A partner visa application from outside the UK costs £2,064 in Home Office fees, plus a healthcare surcharge of £1,035 for each year of the visa. If the application is refused, the Home Office refunds policy is blunt: "the fee paid will not be refunded." The certified translation of the marriage certificate behind it costs £29.95.
The translation is the smallest line on that bill and the easiest to pay for twice: translate the wrong version of a certificate, let bank statements age out of their 28-day window, or reuse one that lacks the certification needed in the UK, and you order it again.
Below: our price, every add-on, worked totals for real files and how to compare quotes.
How much does a certified translation cost in the UK?
At Official Translations, £29.95 per page. A page is up to 300 words of the source document, not a sheet of paper, and the order page adds a 20-word buffer before it counts another page. The price includes:
- The complete translation: every line, stamp, seal and note on the reverse (handwritten documents carry the add-on below).
- A signed certificate of accuracy that meets paragraph 39B(f) of the Immigration Rules in full, including the credentials element that applications made in the UK require.
- Delivery as a signed PDF by email: most single-page documents within 24 hours, longer documents in 1 to 3 business days.
Because the count is by words, the price follows the text rather than the paper:
| Source document | Example word count | Pages | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-form birth certificate | 180 | 1 | £29.95 |
| Two-sided marriage certificate | 310 | 1 | £29.95 |
| Divorce decree | 450 | 2 | £59.90 |
| Bank statement | 900 | 3 | £89.85 |
| Court judgment | 1,250 | 5 | £149.75 |
What do the add-ons cost?
Handwriting depends on the document; the other extras depend on your deadline and destination, and an online Home Office application needs none of them.
| Add-on | Price | When it is worth paying for |
|---|---|---|
| Rush service | +£14.95 per page | Same-day or next-morning delivery, for a hard deadline such as a 28-day bank statement window |
| Handwritten documents | +£14.95 per page | Records filled in by hand, such as older civil registry entries |
| Printed hard copy by post | +£14.95 | Offices that take documents on paper; sent by Royal Mail or tracked courier |
| E-apostille | +£149.95 per document | A foreign authority wants an apostilled translation and accepts an electronic apostille |
| Paper apostille | +£199.95 per document | A foreign authority wants an apostilled translation on paper |
The apostille service works on the translation, not on your original: the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, typically in 5 to 7 business days, and the apostille is attached to it. An apostille on an original UK public document is a separate step at the FCDO Legalisation Office, which charges £45 per document for a paper apostille plus courier or postage, or £35 for an e-Apostille. General Register Office certificates (birth, marriage, death) can only get the paper kind.
Notarisation and apostilles are not among the Home Office's requirements in paragraph 39B(f); see certified vs notarised translation.
Per page, per word or per document: which pricing is cheaper?
It depends on the document.
- Per page by word count (our model): the price rises in 300-word steps, so a short certificate is one page and a dense statement several.
- Per word: the price rises with every word. Ask about minimum charges and whether certification is extra.
- Per document: a flat fee whatever the length. Ask what counts as one document when a bank statement runs to twelve sheets.
The only fair comparison is the total for your actual documents, in pounds, with the certificate, delivery format and delivery time included.
What makes a translation cost more?
Under our pricing, four things: more words (transaction tables, long judgments, transcripts listing every module), handwriting, rush service and a paper or apostilled format. Skip what nobody asked for: an apostille, a hard copy for an upload, or rush when the deadline is weeks away. The turnaround guide shows when speed matters.
