GOV.UK tells parents whose child was born abroad that if the local birth certificate is not in English, "you'll need to have it translated by an approved translator". Follow the link and you reach an FCDO directory whose own terms say: "None of the service providers are endorsed or recommended by the FCDO."
There is no UK register of approved translators. What counts is the rule of the office that receives your certificate, and those rules differ.
This guide covers who asks for a translated birth certificate, what "approved translator" really means, which version of the certificate to translate, what the translation must show, and why birth certificate translations get sent back.
Where do you need a certified birth certificate translation in the UK?
Wherever a UK office relies on a foreign birth certificate that is not in English. Each office sets its own standard:
| Where | What they ask for | Translation rule |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office visa and settlement applications | Proof of the parent-child relationship; for a UK-born child, "a full UK birth certificate showing the names of their parent(s)" | Paragraph 39B(f): original plus a dated translation with accuracy confirmation, translator's name, signature and contact details, and credentials for applications made in the UK |
| HM Passport Office, child's passport | "the child's full birth or adoption certificate (the one with parent's details on it)" | "certified translations as well as the originals" |
| HM Passport Office, first adult passport if born abroad | "your full birth certificate showing your parents' details" | "a certified translation", linked to GOV.UK's Certifying a document page |
| HM Passport Office, paper applications | The same certificates | "signed and stamped by a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation" |
| Ukraine Permission Extension, children | "the child's full birth certificate showing their parents' details" | "a full dated and signed translation in English that can be verified" |
| Registering with a GP in England | For adults, nothing: "You do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status". For a child, you may need "proof of ID and address for the child you're registering, such as their birth certificate" | None set |
GOV.UK's Certifying a document page, which HM Passport Office links to, asks the translator to confirm on the translation that it is a "true and accurate translation of the original document", with the date and "their full name and contact details". The Home Office standard goes further for in-country applications: under 39B(f)(iv), "certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials". See who can certify a translation in the UK.
What does "approved translator" mean on GOV.UK?
It means a translator on a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office list, not one accredited by any UK authority. The phrase appears on GOV.UK's Register a birth abroad page, which explains that a birth abroad is registered locally first and, optionally, with the UK authorities. The page says the local certificate "should be accepted in the UK, for example when you apply for a passport" or "register with a school or doctor", and that a certificate not in English must be "translated by an approved translator".
The link leads to the FCDO's Find a translator or interpreter abroad service. In its own words:
- It "provides lists of English-speaking translators and interpreters abroad to help British nationals".
- Listed translators "have confirmed" they can translate to and from English and are qualified to work as translators or interpreters in their own country.
- "Our non-exhaustive lists are not recommendations and should not be treated as such."
- Only providers "based outside the UK" can apply to be listed, and inclusion "is not an endorsement by the FCDO".
So "approved" here means listed. The office that receives your certificate still decides what it accepts: for a passport, HM Passport Office's own guidance quoted above. If an office tells you it will only accept a translator from the FCDO list, use a translator on that list.
The paper-application wording sets a condition of its own: a translator "who is a member of a recognised professional organisation". If you apply on paper under that guidance, use a translator who can show that membership, or confirm with HM Passport Office what it will accept.
Registering the birth with the UK authorities is a separate, optional step for children born on or after 1 January 1983. It costs £150, a consular birth registration certificate costs £50, and it normally takes at least 5 working days plus delivery. You can apply for a UK passport without it. See registering a foreign birth with the GRO.
Which version of a birth certificate should you translate?
The one that names the parents. HM Passport Office asks for the full certificate "with parent's details on it", the Immigration Rules require a full certificate naming the parents for UK-born children, and Ukraine scheme applications for children ask for the full version. If your country issues several formats, order the full one before paying for a translation.
| Country | Document | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | Odpis zupełny aktu urodzenia (full copy) | Abridged versions also exist. Full copies issued after 1 March 2015 are A4, two-sided and carry a unique number |
| Spain | Certificado de nacimiento, literal or extract | Both show the date, place, sex and parents; digital certificates carry a code verifiable on the Ministry of Justice website |
| Pakistan | Birth Registration Certificate from a Union Council, Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board or the CDA | NADRA's Child Registration Certificate ("B-form") and Family Registration Certificate are different documents; records are "sometimes produced years after an event" |
| China | Notarial certificate (gong zheng shu) from a local notary office | Issued on the basis of the household register and a birth or medical certificate of birth; notary offices can attach an English translation |
| Ukraine | Svidotstvo pro narodzhennia | Wet seal and the official's signature; certified copies are not issued, so a lost certificate is re-issued |
Country details are from the US State Department's civil document schedules.
