Certified Translation Services UK
Global LTS provides certified translations of official documents for individuals, businesses, and legal professionals across the UK. Whether you need a birth certificate translated for a passport application, a marriage certificate for a visa, or legal documents for court proceedings, every translation comes with a signed Certificate of Accuracy on our letterhead — accepted by the Home Office, UKVI, UK courts, and academic institutions. We translate from 120+ languages and deliver digitally as a certified PDF, with same-day turnaround available.
What is Certified Translation?
A certified translation is a translation of an official document accompanied by a signed statement — known as a Certificate of Accuracy — confirming that the translation is complete, accurate, and produced by a qualified professional translator. In the UK, a certified translation is required whenever an official body such as the Home Office, a UK court, a university, or a professional register needs to rely on a document originally issued in another language.
The Certificate of Accuracy must include: a statement that the translation is true and accurate; the date of the translation; and the translator’s full name and contact details. UK government guidance does not require the translator to be a member of a specific professional body, but the translation must be independently verifiable — meaning the applicant or their family members cannot certify their own translations.
Who needs a certified translation?
Certified translations are required whenever an official body in the UK — or abroad — needs to rely on a foreign-language document. The most common situations are:
Immigration and visa applications
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires a certified translation for every foreign-language document submitted with a visa, settlement, or naturalisation application. This includes birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial documents, academic qualifications, and criminal record certificates. See our detailed guide to certified translation for UKVI applications: https://www.global-lts.com/certified-translation-for-ukvi-what-you-need-and-why-it-matters/).
Legal proceedings
UK courts, solicitors, and legal professionals require certified translations of contracts, court orders, powers of attorney, witness statements, and other foreign-language legal documents. The translation must be complete and accompanied by a signed Certificate of Accuracy to be admissible.
Academic applications
Universities, professional bodies, and awarding organisations require certified translations of academic certificates, degree transcripts, and professional qualifications obtained outside the UK. This applies to UCAS applications, postgraduate admissions, and professional registration (for example, with the NMC or GMC).
Business and regulatory use
Companies operating across borders require certified translations of contracts, company registration documents, financial statements, regulatory filings, and compliance documentation. Many regulatory authorities, banks, and government departments will not accept uncertified translations of official documents.
Use abroad
For documents intended for use outside the UK — property transactions, legal proceedings, or official applications in another country — a notarised or apostille translation is typically required rather than a standard certified translation.
Types of Documents Typically Used for Certified Translations
We provide UK certified translations of official original documents including:
- Legal documents (judgements and verdicts etc.)
- Academic certificates, degree certificates, and grade transcripts.
- Written statement.
- Medical reports.
- Court documents
- Administrative documents, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, and death certificates.
- Personal documents including criminal records, references, and contracts.
- Business documents including contracts, T&Cs, non-disclosure agreements.
- Notarial deeds (such as house deeds).
If you have any other documents which require certification, please get in touch with our friendly service team for a free quote.
What Are The Types Of Certified Translations?
Different countries have different approaches to certified translations, but we have the knowledge and expertise to fulfil your translation requirements.
In the UK, the translated document can be certified or notarised and outside of the UK, especially in Europe, official translations need to be done by sworn authorised translators.
UK Certified Translation
The UK Government provide the certification guidelines on their website which outline what Home Office approved translators need to deliver with the translated documents.
Documents translated by translation companies need to come with an official document confirming that the translation matches the original document, it is a true and accurate translation, and the date when the translation was done.
With our document translations, you’ll be provided with an officially recognised Certificate of Accuracy on our letterhead as outlined in the certification regulations.
This Certificate confirms that we guarantee that your original document was translated by a professional translator and that it is an accurate translation of the original text.
Notarised Translation UK
Notarised translations follow an official procedure – they must be overseen by a notary public.
The notary public will provide their stamp and signature with the notarised signature stamp for translation.
The key part for the notary public is not the quality of the notarised translation document, it is the identity of the translator or the translation companies so that they can be held accountable if necessary.
The notary public signature and stamp will certify that the official translators swore the accuracy of the translation and that their identity as official translator was confirmed.
The notarised translation is accepted by legal entities abroad, as the government appointee, the notary public, has certified this document.
Apostille
An apostille-certified translation is required when a UK document — or a translation of a foreign document — needs to be recognised by another country. The apostille is a certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that authenticates the document for use in countries that are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention. Over 120 countries recognise apostille certificates, including all EU member states, the US, Australia, and most of South America.
