Certified Translations for UK Courts & Tribunals: Complete Guide

UK courts and tribunals have specific requirements for translated documents. Submitting a translation that does not meet HMCTS or tribunal standards can result in evidence being excluded, proceedings being delayed, or an application being refused. This guide explains the requirements for certified translations used in UK legal proceedings.

HMCTS Requirements

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) requires that foreign-language documents submitted in proceedings be accompanied by a certified translation. The translation must:

• Be a complete and accurate translation of the original document
• Include a certification statement identifying the translator and confirming accuracy
• Be submitted alongside the original or a certified copy of the original

For the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, there are additional specific requirements — see our guide on immigration tribunal translation requirements.

Types of Court Proceedings

Certified translations are required in many types of UK court proceedings, including:

• Family court: Divorce, child custody, adoption, and domestic violence cases involving foreign-language documents
• Immigration tribunal: First-tier and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) proceedings
• County court and High Court: Civil claims, probate, and commercial disputes involving overseas documents
• Criminal court: Evidence in foreign languages (less common but sometimes required)

Submitting Translations to Court

When filing documents with the court, the translated version and the original should be filed together as a bundle. The certification statement should appear at the end of the translated document (or as a separate accompanying page).

Courts typically do not accept translations that are clearly machine-produced (without human review) or that lack a certification statement. Our translations include a certification statement that satisfies HMCTS requirements.

Expert Translators for Legal Documents

Legal documents require particular care: technical legal terminology must be translated accurately, and the structure of the original must be preserved. Our legal translators have specialist knowledge of UK and international legal systems and terminology. We do not use general-purpose translators for court documents.