HM Passport Office's guidance on children's passports is blunt: "Photocopies are not accepted, even ‘certified copies’." The Immigration Rules say the opposite for visas: "Specified documents may be originals or copies." Same government, opposite instructions, and the right delivery format for your certified translation follows the same split.
Most people need only the signed PDF. Below: which UK offices want paper, when an apostille earns its price, whether electronic signatures count, and certified copies versus certified translations.
Is a PDF certified translation accepted in the UK?
Yes, wherever documents are uploaded, and that includes UK visa and settlement applications. Paragraph 39B(d) of the Immigration Rules accepts copies, and paragraph 39B(f) asks for "the version in the original language" with the translation, so you upload both.
- Self-upload (ID Check app): scans saved as PDF, PNG, JPG or JPEG. "You cannot upload any other evidence after you submit."
- Visa application centres abroad: documents go up on the commercial partner's website, or you pay for an Added Value Service to submit them at the appointment.
- UKVCAS in the UK: upload to the UKVCAS online service or have documents scanned at the appointment. GOV.UK tells EU Settlement Scheme applicants "you must upload your supporting documents when you apply."
- First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber): rule 12 allows documents "uploaded to the Tribunal's secure portal in a compatible file format", and anything not in English "must be accompanied by an English translation."
- UK ENIC: "JPEG, PDF or bitmap format", up to 5 MB per file.
Which format does each UK office want?
| Where the translation is going | How documents go in | Format to use |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office, online application | Uploaded scans | Signed PDF |
| Visa application centre or UKVCAS | Uploaded, or scanned at the appointment | Signed PDF; paper only if it is being scanned there |
| HM Passport Office | Originals by post with "a certified translation" | Printed hard copy |
| Register office, notice of marriage (England and Wales) | Originals at the appointment with "a translation of any documents that are not in English" | Printed hard copy |
| Immigration tribunal | Secure portal or as the Tribunal directs | Signed PDF |
| Civil court, foreign-language witness statement | The translator "must sign the original statement and must certify that the translation is accurate" (CPR PD 32 para 23.2) | Ask before ordering |
| UK ENIC Statement of Comparability | Uploaded | Signed PDF, unless the Translation Waiver covers your language |
| DVLA, Japanese or South Korean licence | Posted with the D1 form | An official translation from the embassy, which we cannot provide |
| An authority abroad | Its own rules | Often an apostilled translation |
Courts add steps of their own. For a foreign-language affidavit, PD 32 para 10.2 requires the translator to swear an affidavit verifying the translation, which is not part of a certified translation; see certified translations for UK courts. For register office appointments, see giving notice of marriage with foreign documents, and for UK ENIC, the Statement of Comparability guide.
When do you need a printed hard copy?
When an office takes documents by post or sees them in person. HM Passport Office says "You must send original documents" and, for documents not in English or Welsh, "you need to send a certified translation"; it returns your documents separately from the passport. Its guidance for paper application forms goes further: the translation must be "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. A register office taking notice of marriage asks you to bring originals and translations to the appointment.
A printed hard copy costs £14.95 and goes by Royal Mail or tracked courier. For a UKVCAS appointment where documents will be scanned, a printout of the PDF is an alternative.
What is an apostilled translation, and when do you need one?
An apostilled translation is for authorities abroad. With our apostille service, the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, and the apostille is attached to the translation, not to your original document. It costs £149.95 per document as an e-apostille or £199.95 per document on paper, and typically takes 5 to 7 business days.
Know what it proves. Under Article 5 of the Apostille Convention, an apostille certifies "the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp". It says nothing about the content, and the Home Office does not ask for one: paragraph 39B(f) lists no notarisation or apostille.
Electronic or paper? The Hague Conference says "An e-Apostille cannot be refused simply because it is issued in electronic form." Some recipients still ask for paper, so check with the person who requested it before you order.
Two related steps are separate. An apostille on an original UK public document comes from the FCDO Legalisation Office: £45 for paper plus courier or postage, or £35 for an e-Apostille, which General Register Office certificates cannot get. A document issued abroad is legalised in the country that issued it. Some foreign authorities also insist on a sworn translator in their own country, which we cannot provide. More in certified vs notarised translation and what is an apostille.
Is an electronically signed translation valid?
Yes, in principle. Paragraph 39B(f) asks for the translator's or company official's "full name and signature" without requiring ink, and an online application only ever receives an image of it. Section 7 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 makes electronic signatures admissible in evidence in legal proceedings, and the Law Commission concluded in 2019, for England and Wales, that "An electronic signature is capable in law of being used to execute a document (including a deed)", provided the signer intends to authenticate it and any formalities are met.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a certified copy?
A certified copy confirms that a photocopy matches the original. GOV.UK describes a professional person writing "Certified to be a true copy of the original seen by me" with a signature, date, name, occupation and contact details. A certified translation confirms that the English is a "true and accurate translation of the original document".
Neither turns a copy into an original. HM Passport Office's staff guidance says "We normally need original documents for security purposes," and staff "must never accept a certified photocopy of a document issued by the General Register Office".
Common format mistakes
- Uploading the translation without the original-language version the rules require next to it.
- Waiting for paper for an application that only takes uploads.
- Apostilling the translation when the foreign authority wanted the apostille on the original, or both.
- Ordering an e-apostille when the recipient has asked for paper.
- Assuming a UK certified translation will do abroad where the authority requires its own sworn translator.
Checklist: choose the right format
Questions people ask
Does the Home Office accept a PDF certified translation?
Yes. Visa and settlement applications take uploaded documents, the Immigration Rules accept copies, and the self-upload service takes scans as PDF, PNG, JPG or JPEG. Upload the signed PDF together with a scan of the original-language document.
Do I need a printed translation for my UKVCAS or visa centre appointment?
Only if documents will be scanned at the appointment instead of uploaded beforehand. In that case bring the translation on paper, either a printout of the PDF or the posted hard copy.
Does HM Passport Office accept a PDF translation?
HM Passport Office takes documents by post, so it needs a printed certified translation sent with your original documents. A printed hard copy from us costs £14.95 and is sent by Royal Mail or tracked courier. For paper application forms, HMPO asks for a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation.
Is an electronic signature on a certified translation valid?
In principle, yes. The Home Office rule asks for a signature without requiring ink, electronic signatures are admissible in evidence under section 7 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000, and the Law Commission has confirmed they can execute documents.
What is the difference between an e-apostille and a paper apostille?
Both certify the same signature and seal; one is electronic, the other a physical certificate. The Hague Conference says an e-Apostille cannot be refused for being electronic, but ask the recipient which it wants before ordering: ours cost £149.95 and £199.95 per document.
Do I need an apostille on a translation for a UK visa?
No. Paragraph 39B(f) requires a dated translation with a confirmation of accuracy, the translator's or official's name, signature and contact details, plus credentials for applications made in the UK. Apostilles are for authorities abroad that ask for them.
Can I get both a PDF and a printed copy?
Yes. Every translation is delivered as a signed PDF by email, and a printed hard copy by post costs £14.95 more. Use the PDF for uploads and the paper copy for offices that take documents by post or in person.
