Certified recommendation letter translation in Panama

A certified translation of an academic or professional recommendation letter is signed and sealed in Panama by a Certified Public Translator (TPA) registered with MIRE, under Executive Decree 975 of 2017. It is a short document, so it costs from $20 per 250-word page and arrives in up to 3 business days. It is usually requested for university admissions, scholarships and job applications abroad, and we translate it into or from Spanish.

Get a quote on WhatsApp Get a quote online

From $20–25

Delivery up to 3 business days (documents up to 10 pages)

Legal basis: Executive Decree 975 of 2017

What do you need your recommendation letter translated for?

Admissions and scholarships
Universities and scholarship programs abroad ask for your recommendation letters translated into the language of the program you are applying to.
Jobs abroad
Hiring processes and work visas in which your professional reference has to be filed in translation, with the letterhead and signature intact.
Graduate school and associations
Graduate programs and professional associations that ask for supporting letters in another language as part of your application.

How much does it cost?

Translating a recommendation letter costs $20 for the first 250-word page, plus $0.08 per additional word, with no rounding up to full pages. Panama's 7% ITBMS tax is added on top. Most letters fit on one page, so the usual total is $21.40 with tax; a longer 300-word letter comes to $25.68. For German ↔ Spanish, the page costs $25 and each additional word $0.10.

How long does it take?

Standard delivery takes up to 3 business days. Express delivers in 1 business day (+50%), and Same-day (+100%) applies only when you pay before 11:00 a.m. and a translator is available. These timelines apply to documents of up to 10 pages (2,500 words); for longer documents we prepare a special volume price and confirm the timeline on WhatsApp. You see the exact timeline in your quote before paying.

How does it work?

1Upload your document in the online quote or send it on WhatsApp.
2Get your exact quote in under 60 seconds; if your document is longer than 10 pages, we prepare a special volume price.
3Pay with Yappy from your app; confirmation is instant.
4A Certified Public Translator (TPA) registered with MIRE translates, signs and seals your document.
5Receive the signed and sealed PDF by WhatsApp or email at no cost, plus the printed original at your door: free in Panama City when your order adds up to 6 pages or more (one page = 250 words); $3 for 1 to 5 pages.

Do you need an apostille before or after the translation?

A recommendation letter normally does not need an apostille; a certified translation by a TPA registered with MIRE, under Executive Decree 975 of 2017, is usually enough. Some universities ask the issuing institution to send the letter to them directly, so check your program's instructions first. Lingo does not provide apostilles or notarization, but we point out what your destination requires when we send your quote.

Frequently asked questions

Do you translate both academic and work recommendation letters?

Yes. We translate academic and professional recommendation letters from Spanish into English or German, and from those languages into Spanish, signed and sealed by a TPA registered with MIRE. We reproduce the letterhead, the signer's position, the signature and the contact details in full, because those are what the university or employer checks. Pricing starts at $20 per 250-word page.

How much does it cost, and how fast can I have it?

From $20 per 250-word page plus Panama's 7% ITBMS; since most letters are short, the total is usually $21.40. Standard delivery takes up to 3 business days. If your admission or application deadline is close, Express delivers in 1 business day (+50%), which brings a one-page letter to $32.10 with tax.

Can I translate several letters at once?

Yes. If you have several letters, for example for different programs, we translate them in the same order, each one from $20 depending on its length. Send them all on WhatsApp and you get a fixed price for the whole set before paying. Three one-page letters come to $64.20 together, tax included, and each one is signed and sealed separately.

I'm applying to a program in Panama with letters in English. Do they need translating?

It depends on the program. Each Panamanian university or employer sets its own language requirements, so check its checklist first. When it asks for your documents in Spanish, a certified translation signed by a TPA registered with MIRE, under Executive Decree 975 of 2017, is the format to file. A one-page letter comes to $21.40 with tax and arrives in up to 3 business days.

Can you also translate the rest of my application?

Yes. Admission and scholarship files often combine recommendation letters with your diploma, transcript and language certificate. We translate each document in full, signed by a TPA registered with MIRE, and quote the whole set together. A diploma usually fits within the $20 first page, while a transcript is priced by word at $0.08 after the first 250 words.

Get a quote for your recommendation letter

Send a photo or PDF on WhatsApp and see the exact price in under a minute, before you pay. English is fine.

Get a quote on WhatsApp