Will it be accepted?
You have a document from abroad, and a UK organisation has to accept it. Pick your case below to see what the official rules actually require, one honest page per case.
Every fact is quoted from the official source with a checked date, and we re-check the sources weekly.
Go straight to your case
Two quick picks. No personal details asked, nothing stored.
1 Which UK organisation needs to accept your document?
2 What is the document?
Sourced page available
See the official requirementsEvery fact on the page is quoted from the official source with a checked date. The final decision always rests with the receiving organisation.
We have not published this case yet
We only publish a case once we have verified the official requirements and can quote them with a source and a checked date, so we will not guess here. The receiving organisation sets its own rules and makes the final decision, so confirm the current requirements with them directly. The cases we have published are below.
Home Office and visas
The Immigration Rules set out exactly what a translation must contain, and a stricter rule applies when you apply from inside the UK.
Marriage certificate, spouse visa
The full certified translation rule and the four elements it must contain.
Birth certificate, Home Office
Any language is fine, but not in English or Welsh means original plus full certified translation.
Degree certificate, Skilled Worker visa
A fully certified translation from a professional translator or company, independently verifiable.
Qualifications
Recognition bodies have their own rules, and sometimes you need less than you think.
Driving, courts and marriage
Three very different sets of rules, including two where the honest answer is that less is required than most people assume.
Foreign licence, DVLA exchange
Most exchangeable licences need no translation. Japan, Korea and Taiwan are the exceptions.
Foreign documents as court evidence
England and Wales: file the original, file the translation, and the translator certifies it.
Divorce decree, notice of marriage
The stated rule asks only for a translation. The word certified is not in the official wording.
Health professions
The three UK registers each set their own translation mechanics, and they differ more than most people expect.
Medical qualifications, GMC
Complete and accurate translation, plus a photocopy of the original stamped and signed by the translation service.
Nursing qualifications, NMC
Four required elements with every document, or the NMC says it cannot accept it.
Dental qualifications, GDC
A certified, signed translation with stated contents, stricter than most UK regulators.
By country
Where the country your document comes from genuinely changes the answer, it gets its own sourced page.
Documents from Egypt
No apostille exists for Egyptian documents, and none of the organisations we checked asks for one. What applies instead, sourced.
Documents from the UAE
The licence exchange with a verification letter, the free Arabic waiver at ENIC, and the apostille question answered.
Documents from Saudi Arabia
An apostille exists since 2022, but none of the organisations we checked asks for one. What the rules actually require.
Documents from Qatar
No apostille exists for Qatari documents. The translation rules that actually apply, organisation by organisation.
Documents from Kuwait
No apostille exists for Kuwaiti documents. The translation rules that actually apply, organisation by organisation.
Documents from China
An apostille exists since 2023, Chinese is a named free ENIC waiver language, and Hong Kong licences differ from mainland ones.
Documents from India
An apostille has existed since 2005, but none of the organisations we checked asks for one. What the rules actually require.
Documents from Pakistan
Pakistan joined the Apostille Convention, in force since March 2023. What the rules actually require, sourced and dated.
Documents from Turkey
A convention member since 1985, yet the translation is what UK rules actually ask about. Organisation by organisation.
Documents from Bangladesh
Bangladesh joined the Apostille Convention with effect from March 2025, one of the newest members. Sourced and dated.
Documents from Bahrain
A convention member since 2013, and the free Arabic waiver applies at ENIC. What the rules actually require.
Documents from Oman
A convention member since 2012, and the free Arabic waiver applies at ENIC. What the rules actually require.
Documents from Sri Lanka
No apostille exists for Sri Lankan documents. The translation rules that actually apply, organisation by organisation.
Documents from Nigeria
No apostille exists for Nigerian documents. The translation rules that actually apply, organisation by organisation.
Documents from Iraq
No apostille exists for Iraqi documents, and the free Arabic waiver applies at ENIC. What the rules actually require.
Documents from Iran
No apostille exists for Iranian documents. The translation rules that actually apply, organisation by organisation.
Documents from Lebanon
No apostille exists for Lebanese documents, and the free Arabic waiver applies at ENIC. What the rules actually require.
These pages are general information based on the official guidance linked on each page, as it stood on the date shown. They are not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.
Need a certified translation?
Our certified translations carry the exact certification wording UK organisations expect, in 260+ languages, prepared by professional translators.
Get Instant QuoteCertified translations accepted across the UK. No obligation.
