Certified Translation Services in the UK

In the UK, a certified translation is a translation accompanied by a signed Statement of Truth from a qualified translator or accredited agency, confirming it is a true and accurate translation. This is what UK courts, registry offices, universities, HMRC, banks and employers accept by default.

A notarised translation adds a notary public's signature confirming the identity of the translator who signed the certificate. UK use rarely needs this - it is mainly required when documents are intended for use abroad in countries that demand notarisation.

An apostille translation adds a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) apostille stamp under the Hague Convention, recognising the document for use in another Hague Convention country. Apostilles are applied to the notary's signature, not the translation itself.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no sworn-translator register the way civil-law countries (Spain, France, Italy, Germany) maintain: the signed Statement of Truth from a qualified translator or accredited agency is the UK standard. Where a destination country requires a sworn translation, we arrange it through a partner sworn translator registered in that country.

If you are not sure which you need, see our certified vs notarised guide, or send us the receiving body's requirement letter and we will tell you.

Yes. UK Register Offices, the General Register Office (GRO) and the Marriage Registrar service routinely accept our certified translations of foreign birth certificates, divorce decrees and civil-status documents for marriage, civil partnership and conversion appointments. We include the format the Register Office expects: source attached to translation, signed certification letter, our seal and ITI corporate member reference.

You can - the same certified translation is accepted across all UK government bodies - but our visa-specific and Home Office-specific pages explain the extra requirements those applications often have (specific document combinations, originals vs copies, when to send hard copies, etc.). See UKVI translation requirements for visa applications and Home Office certified translation for asylum, settlement and family applications.

No - a certified translation does not have an expiry date. The certification confirms the translation was accurate at the time it was made. Some receiving bodies do ask for a recently issued translation (commonly within the last 6 or 12 months), so if your translation is several years old, check the receiving organisation's current requirements before reusing it. The underlying document's own validity (for example a police check) is separate from the translation's.