Immigration Tribunal: Translation Requirements & Document Format

The First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) has specific requirements for translated documents. Submitting non-compliant translations can result in evidence being excluded or an appeal being dismissed. This guide explains what the immigration tribunal requires.

Tribunal Requirements for Translated Documents

The Immigration and Asylum Chamber requires that all foreign-language documents submitted with appeals and applications be accompanied by a certified translation. The translation must:

• Translate every element of the original document — including stamps, official seals, handwritten notes, and endorsements
• Include a certification statement from a professional translator
• Be paginated consistently with the original and clearly cross-referenced in the bundle

Preparing the Document Bundle

Tribunal rules require that the appellant’s bundle be properly organised. Translated documents should be placed immediately after the original in the bundle, with consistent pagination. The index should identify each translated document and its page reference.

Bundles that are disorganised, or where translations are not clearly linked their originals, can frustrate proceedings and disadvantage the appellant. We can advise on bundle preparation.

Country Evidence: Reports and Documentation

Asylum and protection cases often rely on country of origin information (COI) and personal documentary evidence from the appellant’s home country. This evidence — police reports, threatening letters, country-specific documents — may be in a language other than English and must be translated.

We have experience translating documents from countries that are common sources of asylum claims, including Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and many others.

Expert Witnesses and Translator Evidence

In some cases, the tribunal may question the accuracy of a translation. Having translations prepared by a professional agency with qualified translators strengthens the credibility of your evidence. We can provide a statement of the translator’s qualifications if required.