A caseworker reads your documents through the translation. Paragraph 39B(f) of the Immigration Rules says what that translation must allow: it must be "a full translation that can be independently verified" by the officer deciding your case.
That phrase explains how certified translation works. The whole document is translated, nothing is summarised, and a signed statement tells the caseworker who stands behind the translation and how to reach them. Skip any part and the caseworker has something to question.
This guide follows a certified translation from upload to delivery: what to send, how names are handled, what gets translated, what the certificate says, what to check and what happens if something goes wrong.
What happens when you order a certified translation?
Six steps, most of them on our side:
- You upload scans of every page of each document, including the reverse side.
- The price follows the word count: £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words of the source document.
- The whole document is translated into English: every line, entry, stamp and note.
- The translation is certified with a signed certificate of accuracy that fully meets paragraph 39B(f).
- You receive a signed PDF by email: most single-page documents within 24 hours, longer documents in 1 to 3 business days. A printed hard copy by post costs £14.95 more.
- You check it and submit it with a copy of the original.
If the translation is going abroad, the certified translation can be notarised and then apostilled, with the apostille attached to our translation rather than to your original; see the apostille service.
What should you send for translation?
The exact document you will submit, complete. Paragraph 39B(f) requires "the version in the original language" alongside the translation, so the caseworker compares the two. If you later obtain a newly issued copy of a certificate, with a new issue date or stamps, translate that copy instead.
- Every page and the back, even if the reverse carries only a stamp.
- A scan or photo of the original, flat and in focus. GOV.UK's upload guidance says "The full document must be visible on the scan or photo," and the visitor guidance adds that "wherever possible, digital images should be taken of original documents, not copies."
- The passport spelling of every person named, copied from each passport's data page, so spellings match.
- A note of any name changes, with the documents behind them.
Our guide to submitting documents covers file types and scan quality.
How are names spelled in a certified translation?
As in the passport of the person named. A name written in another script can be rendered in Latin letters several ways, and a caseworker matching your translation against your passport, visa and forms needs one spelling throughout.
- The applicant's name follows the passport, even where another transliteration would also be correct.
- Everyone else named (parents, spouse, witnesses) is spelled the same way on every document in the file.
- Patronymics stay patronymics and maiden names stay in, never dropped or turned into middle names.
Our guarantee does not cover name spellings you supply that differ from the passport, so copy each name from the passport data page rather than typing it from memory.
What gets translated, and how?
Everything on the document, in the same order, so the two can be read side by side:
- Printed text and every completed field, including form numbers, serial numbers and registration details.
- Handwritten entries. A word nobody can read is marked [illegible], never guessed.
- Stamps, seals and signatures, described in square brackets with their wording translated: [Round seal: Civil Registry Office ...], [Signature].
- Marginal notes, annotations and the reverse side.
- Dates, numbers and amounts exactly as written. Currency stays as printed, because the Home Office converts it itself: under Appendix FM-SE paragraph 1(f) and Appendix Finance FIN 1.1 to 1.3, normally at the spot rate on oanda.com "for the date of the application."
- The layout of the original: tables stay tables and sections stay in their order.
What makes a certified translation acceptable to the Home Office?
The five elements of paragraph 39B(f), repeated in Appendix FM-SE paragraph 1(j) for family routes. The translation "must be dated and include":
| Element | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| A date | The date the translation was made |
| Confirmation of accuracy | A statement that it "is an accurate translation of the original document" |
| Name and signature | The "full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company" |
| Contact details | So the Home Office can check the translation independently |
| Credentials (in-UK applications) | For leave to remain and indefinite leave to remain, "certification by a qualified translator" and details of the translator's or company's credentials |
Our certificate meets all five, including the in-UK element, for which it states the company's credentials as a member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). The wording itself is covered in certification statement requirements, and the wider definition in what is a certified translation. GOV.UK's general guidance on certifying a translation asks for the same core: a confirmation that it is a "true and accurate translation of the original document", the date, and the translator's full name and contact details.
Some offices go further and name who must translate. GOV.UK's licence exchange tool asks Japanese and South Korean drivers for "an official translation of your licence - contact your embassy", and GOV.UK's page on births abroad says a birth certificate not in English needs translating "by an approved translator", linking to the FCDO's list of translators abroad. We cannot provide an embassy translation, and where an office names a list, use a translator who is on it; ask the office first.
Checklist: what should you check when your translation arrives?
Check it against the original and your passport before you upload or post it, because under the GOV.UK self-upload service, "You cannot upload any other evidence after you submit."
What happens if a UK authority 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, it refunds the translation fee.
The guarantee does not cover refusal of the original document, the outcome of the application, name spellings you supplied that differ from the passport, apostilles or legalisation on the original, acceptance by foreign authorities with their own rules on sworn translators and legalisation, or deadlines missed because documents arrived late or incomplete. Full terms are in our accuracy guarantee.
Why translations get sent back
- No original-language version uploaded next to the translation.
- A different copy: the translation was made from one copy, and another, with different stamps, was submitted.
- Half a document: the reverse side or a registrar's stamp left out.
- A summary instead of a full translation.
- Spelling drift between the passport, the forms and the translation.
- No credentials on a translation used for leave to remain or ILR.
Questions people ask
How long does a certified translation take in the UK?
Most single-page documents are delivered as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and longer documents take 1 to 3 business days. A printed hard copy by post costs £14.95 more, and postage time comes on top.
Do I need to send my original documents for translation?
No. A clear scan or photo of every page, including the reverse side, is what the translator works from. Keep your originals safe, because some offices, such as HM Passport Office, ask for them.
Are stamps and seals translated too?
Yes. A full translation covers every stamp, seal, signature and handwritten note, each described in square brackets with its wording translated. A translation that skips them is not a full translation under paragraph 39B(f).
Can I translate my own documents for a UK visa?
Paragraph 39B(f) sets out what the translation must contain rather than who may make it, but it needs a named translator or company official to confirm accuracy, sign and give contact details. For applications made in the UK it also needs certification by a qualified translator with credentials; see who can certify a translation.
Is machine translation acceptable for the Home Office?
Not on its own. The rule requires a named translator or authorised company official to confirm that the translation is accurate, sign it and give contact details, and raw machine output has nobody standing behind it.
What if part of my document is illegible?
The unreadable part is marked [illegible] and nothing is guessed. If the illegible part is a name, date or registration number the caseworker needs, ask the issuing office for a clearer copy before you apply.
What if the Home Office refuses my translation?
If the refusal is on grounds of accuracy, completeness or certification, Official Translations corrects and reissues the translation free, normally within 24 hours of receiving the refusal. If a corrected translation cannot resolve a refusal caused by the translation, the fee is refunded.
