This article takes a closer look at official translation, which the author describes as both a translation activity and as a translated document. As an activity, Official translation aims to resolve the need for communicating law between different legal systems or different cultural and linguistic systems so that communication is compliant with any needs and standards set out by the public system. As a document, an official translation may be defined as any document which was issued in a language that is not official in the receiving legal system and that has to be translated according to specific requirements, in order to ensure the appropriateness of the translation in the receiving legal system so as to fulfill legal effects. This article provides answers to the following questions: (i) Who may become an official translator?; (ii) Why are official translators necessary?; (iii) What may be an official translation?; (iv) Who may need an official translation?; (v) Who may perform official translations?; (vi) What is the future of official translations?.