Key Requirements Before Filing
**Court rule:** Arabic is the official language of Saudi courts. If a personal-status document is written in a foreign language and is presented to the court, a certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office must be provided. Depending on the judicial file, this may include marriage contracts, birth certificates, divorce judgments or certificates, death certificates, and family-status records. **Translation and ratification:** Certified translation and ratification should not be treated as the same step. Translation addresses the language of the document, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes ratification as giving documents legal validity for use across states. For documents received from outside the Kingdom, the implementing regulations state that they are to be certified by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and translated into Arabic. This rule does not set out one sequence for every country or document type, so the current procedure for the case and receiving authority should be checked. **Before filing:** Review the document language, obtain the certified Arabic translation where the rule applies, and check the relevant certification requirements and the instructions of the court or Najiz service. Do not assume that notarization of the translation, a Saudi location for the translation office, or acceptance of a scanned copy is required or sufficient unless the competent authority requests it for your case.
- Foreign marriage contract or marriage certificate: when filed with the court in a foreign language, the certified Arabic translation rule applies. MOFA’s marriage-contract ratification service may also be relevant, depending on the applicable procedure.
- Foreign birth certificate or birth record: if presented to the court in a foreign language, it should be accompanied by a certified Arabic translation. No birth-certificate-specific procedure is published within this general rule.
- Foreign divorce judgment or divorce certificate: if it is in a foreign language and filed with the court, a certified Arabic translation is required. Issuing-country and certification requirements may vary by procedure.
- Foreign death certificate: the foreign-language-document rule applies when it is presented in judicial proceedings, without a published death-certificate-specific checklist.
- Foreign family-status extract or civil-status record: when used as a foreign-language paper in a judicial file, it requires a certified Arabic translation; other requirements may vary by case and receiving authority.
Identify the Saudi court or judicial service where the document will be used, as operational requirements can vary by case or service.
Check whether the document is wholly or partly written in a foreign language. The translation rule applies to foreign-language papers presented to the court.
Obtain a certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office for the foreign-language document before judicial filing.
If the document is received from outside the Kingdom, check the applicable certification route; the implementing regulations state certification by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and translation into Arabic.
Where ratification is relevant, review the current MOFA service and instructions for the document and issuing country. The service includes marriage-contract ratification and personal-status verification, but it does not prescribe one sequence for every country.
File the document and its Arabic translation through the applicable court or Najiz process, and keep the original or certified copies together with the translation. Follow any case-specific instruction that is issued.
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
Must a foreign marriage document be translated into Arabic for a Saudi court?
If it is written in a foreign language, a certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office must be provided when it is presented to the court. There is no published marriage-specific checklist beyond this general rule.
Does the rule cover a foreign birth certificate?
The general rule applies to foreign-language papers presented to the court. No birth-certificate-specific procedure is published within this general rule.
Must a foreign divorce judgment be translated?
Yes. If it is written in a foreign language and filed with the court, it must be accompanied by a certified Arabic translation from a licensed office. The general rule does not specify the translation format or issuing-country requirements.
Does the rule apply to a death certificate?
The foreign-language-document rule applies when a death certificate is presented to the court. There is no published death-certificate-specific checklist.
What does certified translation mean?
The official rule ties certified translation to an Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office. The published material does not specify the stamp, declaration, or translator details.
Must the translation office be located in Saudi Arabia?
This cannot be confirmed from the published rule. It refers to a licensed office but does not specify the office’s location or nationality.
Is an English translation enough for a foreign document?
An English translation alone should not be relied on for judicial use under this rule, which refers to translation into Arabic. The Arabic-or-English exception used for educational certificate equivalency does not apply to courts.
Is ratification the same as translation?
No. Certified translation addresses the document’s language, while ratification is described as giving a document legal validity for use across states.
Does Saudi MOFA ratify personal-status documents?
MOFA’s service includes personal-status verification and marriage-contract ratification. Its service description does not set out translation requirements or a procedure for each document individually.
What is the general rule for documents received from outside the Kingdom?
Paragraph 23.1 of the implementing regulations states that all documents received from outside the Kingdom are to be certified by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and translated into Arabic.
Is there one legalization sequence for every country?
There is no single published sequence for every country. Check the procedure for the document, issuing country, and receiving authority.
Does Najiz publish one uniform checklist for these documents?
Do not treat Najiz as having one checklist that applies to every personal-status claim and document type. Review the requirements of the relevant service or court for your case.
Must the translation itself be notarized?
Do not assume that notarization of the translation is required in every case. The court requirement described here is a certified Arabic translation from a licensed office; follow any case-specific instruction that is issued.
Is a scanned copy enough?
Do not assume that a scanned copy is sufficient for every judicial procedure. Follow the instructions of the relevant service or court for your case.
What should I do if the court requests a different form?
Follow the official instruction specific to the case or service. There is no one published format for every document and country, and a court instruction should not be replaced with a general rule.
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.