When is an apostille translation required?
Property purchases or sales in another country
Marriage abroad where the foreign registry requires authenticated documents
Foreign court proceedings or legal disputes
Academic applications to universities in certain countries
Business registration or regulatory filings in another jurisdiction
The apostille process: The document is first translated by a qualified translator and accompanied by a Certificate of Accuracy. The translation is then signed before a notary public, and the notarised document is submitted to the FCDO for the apostille stamp. Standard FCDO turnaround is currently 4–6 weeks; a premium same-day service is available at additional cost.
Global LTS manages the full apostille process — translation, notarisation, and FCDO submission — as a single service. Contact us for a quote.
Sworn Translation
This differs from certified professional translations, in that the translator will have been awarded a degree in translation and/or passed a specific exam to be able to provide legalised translation.
The accreditation process depends on the country – in Spain, linguists are accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. However, in France and Germany, the courts accredit French translators and German translators respectively, with linguists in Italy being accredited by either consulates or courts.
Sworn translations will have the signature and seal of the sworn translator including their contact details.
Sworn translations are not recognised in the UK, and are usually requested by European countries.
Certified Translation for UK Visa and Immigration Applications
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that any document not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation when submitted as part of a visa or immigration application. This applies to all visa types, including spouse visas, family visas, student visas, skilled worker visas, and naturalisation applications.
UKVI does not require notarised translations for most applications. A certified translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy from a professional translation agency is sufficient for Home Office submissions. This is a common point of confusion that leads many applicants to spend more than necessary.
Documents commonly required for UK visa and immigration applications:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage and civil partnership certificates
- Divorce decrees
- Academic certificates and degree transcripts
- Criminal record certificates
- Bank statements and financial documents
- Employment letters and payslips
- Proof of address documents
- Sponsor documents and letters of support
- Medical records and reports
All Global LTS certified translations for UKVI include a signed Certificate of Accuracy on our company letterhead, confirming the translation is complete and accurate. Our translations follow UK Government certification guidelines and are accepted by the Home Office, UKVI, and UK courts. For a full breakdown of document requirements by visa route and common reasons for refusal, read our guide to certified translation for UKVI applications.
Certified Translation of Certificates
Personal certificates are among the most frequently requested certified translation documents. Whether you need a birth certificate translated for a passport application, a marriage certificate for a visa, or academic qualifications recognised by a UK university or professional body, the translation must be certified and accompanied by a signed statement of accuracy. If your certificates are needed for a UK visa or immigration application, see our guide to certified translation for UKVI for the exact Home Office requirements.
Common certificates we translate:
- Birth certificates – for passport applications, UK entry, and citizenship
- Marriage certificates – for spouse visas, name changes, and legal proceedings
- Death certificates – for probate, inheritance, and legal purposes
- Academic certificates and diplomas – for university admissions and professional registration
- Degree transcripts – for postgraduate applications and professional bodies
- Criminal record certificates – for DBS checks, employment, and immigration
We translate certificates from 120+ languages into English and vice versa. Each translation includes a free Certificate of Accuracy and is delivered digitally as a PDF, with a physical copy available on request. Standard turnaround is 2-3 working days, with same-day delivery available for urgent requests.
How Our Certified Translation Service Works
Step 1 — Send your document Email or upload a clear scan or photo of your original document. We accept PDFs, JPEGs, and Word files.
Step 2 — Receive a quote We confirm the language, page count, and turnaround time. Standard delivery is 2–3 working days. Same-day delivery is available for urgent requests.
Step 3 — Translation and quality review A native-speaking translator with subject matter expertise translates your document. A second linguist reviews the output for accuracy and completeness.
Step 4 — Certified delivery You receive a certified PDF translation with our signed Certificate of Accuracy on Global LTS letterhead. A physical copy can be posted on request.
Benefits of using Global LTS for certified translation
Here at Global LTS, we don’t just provide certified translations that are accurate and fast, but also well-priced.
Our translation company has solutions developed through many years of experience, which can assist our clients and their businesses in achieving their full potential and in turn reaching their potential clients.
All our services are provided by native linguists and interpreters. We don’t use machine translation. This means our clients receive top-quality translations, all localised for their specific markets.
All our certified translations are available online. Send your document by email, receive your certified translation as a PDF — no need to post originals. Physical copies are available by post on request.