How much will translations for a UK visa or passport cost? Worked examples
Our prices only; word counts are examples, and your documents set the real figure.
| File | Example documents | Pages | Our price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner visa from abroad | Marriage certificate (240 words) and a previous divorce certificate (260 words) | 2 | £59.90 |
| Student visa on a parent's savings | Parent's bank statement (550 words), your birth certificate (250) and the parent's consent letter (200) | 4 | £119.80, or £179.60 with rush |
| Indefinite leave to remain | Marriage certificate, newly certified for an in-UK application | 1 | £29.95 |
| First UK passport with a foreign birth certificate | Birth certificate, with a printed hard copy | 1 | £44.90 with hard copy |
| Degree certificate for use abroad | Degree certificate with an apostilled translation | 1 | £179.90 (e-apostille) or £229.90 (paper) |
Partner visa. GOV.UK asks partners to "include evidence of marriages ending, for example a divorce certificate." Foreign-language payslips or bank statements add pages, and under Appendix FM-SE the latest must be dated no earlier than 28 days before you apply. See the spouse visa checklist.
Student visa. Appendix Finance (FIN 5.3) requires proof of the relationship and the parent's written consent, and FIN 7.1 requires the latest financial evidence to be dated within 31 days before you apply. That window is where rush earns its £14.95 per page.
Indefinite leave to remain. For applications made in the UK, paragraph 39B(f)(iv) adds "certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials." An entry clearance translation did not need that, so check it before reusing it. Against an ILR fee of £3,226, one page is a small cost.
Passport. HM Passport Office wants originals by post and says, "If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you need to send a certified translation." Its guidance for paper application forms asks for a translation "signed and stamped by a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation", so if you apply on paper, use a translator who meets that.
When you may not need to pay for a translation at all
- DVLA licence exchange. For most designated countries, GOV.UK's exchange tool asks for the D1 form, the £43 fee and your licence, with no translation. For Japanese and South Korean licences it says, "You need to provide an official translation of your licence - contact your embassy", and Taiwanese licences need one from a Taipei Representative Office. We cannot supply those; see the DVLA licence guide.
- UK ENIC Statement of Comparability. The Translation Waiver Service accepts untranslated documents in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish at no extra charge, and in Catalan, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Romanian and Ukrainian for £49.20 (free with Fast Track). It covers only that statement.
Common mistakes that make you pay twice
- The wrong version: a short extract translated when the authority wanted the full certificate naming both parents.
- Statements that age out: once the 28-day or 31-day window passes, new statements need a new translation.
- No credentials for an in-UK application: an entry clearance translation reused for leave to remain or ILR.
- Spellings you supplied that differ from the passport: our guarantee excludes them, so check names before ordering.
- The wrong document apostilled: some authorities want the apostille on your original, which for a UK document is the FCDO step.
Checklist: before you ask for a quote
Questions people ask
How much does a certified translation cost per page in the UK?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words of the source document, with a 20-word buffer on the order page. The price includes the complete translation, a signed certificate of accuracy and delivery as a signed PDF by email.
How much does it cost to translate a birth or marriage certificate for a UK visa?
A certificate of up to 300 words costs £29.95, delivered as a signed PDF, most within 24 hours. Handwritten certificates add £14.95 per page, and a printed copy by post adds £14.95 if the office takes documents on paper.
Do I need to pay for notarisation or an apostille for the Home Office?
No. Paragraph 39B(f) requires a dated translation with a confirmation of accuracy, the translator's or company official's full name and signature, and contact details, plus credentials for applications made in the UK. Notarisation and apostilles are for authorities abroad that ask for them.
How much extra is urgent or same-day translation?
Rush service costs £14.95 per page on top of the £29.95 page price and gives same-day or next-morning delivery. It is worth it when a hard deadline is close, such as a bank statement window or a Home Office request for a missing document.
Can I reuse a translation from an earlier application?
Often, if the original document has not changed and the translation meets the rules for the new application. A translation made for an application from abroad may lack the credentials element required for leave to remain and ILR, so check it first.
What happens if the Home Office refuses the translation?
If the UK authority the translation was certified for refuses it on grounds of accuracy, completeness or certification, Official Translations corrects and reissues it free, normally within 24 hours of receiving the refusal. If a corrected translation cannot resolve a refusal caused by the translation, the translation fee is refunded.
