I am currently organizing my documents for a Schengen visa application through the Dutch embassy. I have realized that several of my official documents, such as my bank statements and Family Card (Kartu Keluarga), are issued in a bilingual format, featuring both Bahasa Indonesia and English text side-by-side.
To avoid any procedural errors, I would appreciate clarification on the validation of these documents:
Since the English text is inherent to the original document, is it accepted as is?
Or does the consulate still require a separate, “official sworn translation” to validate the contents formally?
I wish to ensure I do not incur a rejection due to a technical misunderstanding of “translation” requirements. Thank you kindly for your guidance.
It depends on the consulate. If the document already includes English, it’s often accepted without an extra translation. That said, some consulates can still ask for a certified translation, especially if the original document is in Indonesian. However, if it doesn’t, or if you’d like to play it safe, you should get a notarized translation - usually a certified notary in your country is sufficient.
You’re fine using those documents as they are. If the English text is already part of the original official document (bilingual, side-by-side with Bahasa Indonesia), the Dutch embassy generally accepts it and does not require a separate sworn translation. From a consular perspective, that already counts as an official English version.
Sworn translations are usually only required when the document is issued solely in Bahasa Indonesia (or another non-English language) with no official English text at all.
I see bilingual bank statements and Kartu Keluarga accepted all the time for Schengen (including the Netherlands), and this alone would not cause a rejection. Just make sure the scans are clear and complete.