Access to sworn translators
Our network of 3,000 qualified professional translators covers more than 120 languages.
Within this network, we have sworn translators in any foreign country you might need who provide legalised translation in their countries.
Professional translation into over 120 languages
Our network of translators allows us to cover 120 languages. The most requested languages are from our clients include:
German translation
French translation
Spanish translation
Italian translation
Dutch translation
Danish translation
Arabic translation
Polish translation
Portuguese translation
Swedish translation
We also cover the top most spoken languages in the world including:
Mandarin
Hindi
Bengali
Russian
Japanese
Vietnamese
Urdu
We can handle multilingual projects. Some of our clients translate their documents into tens of languages on every project. For instance, one of our medical device translation clients requires the following 32 languages:
Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish.
High-quality standard of certified translation services
Global LTS is an ISO-certified translation services provider based in the UK.
We have carried out business for individuals and organisations from across the globe, providing them with fully certified translations in UK and around the world.
Human translations provided by native speakers
Our linguists are all fully qualified professional translators. They will be more than just native speakers, they will understand your business. Thanks to our large network of linguists, we will have access to specialists in your industry.
Our certified translators have at least five years of translation industry experience, they also specialise in certified translations for technical translation, medical translation, manufacturing translation and legal translation.
Cultural understanding and a local approach
Translation isn’t just about translating documents word for word.
Here at Global LTS, we understand that sometimes a message or theme works in one language, but doesn’t translate into another in the same way.
Our team will find ways to convey the same meaning from one language to another while also respecting cultural differences.
For instance, our Spanish translation services team will know exactly which phrases to use for the Spain markets and which phrases to use in Latin American translations.
This means going beyond mere language fluency and taking into account how various cultures interpret certain words or phrases differently.
In addition, our certified translators have the local knowledge and understand the in-country requirements for legalised translation.
Free Certificate of Accuracy
Our certified translation services include a certifying letter within our costs which is signed by one of our directors.
You can use this certificate to accompany translations of your birth certificate, passport application to the UK passport office, or generally speaking for any other official purposes.
Here is an example of the Certificate:
Certified Translation Pricing
Our certified translation pricing is straightforward and transparent.
- Certified translation (per page, up to 250 words) – £65 + VAT – 2-3 working days
- Same-day certified translation – contact us for a quote
- Notarised translation – contact us for a quote – 3-5 working days
- Apostille translation – contact us for a quote
All certified translations include a free Certificate of Accuracy signed by one of our directors. For documents longer than one page or projects requiring multiple languages, contact us for a tailored quote.
Conclusion
At Global LTS, we provide efficient and reliable certified translation services that you can trust. Our network of over 3,000 qualified professional translators covers more than 120 languages and includes sworn translators who are capable of providing legalised and accurate translations in any country.
We deliver certified translation service for Spanish to English UK work regularly, so get in touch if you need the certified Spanish translation service or any other of the 120 languages we provide.
All our document translation services are translated by native speakers with at least five years of experience in the industry and a deep understanding of cultural nuances to ensure accuracy.
We also include a free Certificate of Accuracy signed by one of our directors and all notarised translations are delivered with a public notary signature.
We’ll offer you a competitive price, with fast turnaround times and an accurate, and high-quality translation.
We have over a decade of experience in the industry and can certify all our translations for use in the UK or abroad.
Our translations are accurate and conform to all the necessary requirements. We also offer friendly customer service, so you can be sure that you’re getting the best possible service, and you won’t be overpaying as might be the case with a London certified translation company.
With these benefits combined, Global LTS is your go-to source for efficient service and accurate certified translations!
Contact us today for a free consultation!
Certified Translation Case Studies
Category: Medical Translation
Description: Written Translation
Client: Interact Medical
Size of project: Ongoing translation – weekly projects
Interact Medical are one of the leading medical locum agencies. They specialise fulfilment of doctor jobs, nursing agency jobs and all other healthcare locums.
The translation for this client includes translation of education certificates, proofs of residence, diplomas and certificates. Every single translated document is accompanied with our Certificate of Accuracy.
Category: Legal Translation
Description: Written Translation
Client: Woodfines Solicitors
Size of project: Legal Statement
Woodfines is a firm of solicitors based in Bedford, Cambridge, and Milton Keynes, providing legal services for both commercial businesses and individuals.
The client required Arabic to English translation of a legal statement. Our translation was provided with the Certificate of Accuracy.
