UKVI Certified Translation Services

A UKVI certified translation is a complete and accurate English translation of a document originally written in another language, accompanied by a signed certification statement from a qualified professional translator.

The Home Office requires that all supporting documents submitted with a UK visa or immigration application that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. The translation must be complete, meaning nothing can be left out, paraphrased, or summarised.

Any document not written in English or Welsh that is submitted in support of a UK visa or immigration application requires a certified translation. Common documents include:

As confirmed in the UKVI family visa document guidance, any supporting document in a language other than English or Welsh must include a full certified translation.

• Birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and death certificates
• Passports and national identity cards
• Police clearance certificates and criminal records
• Bank statements and financial evidence for the financial requirement
• Employment contracts and payslips
• Academic qualifications and transcripts
• Medical records and vaccination documents

No. UKVI requires that translations be carried out by a qualified professional who is not the applicant. The following are not accepted as translators:

• The applicant, regardless of their level of fluency in both languages
• Family members or close associates of the applicant
• Machine translation tools including Google Translate, DeepL, or AI tools

The requirement for a qualified professional exists because the translator must be able to sign a certification statement taking personal responsibility for the accuracy of the translation. No machine tool and no interested party can do this in a way that UKVI will accept.

UKVI requires certified translation, not notarized translation. The two are different in a specific and important way:

• Certified translation: A qualified professional translator signs a statement confirming they are competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate and complete. This is what the Home Office requires.
• Notarized translation: A notary public witnesses the translator's signature but does not verify the content of the translation or confirm the translator's language qualifications.

For most UKVI applications, a certified translation without notarization is sufficient. Notarization is only required if the specific visa application instructions explicitly request it, which is uncommon.

A valid UKVI certification statement must include all of the following:

• The translator's full name
• A declaration that the translator is a qualified professional in both the source language and English
• A statement that the translation is complete and accurate
• The translator's original signature
• The date of the translation
• The translator's contact details (strongly recommended and required by many UKVI processing centres)

Our certification statement meets all of these requirements and is included with every order at no additional cost.

Our certified translations are prepared to meet UKVI and Home Office document requirements, including completeness, accuracy, formatting, and the signed certification statement.

If your translation is refused or questioned by UKVI for any reason related to the quality or format of the translation we provided, we will revise it at no additional cost. If we cannot resolve the issue after revision, we will issue a full refund. Details are in our refund policy.

Most UKVI translations are completed within 24 hours of receiving your documents. For multiple documents in one order, we translate them concurrently so the 24-hour window applies to the full set. Delivery options at checkout:

• Standard: 24 hours
• Same-day: delivery within the same business day
• Expedited 12-hour: for urgent submissions and imminent visa appointment dates

When a UKVI decision letter or caseworker query identifies a problem with a translation, it will usually name the specific document and state the exact issue. Common reasons cited include:

• the translation appears incomplete
• the certification statement does not confirm the translator's professional qualification
• stamps or seals visible in the original have not been translated
• sections of the document are left blank without explanation

Each of these is a specific, fixable problem. If the concern relates to a translation we provided, contact us immediately with a copy of the refusal or query letter. We will review the stated deficiency, prepare a corrected translation that directly addresses it, and return it quickly at no cost so your application is not delayed. If you are working with a solicitor or OISC-registered immigration adviser, pass the corrected translation to them as early as possible so they can prepare the full response package.

Yes. A certified translation with a signed certification statement can generally be reused across more than one UKVI application or supporting bundle, so a birth certificate translation submitted with a spouse visa application can be included again in a subsequent ILR application without being retranslated.

That said, some UKVI processing centres and visa application centres prefer translations that are not more than 12 months old at the time of submission. Check the specific guidance for the visa category you are applying under before reusing an older translation, and if in doubt, a fresh translation avoids any unnecessary risk.

No. Our entire process is online. You upload a clear scan or photograph of each document through our order portal and we translate from the digital copy, then deliver the certified translation as a PDF to your inbox.

Original documents do not need to be mailed at any stage. If your visa application centre requires a physical hard copy with an original wet signature rather than a digital PDF, we can arrange printed and signed delivery on request.

Yes, in two ways.

First, UKVI requires a professional translator or recognised translation company. USCIS allows any competent bilingual person to self-certify.

Second, UKVI requires the translator's full credentials, contact details, and date of translation on every document. USCIS only needs the certification statement plus translator identification.

A UKVI-grade translation will always be accepted by USCIS. A USCIS translation may be questioned by UKVI if the translator's credentials are not visible.

Any qualified professional translator is acceptable. ATC, CIOL, or ITI membership is not required by the Home Office.

UKVI's actual rule is that the translator must be professional and provide a signed certification statement with credentials and contact details.

That said, a translator from one of these professional bodies can add credibility for borderline cases like marriage-of-convenience reviews or settlement appeals, where caseworkers may scrutinise translator qualifications more closely.