Telegram Bot Error: PassportElementErrorTranslationFiles

telegram bot api passport element error translation files
04 June 2025

If you're working with flawed Telegram bots, you might encounter issues with the Telegram API and its new features such as Telegram Passport. One of the errors you may face while using Telegram Passport is PassportElementErrorTranslationFiles. Today, we want to discuss this error and see how we can resolve it.

In fact, Telegram Passport offers users the ability to send their personal information securely to bots. This information can include governmental IDs, photos, and various documents required to verify users. With this, you could potentially face a situation where the passport files you send are either missing or contain some documents like ID cards that lead to an error.

The error PassportElementErrorTranslationFiles means that the translation files that need to be sent do not conform to Telegram's standards. For example, the file format may be incorrect or the provided information may be inadequate. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that both the format and the content you send comply precisely with Telegram's requirements.

To avoid this type of error, it's better to check the files before sending them. For instance, you can utilize the formats specified in the Telegram API documentation and use the processing capabilities to handle the error and confirm the file types. Below is a practical example of how you can use the API to correctly send files:

const TelegramBot = require('node-telegram-bot-api');
const bot = new TelegramBot('YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN', {polling: true});

bot.on('passport_data', (msg) => {
const chatId = msg.chat.id;
const passportData = msg.passport_data;
// Validate the passport data
if (!passportData || passportData.error_code === 'TRANSLATION_FILES_ERROR') {
bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Error: The translation files are not correct.');
} else {
// Process valid passport data
bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Passport received successfully!');
}
});

Code Explanation

In this code, we first use require to load the node-telegram-bot-api library. Then, a bot is created with an appropriate token.


After that, using bot.on('passport_data'), we handle the passport data received from users. Within this method, we extract the chatId from the incoming message and the passportData.


Then, we check if there are any passport-related errors or a specific error exists; we can inform the user whether the translation files are correct or not. If no error exists, a success message is sent to the user.


In summary, ensure that the requirements for the translation files follow the Telegram API format to avoid errors in the future.


If any errors do occur, users will be informed accordingly.


Finally, if no errors exist, a success message will be sent to the user upon receiving the passport.

FAQ

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What is PassportElementErrorTranslationFiles?

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How can I prevent this error?

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What are the steps for verifying a passport in Telegram Bots?