UK certification rules for translated documents
FAQs on UK Certification Rules for documents to be translated, certified and used within the UK
Explore the following FAQs for comprehensive information on UK certification rules for translated documents. If you need an English-German UK-based translator, contact me, Erika Baker. I am a long-term member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, experienced in providing self-certified translations of official documents, and well-versed in UK certification rules.
Finding UK translator familiar with local certification rules
For English-German or German to English certified translations, please get in touch with me. If you have different language requirements, I am part of a large network of translators, ask, and I’ll probably be able to recommend a UK-based colleague.
You can also search the Chartered Institute of Linguists’ database Find-A-Linguist. Please be aware that associate members cannot provide certified translations.
I am a long-term member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, as such, I am permitted to provide self-certify translations of official documents. Due to years of experience in this area, I am very familiar with UK certification rules.
British Home Office’s requirements for certified translations
The Home Office accepts self-certified translations provided by a UK-based translator under the following conditions:
- The translator is a member of an official professional organisation such as the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) or the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIoL).
- The translator works for a company that belongs to the Association of Translation Companies.
I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, therefore government agencies have always accepted my translations.
The Home Office also accepts sworn translations from other countries, provided that:
An official translation prepared overseas may be accepted provided the examiner is satisfied that the translator is a member of an official body in their
own country, or where the translation has been certified as a true copy by the relevant Foreign Embassy.
Home Office guidance for translations connected to visa applications states:
If you need to certify a translation of a document that’s not written in English or Welsh, ask the translation company to confirm in writing on the translation:
- If you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office. Each translation must contain:
- confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
- the date of translation
- the translator’s full name and signature
- the translator’s contact details
Home Office guidance for the translation of documents to be submitted for passport applications reads:
The passport document pages on the Home Office website simply state “If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you need to send a certified translation.”, referring the reader back to the requirements listed above under “visa applications”.
Full information on translations accepted by the Home Office can be found on page 48 in this pdf file.
Acceptance of sworn translations from other countries
The Home Office accepts official translations prepared overseas if the translator is a member of an official body in their own country or if the translation is certified as a true copy by the relevant Foreign Embassy.
Certifying a translation created by another translator
In the UK, certifying translations generated by a third translator seems to be a complex area. The Home Office accepts translations that are attached to the original document, provided by a member of a recognized professional organization, and signed and stamped by a translator. However, the exact definition of “the translator” remains unclear.
The case against
The Home Office website states with regard to visa applications:
If you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office. Each translation must contain:
- confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
- the date of translation
- the translator’s full name and signature
- the translator’s contact details
On the page for passport applications it simply says “If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you need to send a certified translation.”
The link to the “certified translation” page of the document takes you to a section that includes:
Certifying a translation
If you need to certify a translation of a document that’s not written in English or Welsh, ask the translation company to confirm in writing on the translation:
- that it’s a ‘true and accurate translation of the original document’
- the date of the translation
- the full name and contact details of the translator or a representative of the translation company
These links suggest that the Home Office will not accept certified translations whereby the certifying professional translator merely acts as a proofreader.
In any case, the name and contact information of the original translator must be known, as well as the date the translation was done.
This would mean that I could work together with a colleague and certify both our translations with the same certification page. I am not sure that it could refer to an anonymous translation done by an unidentified translator some time in the past.
Conclusion
I would strongly recommend that anyone who would like an existing translation to be certified by another professional translator should first check with whoever has requested the certified translation whether this is acceptable.
Understanding “Certificate of Accuracy”
After translating an official document, translators provide a certificate of accuracy, confirming that the translation was done to the best of their knowledge and ability. In the UK, translations accompanied by this declaration are considered “certified translations.”
Who can provide a certificate of accuracy?
In England and Wales, authorities tend to accept certified UK translations accompanied by a certificate of accuracy when translators who are members of professional bodies have provided them. The two most important professional bodies for UK translators are the Chartered Institute of Linguists or the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
Qualified translators can self-certify their own translations. Translation agencies who are members of the relevant professional bodies can also provide certificates of accuracy for translations carried out on their behalf.
However, a system of sworn translators as used in Germany and Austria does not exist in the UK.
Are there “publicly appointed and sworn translators” in the UK?
No. Sworn translators only exist in countries that follow Roman Law, they don’t exist in countries that follow Common Law like Britain.
However, countries such as Germany and Austria, which have civil law systems, have sworn translators. You cannot obtain a “sworn translation” in the UK, but you can obtain a certified translation that has been countersigned by a solicitor, or a notarised translation.
Check with the authorities involved what level of certification is required for your particular translation.
How are certificates translated?
Translators have to translate absolutely everything that’s translatable and transcribe everything they cannot translate (such as reference numbers) on official certificates. When translating official documents, translators must not “correct” certificates, even if there are “obvious” spelling mistakes. Translators can only transfer what’s there on the original document. If the certificate is inaccurate in any way, only the office that issued the certificate may be able to amend the details, not the translator.
When it comes to divorce decrees, the UK authorities will be looking for the equivalent to the British “decree absolute”. To give you an example, in Germany the appropriate document is the divorce decree (Scheidungsurteil). This contains a rubber stamp which states on which date the decree becomes final. The wording to look out for is: “rechtskräftig ab dem…”
To obtain verification of a translation’s accuracy, various options are available depending on specific stipulations by the authorities/employers involved. Options Certificate of accuracy signed by a professional (freelance or staff) translator
- Certification provided by a translation agency official
- Certification of accuracy signed by the translator and countersigned by a solicitor
- Certificate of accuracy signed in the presence of a notary (notarised certification)
- Certification supplied by the applicant’s embassy/consulate
Can freelance UK translators supply certified translations for a German authority?
Generally speaking, German courts only accept certified translations of foreign documents that were undertaken by a sworn translator. This is a translator who is resident in Germany and registered and “sworn in” at a German court. German authorities do not usually accept certificates of accuracy signed in the UK, no matter how qualified the translator.
However, if you live in the UK and need to submit a certified translation to the German Embassy, you can use a translator from the UK. This translator has to be qualified and a member of a professional institute.
Always check with the Embassy first.
Can a UK-based freelance translator call themselves a “certified translator”?
In the UK no one has the right to call themselves “certified translator”. However, British authorities tend to accept certifications by qualified, experienced professional translators who are member of at least one relevant professional body, such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
What does “self-certification” mean?
Legally, anyone based in the UK can “self-certify” the translation they carried out. However, the Home Office and most other official bodies only accept translations by members of a professional body for translators, either the Institute of Translation and Interpreting or the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Alternatively, they must be in the employ of a translation company which is a member of the Association of Translation Companies.
The ITI (Institute of Translation & Interpreting) provides its members with a seal or sticker which translators attach to a translation. This proves their membership to the Institute. In turn, membership proves professional qualification.
The Chartered Institute of Linguists allows members to use a members’ logo for certification purposes.
Conclusion:
Before certifying an existing translation by another professional translator, it is essential to check with the requesting authority to ensure acceptance. UK certification rules require compliance with specific criteria to ensure accurate and legitimate certified translations