UK Certified Translation: Document Checklist for a Successful Visa Application
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Applying for a UK visa might seem daunting and confusing, especially if your first language isn’t English. There are various supporting documents to provide as part of your application, all of which should be provided in either Welsh or English.
If your documents are issued in a language other than the above, however, you’ll need to translate and certify them with a UK certified translation service. Only then can you ensure that the translation is accurate and that it meets the UK Home Office’s translation requirements.
In this article, you will gain a thorough understanding of what a UK certified translation is and the document types that might require an official translation, whatever your chosen visa application.
The Home Office certified translation requirements
You might be wondering, what makes a translation UK certified in the first place? Can’t you just translate your visa documents yourself? The reality is that translating your documents for official purposes is not a simple matter. That’s because for a translation to be certified and officially approved in the UK, it needs to meet the Home Office’s certified translation requirements.
Essentially, the translation should include the certified translator’s confirmation validating the document’s authenticity and accuracy against the original. The certified translation will also include the translator’s information, including their full name, signature, and contact details. This information is added to the document in the form of a legal fastening and/or embossed seal to ensure that the document’s contents won’t be tampered with.
Supportive documents that require a UK certified translation
If you are from the US, the EU, the EAA, or certain commonwealth countries and are visiting the UK for a period of 6 months or less, you might not need to apply for a UK visa at all. To find out if that’s the case for you, you can conduct a visa check through the official UK government website.
If you do require a UK visa, there’s an abundance of options available to suit a range of different purposes. Some of those include work visas, business visas, study visas, visitor visas, family visas, settlement visas, and transit visas. All in all, your choice will depend on where you are coming from, the purpose behind your UK visit, the stay’s duration, your individual skills and circumstances, and whether you fit the specified criteria for the visa in question.
In the end, whether you’re coming to the UK to simply visit family and friends, marry, work, study a university course, or undergo medical treatment, below are some of the most basic documents you might need UK certified translations for:
Work and study letters
In your online UK visa application, you’ll be asked to provide details underlying the reasons for the visit and what you plan to do during your stay. If you’re visiting the UK to work or study for example, it’s expected that you present a letter from your employer that outlines the details of your position, salary, and tenure, or a letter from your educational institution confirming your enrolment and authorized leave, respectively. These will have to be translated by a certified translator.
Financial statements
What’s more, you’ll also need to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support yourself and other dependents financially for the entire duration of your stay. Similarly, if you’ll be supported by someone else, such as a friend or relative, you’ll be required to provide evidence of that. Whatever the situation, your application will need to be accompanied by a translated bank statement.
Medical documents
For anyone traveling to the UK in order to receive medical treatment at a private or NHS hospital, you must submit the appropriate translated medical documents, such as medical reports, diagnosis records, treatment plans, or letters from medical professionals, confirming your need for private treatment in the UK.Divorce, death certificates, and affidavits
If you’re moving to the UK for marriage, but you or your partner have been previously divorced or widowed, it’s necessary to translate all the relevant divorce and death certificates and associated legal declarations or affidavits.
Birth certificates, legal documents, and consent forms
For applicants who are under the age of 18, there are some extra documents requiring certified translation and submission. Most importantly, the applicant must include a parental or guardian consent form establishing that the minor is allowed to travel overseas, as well as a birth certificate or legal document (e.g., an adoption certificate) verifying the minor’s relationship to their parent or guardian.
UK certified translation services
To guarantee the quality and validity of your UK certified translations, it’s recommended that you use a professional translation service. That way, you can maximise the prospects of a successful outcome with your visa application.
By entrusting your official documents with Pangea Global, you can rest assured that your translations will receive an official UK approval. As legal experts and certified translators in over 75+ languages, we’ve translated thousands of official documents for our customers to support their professional, marriage, academic, and legal applications.
With our UK certified translation services, your translated documents will be ready in as little as 24 hours, allowing you to stay on top of your UK visa application. Plus, our prices are impossible to beat, so you can spend less money on translation and more during your stay in the UK!
Sounds good? Get in touch today!
