Pay £1,000 for the Home Office's super priority service and you will usually get a visa decision by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment. If the application falls out of that timescale because you did not supply required information in time, the Home Office refunds policy has a two-word answer for the priority fee: "No Refund."
The certified translation turnaround is rarely the problem: most one-page certificates take a day. What catches people is the windows around it: evidence that must be recent, appointments that start a clock, and online forms that close for good when you press submit.
This guide covers how long our translations take, when same-day is worth paying for, the UK deadlines to plan around, and how apostilles change the timeline.
How long does a certified translation take?
Most single-page documents arrive within 24 hours; longer documents take 1 to 3 business days.
| Service | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Single-page document | Signed PDF by email, most within 24 hours |
| Longer documents | 1 to 3 business days |
| Rush service (+£14.95 per page) | Same-day or next-morning delivery |
| Printed hard copy by post (+£14.95) | Royal Mail or tracked courier; allow for postage |
| Apostilled translation | Typically 5 to 7 business days |
The PDF is what you upload to an online application, so for an online application the wait ends when it reaches your inbox. Paper matters only where an office takes documents by post or in person; see delivery formats.
Can you get a certified translation the same day?
Same day or next morning, with rush service. It costs £14.95 per page on top of the £29.95 page price and earns its fee when:
- A financial evidence window is closing, such as the 28-day and 31-day rules below.
- The Home Office has asked for a missing document by a set date.
- You have booked a next-day or same-day appointment, which UKVCAS offers for a fee "if your application is urgent".
- An appeal deadline is running.
If your deadline is a week away, standard delivery is enough. The cost guide works through totals with and without rush.
Which UK deadlines should you plan your translation around?
The authority's, not ours. These rules set the date in the most common cases:
| Situation | The rule that sets the clock | When to have the translation |
|---|---|---|
| Online visa application with the ID Check app | "You cannot upload any other evidence after you submit." | Before you submit |
| Visa application centre or UKVCAS appointment | Documents are uploaded beforehand or scanned at the appointment; priority timescales start from the appointment | Before the appointment |
| Partner visa financial evidence | The latest evidence "must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application" (Appendix FM-SE 1(l)) | Straight after the last statement or payslip issues |
| Student and Skilled Worker funds (Appendix Finance) | Funds held "for at least 28 days in a row", with the latest evidence dated within 31 days of applying (FIN 7.1) | Straight after the closing statement issues |
| Home Office request for a missing document | It must arrive "within a reasonable timescale specified in the request" (Appendix FM-SE D(b)) | Order rush the day the request arrives |
| Notice of marriage, England and Wales | Notice at least 29 days before the ceremony, with "a translation of any documents that are not in English" at the appointment | Before you book the appointment |
| Immigration appeal | Notice of appeal within 14 days of the decision being sent, or 28 days of receiving it if you are outside the UK; documents not in English need an English translation | Within days of the decision |
| UK ENIC Statement of Comparability | 15 working days, or 1 to 2 with Fast Track, counted once all documents and payment are in | Before you apply |
Two details deserve emphasis. The 28-day and 31-day rules date the bank statements and payslips, not the translation, so translate the final statement once it exists rather than starting early and re-ordering. And if the Home Office asks questions about a couple giving notice, the wait can stretch to "up to 70 days", which no translation can shorten. See bank statement translation, giving notice of marriage and immigration tribunal translation.
How long do UK visa decisions take, and where does translation fit?
After the translation, and that order matters, because the decision clock starts only once your documents are in. GOV.UK's usual timescales:
| Application | Usual decision time |
|---|---|
| Visitor, Student or Skilled Worker, from outside the UK | 3 weeks |
| Student or Skilled Worker, from inside the UK | 8 weeks |
| Family visa from outside the UK | 12 weeks |
| Family visa from inside the UK | 8 weeks (when the financial and English requirements are met) |
| Priority service (+£500) | 5 working days for most visas; 30 working days for settlement, citizenship and family visas from outside the UK |
| Super priority service (+£1,000) | By the end of the next working day |
For the priority service, the clock starts on the day of your appointment, or on the working day after you finish uploading documents if you use the ID Check app. Pay for speed only once every translation is in your hands.
How long does an apostilled translation take?
Typically 5 to 7 business days. The certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, and the apostille is attached to the translation, not to your original; see the apostille service.
An apostille on an original UK public document is a separate step with its own clock at the FCDO Legalisation Office: "usually up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time" for a paper apostille, or "up to 2 working days" for an e-Apostille, which General Register Office certificates cannot get. Documents issued abroad cannot be legalised there at all; they are legalised in the country that issued them. Our apostille turnaround guide covers the sequence.
Common timing mistakes
- Translating statements too early, then needing a newer statement and a second translation.
- Paying for super priority before the translations exist.
- Submitting first and planning to "send the translation later" through a service that accepts nothing after submission.
- Waiting for a posted hard copy when the application only needs the PDF upload.
- Translating a short extract, then discovering the authority wanted the full certificate.
- Leaving the apostille to the final week before a foreign deadline.
Checklist: plan your translation timeline
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. Rush service, at £14.95 per page extra, delivers the same day or the next morning.
Can I get a certified translation on the same day?
Same day or next morning, with rush service, which adds £14.95 per page to the £29.95 page price. It is worth it for a closing bank statement window, a Home Office request for a missing document or an appeal deadline.
Does the translation have to be dated within 28 days of my visa application?
No. The 28-day rule in Appendix FM-SE and the 31-day rule in Appendix Finance date the bank statements and payslips, not the translation. The translation must carry a date under paragraph 39B(f), but the rules set no maximum age for it.
Can I submit my visa application now and send the translation later?
Do not plan on it. Through the self-upload service, "You cannot upload any other evidence after you submit." Caseworkers on family routes may ask for a missing document under Appendix FM-SE, but not if the application is going to be refused for other reasons.
How long does an apostilled translation take?
Typically 5 to 7 business days, because the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled. An apostille on your original UK document is a separate FCDO step, usually up to 25 working days for paper plus postage, or up to 2 working days for an e-Apostille where one is available.
Do I need a printed copy for my UKVCAS appointment?
Only if you will have documents scanned at the appointment rather than uploading them, in which case bring the translation on paper. GOV.UK says you bring "other supporting documents (unless you've already uploaded them online)".
What if the Home Office asks for a document I have not translated?
Order rush service as soon as the request arrives. Under Appendix FM-SE the material must be received "within a reasonable timescale specified in the request", and rush gives same-day or next-morning delivery.