What must a birth certificate translation show?
Everything on the paper, in the same order, so a caseworker can read the two side by side:
- The child's names exactly as written, including second surnames and patronymics.
- Sex, date, time and place of birth, with old place names left as recorded.
- Each parent: full names, birth names, dates and places of birth, nationality and any occupation or address printed.
- Registration details: entry or act number, register, date of registration, office, and the registrar's name and title.
- Marginal notes and annotations: recognition of paternity, adoption, corrections, later name changes.
- Issue details: date of issue, duplicate or re-issue marks, serial numbers, verification codes.
- Every stamp, seal and signature, described in brackets, plus the reverse side and any apostille.
- Dates as written, with a Gregorian equivalent in a translator's note for other calendars, and anything unreadable marked [illegible].
How should names be spelled in the translation?
As in the passport of the person named. HM Passport Office will not issue a British passport in a different name from a dual national's foreign passport: "the name and gender on your non-British passport must match the name and gender you want on your British passport." A translation that spells the child differently from the passport creates the same mismatch on paper.
Spell everyone else the same way on every document in the file, and keep a patronymic as a patronymic, not a middle name. Our passport and ID translation guide explains how passports set the Latin spelling.
Why birth certificate translations get sent back
- The short version, where the office wanted the certificate naming both parents.
- A photocopy sent to HM Passport Office, which says "Photocopies are not accepted, even 'certified copies'".
- A translation without the original-language version, which 39B(f) requires as well.
- Spellings that differ from the passport, by a single letter.
- Missing stamps, annotations or the reverse side.
- A translation of an older copy, when the certificate submitted is a newly issued one.
- A notary office's attached translation with no date, translator name or contact details.
Checklist: before you order a birth certificate translation
Questions people ask
Can I translate my own birth certificate for a UK application?
It is not a good idea. Paragraph 39B(f) asks for a translation that can be independently verified and, for applications made in the UK, certification by a qualified translator with their credentials, which a self-translation usually cannot provide. HM Passport Office's paper guidance asks for a member of a recognised professional organisation.
Is a bilingual or multilingual birth certificate enough without a translation?
Only if every entry, stamp and annotation is in English. Paragraph 39B(f) applies to documents "not in English or Welsh", and a form with English headings but entries in another language still needs translating.
Does a birth certificate translation expire?
No. Neither 39B(f) nor HM Passport Office's guidance sets an expiry date for a translation. It must, however, translate the exact certificate you submit, so a newly issued copy needs a new translation.
Do I need an apostille on a foreign birth certificate for UK use?
Neither paragraph 39B(f) nor HM Passport Office's passport guidance asks for one. The FCDO Legalisation Office cannot help with foreign documents anyway: GOV.UK says to get documents issued outside the UK legalised in the country that issued them. A UK birth certificate going abroad is different; see apostilles for UK birth certificates.
Do schools need a translated birth certificate?
Ask the admissions team, because local authorities and schools run admissions and set their own document requests. If they ask for proof of your child's date of birth and the certificate is not in English, a translation answers it; see school enrolment with foreign records.
What do I send to HM Passport Office with a foreign birth certificate?
The original certificate and the translation. HM Passport Office asks for "certified translations as well as the originals" and does not accept photocopies of certificates, so send a printed translation with the certificate rather than relying on a PDF.
How much does a birth certificate translation cost, and how long does it take?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words, with a signed certificate of accuracy that fully meets paragraph 39B(f), including the credentials element for Home Office applications made inside the UK. Most one-page certificates arrive as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and a printed hard copy by post costs £14.95 more.
