An Indonesian sworn translator, or penerjemah tersumpah, is an individual with translation expertise who has been appointed, sworn in and registered with the ministry responsible for law. That is the definition in Article 1 of Minister of Law Regulation No. 4 of 2025. Official regulation.
For a buyer, the important questions are who will sign the translation, whether their status covers the required language direction, and what the receiving institution asks you to submit.
The individual and the company have different roles
A translation company may arrange the quotation, documents, schedule and delivery. The sworn translator is the individual responsible for the sworn work. Ask the provider to identify that person and explain how their appointment and registration can be checked.
Article 3 places responsibility for the correctness and quality of the translation on the translator. Article 5 addresses appointment for languages and language directions. Check the relevant scope rather than relying only on a company logo, an association listing or a sample stamp. Our legal basis guide develops those buyer checks.
What the oath concerns
The oath in Article 13 addresses faithful translation, honesty, care, independence, impartiality and confidentiality. It concerns how the translator performs the role. It does not turn an inaccurate source fact into a true one or decide whether a university, embassy or other recipient will accept a submission. Official regulation, Article 13.
If a source document contains an inconsistent name or date, raise it before translation. Reference spellings may help explain the problem, but the translator should not silently alter the source fact. The issuing authority may need to correct the underlying record.
“Certified” needs context
An institution asking for a “certified translation” may specify a declaration, translator qualifications or another format. Establish its requirements before assuming the term is interchangeable with “sworn translation”. Certification of a translation is also separate from notarisation, an apostille or legalisation.
See sworn versus regular translation for how to compare services. For immigration submissions, our visa guide illustrates why the destination and application route matter.
What to agree before work starts
Provide the document types, source and target languages, recipient, deadline and any written checklist. Confirm the signer, certification format, source-document copies and whether the result is needed digitally, on paper or both. Ask about the process for correcting errors and for handling a new source version.
An agreed scope gives you a basis for checking the result. It does not remove the translator’s responsibility for the work or transfer the recipient’s decision to the provider.
Does every official document need a sworn translator?
No universal answer follows from the document title. Check the procedure and receiving institution’s instructions. Our document requirements guide helps organise that check.
Where can applicants find appointment requirements?
See the appointment overview and its official regulatory references. It is separate from ordering a translation.
For an order enquiry, contact Translation.co.id with the recipient’s requirements and your document details.