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.

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.

No. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not have a sworn-translator system. A signed Statement of Truth from a qualified translator or accredited agency is the UK standard. The "sworn translation" requirement comes from civil-law countries (Spain, France, Italy, Germany, etc.) - we can arrange that format separately when a document needs to be used in those countries.

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.

For orders placed early on a weekday we can return same-day PDF. Our standard turnaround is 24 to 48 hours. For court-deadline work we can arrange evening and weekend translators by prior arrangement; ring our Cardiff office on 029 2008 0010 or email info@lingoservice.com for true emergencies.

You get both, if you want both. The PDF is the same legal status as the hard copy - UK courts and registry offices accept either since 2020. Most clients choose PDF only (instant, free, accepted everywhere). For international use or when an original is preferred, a courier-delivered hard copy is available; the delivery cost is shown at checkout.

Yes. UK universities and Ecctis (the official UK body for international qualification recognition, formerly UK NARIC) accept our certified translations of foreign diplomas, degree certificates, academic transcripts and language qualifications. We follow the Ecctis format - source attached, signed certification letter and our seal.

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.

Every certified translation we issue includes a single combined PDF containing: (1) the source document scanned in full, (2) the translation laid out to mirror the source, (3) a Certificate of Translation Accuracy on Lingo Service letterhead, signed and dated by your project manager, confirming the translation is true and accurate, with our company name and Cardiff registered office, our ITI corporate member reference, and our ISO 17100 accreditation reference. See the sample image on this page for the exact format.

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.

The UK has no state register of "sworn" translators, but UKVI, courts and universities expect certification from a professional translator or an accredited translation company that takes legal responsibility for accuracy - not from the applicant, a relative, or a friend, even if fluent. Self-certified or family-certified translations are routinely rejected. Every Lingo Service certificate carries our ITI corporate member reference and ISO 17100 accreditation, which is exactly the proof receiving bodies look for.