How should I record translation and apostille instructions for my visa adviser?

Obtain instructions for each document

Send your adviser an inventory describing the issuing country, issuing body, language and version of each document. Ask what authentication and translation questions need to be resolved before commissioning work. Do not assume that apostille, legalisation or translation arrangements are identical across documents or countries.

Link the work to the source

Record the adviser’s instructions beside the exact source file or original reference. Identify who will arrange any authentication, who will translate and who will review the finished documents. Ask which sequence is appropriate so that a later change to the original does not leave you with an unusable translation.

Keep originals, associated certificates and translations connected in the index, while storing the physical documents securely. If a supplier suggests a different process, return the question to your adviser before proceeding. An instruction for one document should not become a blanket rule for the whole application bundle.

Check whether authentication is required at all: covered public documents circulated between EU countries are exempt from apostille. Third-country authentication and translation requirements need separate confirmation.; it is not a translation or a decision on visa eligibility. Depending on the issuing country, document and applicable exemptions, consular legalisation or another process may apply instead. Ask the adviser to specify the accepted translator and whether the authentication itself needs translation. Do not purchase both processes by default.