Document Translation for UK Visa and Citizenship Applications
If any of your supporting documents are not in English, you need certified translations for your UK immigration application. Getting this wrong can delay or derail your application. This guide explains exactly what the Home Office requires.
- Section
- Costs, English & General
- Reading time
- 7 min
- Last checked
- 13 February 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Documents not in English or Welsh need the original plus a full translation. Welsh counts.
- The translation must be dated, confirm it is accurate, and carry the translator's full name, signature and contact details.
- For leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, Appendix FM-SE adds a requirement: certification by a qualified translator, with their credentials.
- Appendix FM-SE also requires that the translation can be independently verified by the decision maker.
- There is no published or regulated price for a certified translation, so this entry gives no figure.
Where a specified document is not in English or Welsh, the Immigration Rules require the original plus a full translation. Appendix FM-SE sets out what the translation must contain: it must be dated, confirm that it is an accurate translation, carry the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company, and give their contact details. For an application for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain it must additionally be certified by a qualified translator, with details of their credentials. No fee is published or regulated, so this entry quotes none.
When You Need a Translation
Paragraph A1(j) of Appendix FM-SE of the Immigration Rules: “Where any specified documents provided are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide document in the original language and a full translation that can be independently verified by the Entry Clearance Officer, Immigration Officer or the Secretary of State.”
Two things follow. Welsh is accepted alongside English. And the original has to go in as well as the translation — a translation on its own does not satisfy the rule. Documents that commonly need one:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage or divorce certificates
- Police clearance certificates
- Educational qualifications and transcripts
- Bank statements and financial documents
- Employment references
- Medical records
What Makes a Translation "Certified"
Appendix FM-SE lists what the translation must be and contain. It must be dated, and include:
- confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the document
- the full name and signature of the translator, or of an authorised official of the translation company
- the translator's or translation company's contact details
- and, if the application is for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator's or translation company's credentials
That last line is the one that catches people out. The credentials requirement applies to applications made inside the UK to stay — extensions and settlement — and not to entry clearance applications made from outside it. If you are extending or settling, a translation done by a competent but unqualified person will not meet the rule as written.
GOV.UK's general certifying a document page puts the basic version more simply: ask the translator to confirm in writing on the translation that it is a “true and accurate translation of the original document”, the date of the translation, and their full name and contact details.
Neither source requires the translation to be notarised or apostilled. Neither publishes a list of approved translators.
Finding a Translator
GOV.UK does not maintain or endorse a list, so this entry cannot point you at an official one. What the rule needs is a translator who will put their full name, signature and contact details on the translation, and — for an application to stay in the UK — who is qualified and will state their credentials. Two UK professional bodies for translators maintain public directories of their members: the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Membership of either is not a Home Office requirement; it is one way of evidencing credentials.
Tips for a Smooth Process
- Submit the original alongside the translation — the rule requires both
- Provide high-quality scans or clear photocopies to the translator
- Check that the translation carries all four things Appendix FM-SE requires: the date, the accuracy confirmation, the full name and signature, and the contact details
- Check the translation for accuracy, especially names, dates, and numbers
- If your name appears differently in different documents, note this in your application
Common Documents by Country
Different countries issue documents in different languages. Here are common translation needs:
- Pakistan: Urdu birth certificates and NICs
- Poland: Polish birth certificates (akt urodzenia)
- Philippines: Filipino/Tagalog documents from PSA
- Nigeria: Documents may be in English but local certificates sometimes are not
Costs and Timeframes
No figure is published. Translation is not a government service and not a regulated price. Fees vary by translator, by language, by document length and by turnaround, and any range quoted on a website — including the ranges this entry used to carry — is that site's estimate, not an official one. This entry now gives none, and the honest advice is to get quotes from more than one translator or agency and to allow time before the application deadline. Other costs are in our cost of living entry and our visa fees entry, which do carry published Home Office figures.
Further Resources
For certified document guidance, visit GOV.UK. See also our guides on citizenship requirements, English for citizenship, and the ceremony.
You may also find our UK Visa Fees: Complete Guide andDIY vs Solicitor helpful.
Questions and answers
What is a certified translation?
GOV.UK's 'certifying a document' page says: ask the translator to confirm in writing on the translation that it is a 'true and accurate translation of the original document', the date of the translation, and their full name and contact details. For family applications, Appendix FM-SE of the Immigration Rules is stricter: the translation must be dated and include confirmation that it is an accurate translation, the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company, their contact details, and — if the application is for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain — certification by a qualified translator with details of the translator's or company's credentials.
Who can translate documents for a UK visa application?
The rules describe what the translation must contain rather than who may produce it. Appendix FM-SE requires that the translation can be independently verified by the decision maker, and for applications for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain it requires certification by a qualified translator with details of their credentials — so on those applications a qualified translator is required by the rule itself. GOV.UK does not publish a list of approved translators.
Do all non-English documents need to be translated?
Appendix FM-SE puts it this way: where any specified documents provided are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide the document in the original language and a full translation. Welsh counts as well as English. The original goes with the translation — a translation on its own is not enough.
How much does a certified translation cost?
There is no published or regulated price. Translation is a private service and translators set their own fees, so any range quoted on a website is that site's guess rather than an official figure. This entry gives none. Get quotes from more than one translator or agency.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.