A translated contract has to say exactly what the original says. This guide covers the questions to settle before you order: which version governs, whether you need a certified translation, and how contracts are quoted.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026 against official sources.
When a contract exists in two languages, the parties need to know which text wins if the two are ever read differently. Many international contracts deal with this in a governing language clause, stating that one language version prevails. Others say both versions are equally authentic, which puts more weight on the translation being exact.
Whether such a clause is effective, and how it interacts with the law that governs the contract, is a legal question. Your lawyer should draft or review it. Our job is to translate the clause, and the rest of the contract, accurately.
A bilingual contract usually sets the two languages side by side, clause by clause. That layout makes negotiation and later reference easier, but it also means every amendment has to be made in both languages. If you are preparing a bilingual document:
Choose certified when the translation will be relied on by someone else, for example a court, a tribunal, a government agency, a registry or a bank. It is translated and certified by a NAATI certified translator. NAATI explains that its translator stamp is used by translators to certify their translations, and that a practitioner’s credentials can be checked using its verification tool.
Choose non-certified when you need to understand a contract yourself, for example to review a supplier’s terms or to brief your lawyer before negotiating. It is still a complete, careful translation; it simply does not carry the certification.
If a contract made in Australia is going to an authority in another country, that authority may want it legalised. DFAT lists contracts as private documents and says private documents become public documents once notarised by an Australian Notary Public; it cannot legalise private documents that have not been notarised. Ask the foreign authority what it needs before you arrange translation, so the notarial certificate and any apostille can be translated in the same job.
Contracts vary too much for a fixed per-page price to be fair. Before we quote, we look at:
Contracts also often arrive as several rounds of drafts. Tell us which version is final, so the quote covers the right document.
Upload the contract through the quote form, or email it to us, and you will receive a written quote by email before any work starts. If only some clauses or schedules are needed, say which in your enquiry and we will quote for those parts.
We translate what the contract says. We do not draft contracts, advise on whether terms are enforceable, or comment on whether a translation clause will be effective. Those are questions for a lawyer in the relevant country.
We are translators, not lawyers. Confirm with your lawyer, or with the body that will receive the translation, what form of translation is needed before you order. See our contract and agreement translation page, or upload your contract for a quote.
We translate what your documents say. We do not advise on their legal effect, and we cannot confirm whether a particular court or agency will accept them. Please check requirements with the receiving body or your lawyer.
No. That depends on the contract and the law that governs it, and is a question for your lawyer. We translate the governing language clause along with the rest of the contract.
Only if someone else will rely on the translation, such as a court, agency, registry or bank. For your own review or negotiation, a non-certified translation is usually enough.
Contracts differ widely in length, repetition, technical content and layout. A written quote by email lets us price the actual document rather than an estimate.
Yes. Tell us which clauses, schedules or pages you need in your enquiry and we will quote for those parts.
Upload your documents. Standard documents are priced instantly; anything else gets a written quote by email.
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