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How to Get Certified Translation of Official Documents to English for the UKVI

How get certified translation of official documents for the UKVI

What is Required for Submission to the UKVI

When applying for a UK visa or immigration status, applicants are often required to submit official documents issued outside the United Kingdom. If these documents are in Portuguese, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires them to be translated into English and certified before they can be accepted. This requirement applies regardless of the visa type and affects a wide range of documents, including civil records, legal certificates, financial statements, and academic documents.

Understanding how certified Portuguese-to-English translations work—and how to obtain them correctly—is essential to avoid delays, refusals, or requests for additional evidence. How to get certified translation of official documents to English for thre UKVI.


certified translation of documents for UKVI


What documents usually require certified translation for UKVI

In Anna’s case, the documents were typical for a UKVI application. The most commonly requested official documents include:

  • Birth certificates

  • Marriage or divorce certificates

  • Passports (internal or foreign)

  • Police clearance certificates

  • Academic transcripts and diplomas

  • Employment letters and contracts

  • Bank statements

  • Court decisions or legal records

  • Name change deeds

UKVI requires every document not in English or Welsh to be accompanied by a certified English translation. Submitting unofficial or self-translated documents is one of the most common reasons for application delays or refusals.


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How these documents are used in real UKVI applications

Each translated document serves a specific purpose:

  • Birth certificates establish identity and family relationships

  • Marriage certificates prove eligibility for spouse or family visas

  • Police certificates demonstrate good character

  • Passports confirm nationality and travel history

  • Educational documents support student or Skilled Worker visas

  • Employment and financial documents prove income thresholds

Home Office caseworker would rely entirely on the translated versions. They do not read original document. This makes accuracy, formatting, and certification non-negotiable. Translation of documents.


What we do as a translation company when we receive a UKVI request

Once Anna’s documents were received, our process followed a strict internal checklist designed specifically for UKVI compliance.


1. Document review and eligibility check

We first checked:

  • Whether documents were complete and legible

  • Whether any stamps, handwritten notes, or seals were present

  • Whether transliteration of names matched across documents

This step is critical. Even a mismatch between “Anna Ivanova” and “Anna Ivanoffa” can raise questions.


2. Assigning the right qualified translator

UKVI does not accept casual translations. We assigned the project to a qualified Russian-to-English legal translator with experience in UK immigration documents.

The translator ensured:

  • Correct legal terminology

  • Accurate rendering of official titles and issuing authorities

  • Faithful reproduction of formatting, dates, and references


3. Certification according to UKVI requirements

Each translated document was accompanied by a certification statement confirming:

  • That the translation is accurate and complete

  • The translator’s name and qualifications

  • The date of translation

  • Contact details of the translation company

This is exactly what UKVI specifies in its official guidance.


4. Quality control and consistency checks

Before delivery, we cross-checked:

  • Names across all documents

  • Dates and places of issue

  • Terminology consistency

Only after this final review were the translations delivered.


How to Get Certified Translation of Official Documents to English for the UKVI.

A certified translation tells the Home Office:

  • Who translated the document

  • That the translator is qualified

  • That the translation can be relied upon

Uncertified translations, machine translations, or translations without a declaration are routinely rejected.


Languages most frequently requested for UKVI certified translation

Based on our daily workload, the most common source languages for UKVI translations are:

Eastern European and CIS languages remain particularly common due to family and work migration routes.


Who usually requests certified translations for UKVI

Our clients include:

  • Individuals applying for visas themselves

  • Immigration solicitors and law firms

  • Employers sponsoring Skilled Worker visas

  • Universities supporting international students

  • Families applying for dependent or settlement visas

Clients work directly with us. Their solicitors review the translations before submission.


Who is authorised to translate and certify UKVI documents

UKVI does not require sworn translators, but it does require qualified and professional translators or translation agencies.

Acceptable providers include:

  • Professional translation agencies

  • Qualified freelance translators with verifiable credentials

  • Agencies that issue certification statements

The translator must be independent and competent. Self-translations or translations by relatives are not accepted.


Pricing: how much does UKVI certified translation cost?

For standard UKVI documents, our pricing structure is transparent:

  • £25 per page

  • One page = up to 250 words

  • Certification included

  • Digital delivery included

Complex documents, handwritten records, or urgent same-day requests may vary slightly, but most visa documents fall into this standard rate.


Why people choose professional translation agencies

Clients like Anna usually tell us the same thing after submission:

“I didn’t want to risk my application.”

Professional agencies offer:

  • Experience with UKVI standards

  • Familiarity with Home Office expectations

  • Proper certification wording

  • Accountability if questions arise

When immigration status, family reunification, or employment depends on documents, reliability matters more than saving a few pounds.


Certified translation for UKVI is not just a formality. It is a technical, legal service that supports life-changing decisions.

When done correctly, it disappears into the background. When done poorly, it becomes the reason an application fails.

A professional translation company’s role is simple but serious:

  • Understand UKVI requirements

  • Translate accurately

  • Certify properly

  • Deliver on time

That is how real cases are handled, every day.



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