October 2 2008. Due to the latest amendments to the Notaries Law of Latvia and necessity of a notary to check personal data of sworn translator each time at Register of Population, single fee of 8.55 EUR is charged once a day. If notarization of translation is requested urgently, a customer is charged an additional fee of 8.55 EUR for meeting such statutory request apart from fee for notarization of translation as such.
 
Notarization of translations is made as follows: a sworn translator certifies a translation under his/her signature and a notary public certifies the signature of such sworn translator on the translation. A sworn translator is a translator/interpreter who has been sworn in by a notary, undertaking performance of correct and precise written translations, interpreting, and taking full criminal responsibility for deliberately false and/or incorrect translation. Notarized translation may only be carried out to a document drafted legally correctly and being valid (certificate of birth, reference, contract, application, last will etc.) in opposition to a simple text (printout, fax, uncertified copies of document, legal documents not yet signed or their drafts etc.).
 
Notary public is not entitled to accept documents for notarization that are legally invalid or drafted incorrectly, for instance, document drafted on several pages having obvious signs of detaching pages, foreign document without corresponding legalization and so on including identification documents having photos therein.  
 
If one needs to translate and notarize a document issued abroad or issued in Latvia and required for presentation abroad, the document must be legalized (so called Apostille should be attached).  
Certification of document authenticity (legalization) means verification of signature and seal of a document. It is performed by a Consular Officer in order the documents drawn up in one country were in force in another one. Legalization also implies confirmation of the legal status and authority of the signatory. Certification of document authenticity (legalization) is not a notary’s act.
 
Document translation has to be notary certified, and sewn and sealed complete with the original or confirmed duplicate of the original document. It is highly recommended to consult the mission of the corresponding country before submitting documents for authentication in order to find out if it is necessary to certify the authenticity (legalize) of original or copy of the original document only/copy of a document certified by a notary; translation of the document only; both the original or copy of the original document certified by a notary, and its translation. Documents are legalized after certification of corresponding authority of the Republic of Latvia. If a copy of the document must be legalized, it should be notary certified, and if a copy is on several pages, pages should be sewn and sealed together.
 
Certification of document copy, excerpt, and/or translation authenticity is legalized only if authenticity of original of the document itself can be certified. Documents may not be certified if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not have signature specimen of official signing such document and seal impression specimen of competent authority.  For further information, please visit website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia: www.am.gov.lv, chapter Consular issues.