A problem with a translation rarely arrives as a refusal. On most visa routes, a Home Office caseworker who finds evidence missing or inadequate should normally ask for it first, and the standard request gives you 10 working days to reply. Family routes carry a similar power in Appendix FM-SE.
What happens in that window decides whether a small fault in a translation stays small. Our guarantee covers the part we control, the translation and its certificate, and says plainly what it does not. Below: the terms, worked examples, how problems are raised and how to claim.
What does the translation accuracy guarantee cover?
A refusal of the translation itself. If the UK authority your 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, we refund the translation fee.
The three grounds mean specific things:
- Accuracy: the translation says something the original does not. A wrong date, a transposed figure, a mistranslated term, a name rendered differently from the way the document writes it.
- Completeness: something on the original is missing. A page, the reverse side, a stamp, a seal, a handwritten note. The Home Office asks for "a full translation", and a summary is not one.
- Certification: the certificate falls short of the authority's published requirements. For the Home Office that is paragraph 39B(f) of the Immigration Rules: a date, confirmation of accuracy, the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised company official, contact details and, for leave to remain and indefinite leave to remain, "certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials".
The guarantee follows the authority the translation was certified for, so tell us where it is going when you order. Where a correction resolves the refusal, the correction is free and the original fee stands. The full certification statement requirements have their own guide.
What does the guarantee not cover?
Anything that turns on something other than the translation:
- Refusal of the original document. If the caseworker rejects the document itself, no translation can fix it. Under paragraph 39B(c), a document whose genuineness cannot be verified after reasonable steps "will be discounted".
- The outcome of the application. Every requirement of the route is decided on the whole file.
- Name spellings supplied by the client that differ from the passport. The order form asks for every name "as written on a passport or other English document". If the spelling you give differs, the translation follows your instruction.
- Apostilles or legalisation on the original. These are separate steps with their own issuing authorities; see when you need translation and apostille.
- Acceptance by foreign authorities with their own rules on sworn translators and legalisation. Many countries accept only translators sworn in that country.
- Deadlines missed because documents arrived late or incomplete.
Covered or not? Worked examples
| What happened | Covered? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A caseworker's request says the registrar's stamp on the back of a marriage certificate was not translated | Yes | Completeness |
| The certificate of accuracy was undated | Yes | Certification under 39B(f) |
| On an ILR application, the certification lacks the 39B(f)(iv) credentials details | Yes | Certification |
| The date of birth in the translation differs from the original | Yes | Accuracy |
| The bank statement itself was rejected as evidence | No | Refusal of the original document |
| You typed "Yulia" in the order form; the passport reads YULIIA | No | Client-supplied spelling |
| A register office abroad wanted a translator sworn in that country | No | Foreign authority's own rules |
| Scans arrived two days before the appointment with the last page missing | No | Late or incomplete documents |
How does the Home Office raise problems with a translation?
Usually with a request before any decision, sometimes with a refusal.
A request for more information
The Home Office's evidential flexibility guidance covers every route except Appendix FM, protection claims and Appendix Victims of Domestic Abuse. If evidence is missing or inadequate but could be clarified, the caseworker "should normally provide an opportunity" to supply it, and the standard email asks for it "within 10 working days". The guidance also says caseworkers "must not refuse an application because the applicant has not provided a specific document if the applicant was not asked to provide that specific document".
For family routes, paragraph D of Appendix FM-SE lets the decision-maker ask for a document "in the wrong format" or one that "does not contain all of the specified information", to arrive within "a reasonable timescale specified in the request". Neither request has to be made where the application would be refused on other grounds anyway.
Send us any written request for further evidence that mentions a translation the day it arrives. We review it, correct anything attributable to the translation and reissue, normally within 24 hours.
A refusal
The refusal letter explains why, and whether you can ask for an administrative review or appeal. Administrative review checks whether the caseworker failed to apply, or incorrectly applied, the Immigration Rules or published guidance. It costs £80 and must be requested within 14 days if you applied in the UK (7 days if detained) or 28 days from outside the UK. GOV.UK currently warns it "can take 12 months or more".
Only routes listed in Appendix Administrative Review qualify, such as Student and Skilled Worker; Appendix FM family routes and visit visas are not on the list. New evidence is generally not considered, except in listed cases such as "a failure to follow the evidential flexibility policy". Refusals of human rights and protection claims can instead be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal.
The practical point: a corrected translation fixes the document, not the decision. It does most good at the request stage, in an appeal bundle or in a fresh application.
How do I make a claim?
- Send the authority's written refusal or request for further evidence, including the part that names the translation. Courts, register offices and universities usually raise queries by letter, email or direction; send those too.
- Attach the translation as submitted, the PDF exactly as delivered, and say which application or case it was used in.
- We compare the translation with the original and with the authority's stated reason.
- If the translation caused the problem, we correct and reissue it free, normally within 24 hours of receiving the refusal, and refund the translation fee if a corrected translation cannot resolve the refusal.
- If the cause lies elsewhere, we tell you what it is and, where we can, what would fix it.
Claims are accepted while the original document is unchanged and the translation is being used for the purpose it was certified for.
Why translations get questioned
- The original was left out. Paragraph 39B(f) requires "the version in the original language" as well as the translation.
- A different copy was submitted, such as a newly issued certificate with a translation of the old one.
- Names drift between the order form, the passport and the application.
Checklist: before you submit a certified translation
Questions people ask
What happens if the Home Office rejects my certified translation?
On most routes the caseworker should normally ask for the missing or corrected evidence first, usually with 10 working days to reply. Send us the written request: if the translation is at fault, we correct and reissue it free, normally within 24 hours. If the application has already been refused, the refusal letter says whether administrative review or an appeal is available.
Does the guarantee mean my visa will be approved?
No. The outcome of the application is excluded, because it depends on every requirement of the route. The guarantee covers refusal of the translation itself on grounds of accuracy, completeness or certification.
Will I get a refund if the translation is refused?
If the refusal was caused by the translation and a corrected translation cannot resolve it, we refund the translation fee. Where a correction does resolve it, the correction is free and the original fee stands.
Is there a time limit for claims?
Claims are accepted while the original document is unchanged and the translation is being used for the purpose it was certified for. If you obtain a newly issued certificate, it needs its own translation.
What if a name in the translation does not match my passport?
If the authority refuses the translation because it departs from the spelling you gave us, the guarantee applies. A spelling you supplied that differs from the passport is not covered, which is why the order form asks for names as written on a passport or other English document.
Can I ask for an administrative review because of a translation problem?
Only if your route is listed in Appendix Administrative Review, and the review only checks whether the caseworker misapplied the rules or guidance. It costs £80, new evidence is generally not considered, and a corrected translation usually does more good in a new application.
How much does a certified translation cost?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words of the source document. Every translation comes with a signed certificate of accuracy and is delivered as a signed PDF by email, most single-page documents within 24 hours.
