How Much Does Translation Cost in the UK?
Translation pricing can seem confusing, but it follows simple rules. This guide breaks down exactly what you'll pay for professional translation services in the UK in 2026, with real prices based on our transparent pricing structure.
Definition
Translation pricing in the UK is based on either per-word rates (£0.07-£0.18/word depending on language and service) or fixed fees (£35 for certificates). The main factors affecting cost are language rarity, urgency, and specialist content requirements.
TL;DR
UK translation costs £0.07-£0.18 per word for documents, or £35 fixed fee for certificates. Common languages (French, Spanish, German) are cheapest. Rare languages (Pashto, Tigrinya) cost more. Urgency adds 25-100%. All prices exclude 20% VAT.
Key Facts
Per-Word Pricing Explained
Per-word pricing is the global standard for translation services. You pay based on the word count of your source document (the original), not the translation.
Why per-word? It's fair and transparent. A 100-word letter costs less than a 10,000-word manual. You only pay for what you need.
2026 Per-Word Rates by Language
Tier 1 (£0.07-£0.10/word): French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Tier 2 (£0.09-£0.12/word): Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Greek, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Finnish
Tier 3 (£0.12-£0.15/word): Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil
Tier 4 (£0.14-£0.18/word): Pashto, Dari, Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali, Kurdish, Farsi, Burmese, Khmer, rare African languages
Certificate Translation Pricing
Single-page documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, and driving licences use fixed pricing regardless of word count:
- First certificate: £35 (includes certification)
- Additional certificates: £25 each (volume discount)
This fixed fee covers translation, certification, and digital delivery. No hidden extras.
Why fixed pricing? Certificates have relatively few words but require the same certification process. Per-word pricing would be unfair for these short documents.
What Affects Your Final Price?
Several factors influence your translation cost:
- Language: Rare languages cost more due to limited translator availability
- Service type: AI-assisted (Standard) is 30% cheaper than human-only (Premium)
- Urgency: Same-day adds 100%, 24-hour adds 50%, 48-hour adds 25%
- Specialisation: Legal, medical, and technical content adds 20-30%
- Language direction: Non-English pairs (e.g., French>Arabic) add 20%
What's included: Translation, quality assurance, certification (where applicable), and digital delivery. No hidden project management fees or handling charges.
Comparing UK Translation Prices
How do our prices compare to the UK market?
Average UK market rates (2026):
- Standard translation: £0.10-£0.15/word
- Certified translation: £0.12-£0.18/word
- Specialist (legal/medical): £0.15-£0.25/word
- Certificate fixed fee: £30-£60/document
Our rates are competitive because we use technology efficiently (AI-assisted translation where appropriate) while maintaining quality through human expert review.
Warning signs of overpriced services:
- Project management fees added on top
- Per-page rather than per-word pricing (pages vary hugely)
- Mandatory notarisation when not required
- Hidden urgency fees not disclosed upfront
When to Choose Standard vs Premium
Standard (AI + Human Review) - £0.07-£0.12/word
Best for: Business documents, technical manuals, website content, internal communications, marketing materials, user guides.
How it works: AI translation creates a draft, then professional human linguists review and refine for accuracy and natural flow.
Premium (Human Only) - £0.10-£0.18/word
Best for: Legal contracts, court documents, medical records, creative content, patent applications, official submissions.
How it works: Experienced human translators work from scratch without AI assistance. Essential when errors carry legal or medical consequences.
Key insight: Standard quality is excellent for most purposes. Save Premium for content where the highest level of nuance matters or where it's legally required (certified translations).
Volume Discounts and Repeat Customers
Larger projects and regular customers benefit from better rates:
- Volume discount: Projects over 5,000 words get 10-20% off
- Repetition discount: Repeated content (common in manuals) charged at 30% rate
- Agency rates: Translation agencies and resellers get preferential pricing
- Contract rates: Regular customers can lock in rates with monthly agreements
Contact us for custom pricing on ongoing or large-volume work.
Cost Factors Explained
Source Word Count
Pricing is based on your original document's word count, not the translation. This is the global standard.
Language Tier System
Common languages (Tier 1) cost less than rare languages (Tier 4) due to translator availability and specialisation.
Urgency Surcharges
Same-day doubles the price. 24-hour adds 50%. Plan ahead for best rates - standard delivery is 2-3 days.
Certification Included
Certificate pricing (£35) includes full certification. No extra charge for the signed statement.
VAT Applies
All prices exclude 20% VAT for UK customers. VAT-registered businesses can reclaim.
No Hidden Fees
Your quote is your final price. No project management fees, handling charges, or surprise extras.
UK Translation Pricing 2026
Current rates for professional translation services
| Service Type | Price | Languages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (AI + Human) | £0.07-£0.12/word | All languages | Business documents, manuals, websites |
| Premium (Human Only) | £0.10-£0.18/word | All languages | Legal, medical, creative content |
| Certificate Translation | £35/document | All languages | Birth, marriage, diplomas, IDs |
| Additional Certificates | £25/document | All languages | Multiple certificates together |
| Notarisation | +£180 | All languages | International legal use only |
| Same-Day Urgency | +100% | All languages | Urgent applications |
All prices exclude 20% VAT. Prices current as of January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
UK translation costs £0.07-£0.18 per word depending on language and service type. Common languages (French, Spanish, German) are £0.07-£0.10/word. Rare languages (Pashto, Tigrinya) are £0.14-£0.18/word. AI-assisted is cheaper than human-only translation.
Certified translation of certificates and single-page documents costs £35 per document (fixed fee). Multi-page documents use per-word pricing (£0.10-£0.18/word) plus certification. Additional certificates in the same order cost £25 each.
Rare language translators are harder to find, require specialist recruitment, and command higher rates. This reflects genuine market conditions. A Tigrinya translator is rarer than a Spanish translator.
Yes. Minimum orders range from £15-45 depending on service type and language tier. This covers fixed costs of project setup, quality assurance, and certification regardless of document length.
Urgency surcharges: Same-day (6 hours) adds 100%. 24-hour delivery adds 50%. 48-hour delivery adds 25%. Standard delivery (2-3 days) has no surcharge. Plan ahead for best prices.
Not for UK domestic use. UKVI, universities, DVLA, and UK courts accept certified translation without notarisation. Notarisation (£180+) is only needed for international legal use. Don't pay for it unless specifically required.
Word count is calculated from your source document (original), not the translation. Our system extracts the exact count from uploaded documents. Different languages expand or contract during translation, but you pay for source words.
Yes. Projects over 5,000 words get 10-20% discount. Repetitive content (common in manuals) is charged at 30% rate. Regular customers and agencies can negotiate contract rates.
Our prices include translation, quality assurance, certification (where applicable), and digital delivery. No hidden project management fees or handling charges. Physical postage is optional and priced separately.
Upload your actual documents to our quote system. It extracts the exact word count and calculates pricing based on your language pair and service requirements. Instant quotes are accurate - what you see is what you pay.
Have more questions? Contact us
Get Your Exact Price Now
Upload your documents for an instant, accurate quote. See exactly what you'll pay before committing - no obligation.
