How Translation Pages Are Counted and What You Pay For in Document Translation

The client sends over a three-page contract and gets back a quote for seven translation pages. The first reaction is that the vendor miscounted, or padded the estimate. In reality something else is going on: a page in your file and a standard page are two different units, and confusing them is the single most common source of questions when ordering document translation. Here is how the volume is actually calculated, what the price is built from, and what happens during notarised certification.

The rates and turnaround times in this article are SINKHRON PLUS's current terms for written translation in 2026. This piece is only about translating documents: if you need an interpreter for negotiations or an event, that is a different service with different pricing logic - interpreting is covered on the simultaneous and consecutive interpreting pages, where clients pay per shift, not per page.

A Page in Your File and a Standard Page Are Not the Same Thing

A sheet of paper is a physical unit: whatever came out of a printer or scanner. A standard page is a unit of calculation - it equals 1,800 characters including spaces, and has no direct link to an actual sheet of paper.

A contract with two-centimeter margins and a size-10 font can easily pack 3,000-4,000 characters onto one physical sheet. A diploma with an official seal, large type, and wide spacing holds far less. So three pages of a contract can turn into six or seven standard pages, while a one-page diploma can come out to less than one. This is not the vendor miscounting, or a way of padding the quote - it simply follows from the fact that price is calculated by the volume of text, not by the number of sheets.

How to Estimate the Volume of a Document Yourself

If a document exists as a text file - Word, or a PDF with recognised text - you can estimate the volume in advance. In Word, open the document statistics and find the line "Characters (with spaces)", then divide that number by 1,800. That gives you the approximate number of standard pages - the same way the agency calculates it.

Scans and photos are trickier: if the file has no digital text in it, the characters cannot be counted directly. In that case the exact volume is set by the translator once they open the document, and at the request stage the agency estimates it approximately - based on the type of document and the volume of similar past work.

Standard and Specialised Translation: Where the Price Difference Comes From

The agency translates many kinds of documents - legal, technical, medical, educational, personal, business. But for pricing, what matters is not so much the type of document as the complexity of its terminology. Statements, extracts, and letters are translated at the standard rate. Legal, technical, and medical documents require a translator who understands the subject matter, not just the language - and cost more.

The difference is not in the amount of work but in the cost of a mistake: an imprecise term in a contract or in equipment instructions creates a problem that is not visible right away, and only surfaces once the document has already been put to use. That is why the agency assigns such texts to a translator with relevant background, rather than whoever happens to be free. The full price list by document type is on the written translation page.

Notarised Certification: What the Notary Actually Certifies

This is where clients' expectations almost always miss what actually happens. The notary does not check the translation for accuracy and does not compare it against the meaning of the original - the notary certifies the translator's signature, that is, confirms that the translation was done by a specific person whose qualification is registered with the notary. Responsibility for the quality of the translation itself rests with the translator and the agency, not with the notary's office.

Certification adds RUB 300 to the price of the translation. It is not always needed: for documents going to government bodies, a court, a university admissions office, or a visa application, certification is usually required. For internal use within a company, a translation with the agency's stamp is usually enough - no notary involved.

One detail worth noting: for a quote and for the translation itself, documents can be sent electronically - a photo or scan will do. But for notarised certification, the notary needs the originals or notarised copies - an ordinary phone photo will not work at that stage, which is worth planning for if the document is not being brought in person.

Apostille and consular legalisation stand apart from certification - a procedure needed only if the document will be used abroad. This is not a service the translation agency provides: an apostille is issued by specialised government bodies or notary offices, and has to be ordered separately from the translation.

Turnaround: What It Depends On, and Why Rush Orders Cost More

The standard turnaround is 1-3 business days; the exact figure depends on the type of document: 1-2 days for standard translations, 2-3 days for specialised ones. Large documents - more than 20 pages - are scheduled individually, and an exact date cannot be given in advance for those.

A rush translation costs twice as much not because the vendor is taking advantage of the situation. The translator has to set other projects aside, or work outside the normal schedule, to meet a same-day deadline - the surcharge compensates for exactly that, not for urgency as a reason in itself.

What Else Affects the Price Besides Volume

• File format and layout. A ready-made text document is faster to work with than a scan or photo: the translator does not need to spend time recognising text and rebuilding the formatting. Complex layout - tables, multi-column text, diagrams - also adds time for formatting the result.
• Repetition in the text. Contracts and standard forms often contain repeated wording. If your document has many similar clauses, ask the agency how that is factored into the price.
• A rare language. The fewer qualified translators there are on the market, the higher the rate - the same logic as with interpreting.
• Subject matter. A narrow specialisation - patent law, pharmaceuticals, the oil and gas industry - requires a translator who knows the subject, not just the language.

What to Prepare to Get an Accurate Quote Quickly

To avoid a back-and-forth over several rounds, the vendor needs four things at once:

1. The complete document file - or a clear photo or scan if there is no digital original.
2. Where the translation is going - this determines whether notarised certification is needed.
3. The deadline you need the result by.
4. The target language - if it is a rare language, it is worth checking upfront whether the agency works with that pair.

Send these four points through the contact page, and you will get a quote calculated from the actual document, not a rough guess.

How to Check a Translation If You Do Not Know the Language

Not knowing the language does not mean a translation cannot be checked at all. Some things can be verified without any knowledge of the language.

• Check the numbers, dates, and proper names - they should match the original exactly, and that does not require knowing the language.
• Compare the structure: the same number of sections and points, the same order, nothing missing.
• If the translation is going for certification, check the formatting - whether the original or a copy of it is attached to the translation, and whether the agency's stamp and the translator's signature are in place.
• Ask who translated the document in your subject area - a translator who specialises in that field, or whoever happened to be free.
• For critical documents - contracts, medical reports - it is worth showing the translation to an independent subject-matter expert: even without knowing the language, they will spot inconsistencies in terms and figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most common questions specifically about document translation. For a broader list covering all services, see the FAQ page.

Do I need notarised certification for my translation?

It depends on where the document is going. For government bodies, a court, a university admissions office, or a visa, certification is usually required. For internal use within a company, a translation with the agency's stamp is usually enough.

Can I send documents as a photo from my phone?

For a quote and for the translation itself - yes, a photo or scan works. But for notarised certification, the notary will need the originals or notarised copies of the documents.

What happens if the document is very large?

For documents over 20 pages, the turnaround and price are calculated individually - the standard 1-3 day timeframe does not apply here. But the per-character pricing principle stays the same; only the time needed for the work changes.

Is the confidentiality of documents guaranteed?

Translators sign a non-disclosure agreement, and a separate confidentiality agreement can be arranged directly with the client if needed. Documents are stored encrypted and deleted once the project is complete.

Do I need an apostille along with the translation?

Not necessarily, and it is a separate procedure. An apostille or consular legalisation is issued not by the translation agency but by notary offices or specialised government bodies - if you need one for your case, arrange it separately from the translation order.

What to Do Next

If you already have a specific document in hand, send it through the contact page along with the purpose of the translation and the deadline, and you will get an exact quote rather than a rough range. If you have not yet decided which type of translation you need - written or interpreting - the full list of services is on the types of translation page. More articles on similar questions are in the blog.