently: one letter off from the passport can delay or sink an application.
- Partial translation: many consulates want the whole document, stamps and margins included.
- Reusing an old translation: if a new copy of the document was issued, the old translation no longer matches it.
- Confusing attestation with translation: they are separate steps.
How to order
Our Jeddah branch is at Office 8, 3rd Floor, 8153 Prince Sultan Road, Al Basatin. Walk-in hours are Sunday to Thursday, 10:00 to 16:00, and WhatsApp is open 24/7 on +966569442222.
We deliver printed copies across North Jeddah, including Obhur, with the delivery fee shown in your quote. If you are outside Jeddah, order on WhatsApp and get the e-copy; the printed copy is collected from the branch. Details are on our How to order page.
If your document is a medical report for treatment overseas, see our guide to translating a medical report for treatment abroad.
FAQ
Will the consulate accept your translation?
That is the consulate’s decision alone. We provide a complete, stamped and signed translation checked by a second translator, and we recommend confirming the consulate’s requirements first.
Can you tell me my consulate’s address and hours?
We do not give out consulate addresses or hours because they change. Please check the consulate’s or your embassy’s official website.
Can you translate into my language rather than English?
In most cases, yes. We work with almost any language, including African languages. Send the document and the target language and we will confirm.
Can it be done the same day?
Short documents such as iqamas, IDs and passport data pages are usually ready in about an hour. Longer documents get a time in your quote, and an urgent service is available for an extra fee.
Are my documents kept confidential?
Yes. Every document is handled confidentially, and we can sign a non-disclosure agreement if you need one.
Note: Consulate requirements change and must be confirmed on the consulate’s official website before you apply. This article is general guidance only.
Written by the Almadani Translation Team · Information last reviewed: October 2026