What is a certified translation? Certified, notarised and apostilled explained

Birth certificates, degree transcripts, bank statements, police records: when a document in one language has to be accepted by an authority in another, the request is almost always for a “certified translation”. Yet the term means different things in different countries, and in the UK it has no single legal definition. This guide explains what a certified translation is in the UK, what the authorities ask for, and how it differs from notarised and sworn translations and from an apostille.

The short answer

In the UK, a certified translation is a complete and accurate translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or translation company confirming that it is a true and accurate translation of the original document. The statement links the translation to the original and identifies who is responsible for it.

The UK does not have its own formal system of certified or sworn translators. Instead, receiving organisations usually expect the translation to come from a qualified professional, often a member of a professional body such as ITI or the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), who adds a statement of truth.

What UK authorities ask for

UK authorities, including those handling visa and immigration applications, generally ask that each translated document include:

• confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document;
• the date of the translation;
• the translator’s full name and signature;
• the translator’s contact details.

Professional translators include the same core elements as standard. Other organisations, such as universities, professional regulators or courts, may add their own requirements, for example a company letterhead, a stamp on every page or a copy of the original attached to the translation.

Certified, notarised, sworn, apostilled: the differences

The terms are often used loosely, but they describe different things.

Term	What it is	Who is involved	Typical use
Certified translation	Translation plus a signed statement of accuracy	Professional translator or translation company	Most UK applications: immigration, universities, employers, many courts
Notarised translation	The translator’s declaration is signed before a notary public, who confirms the declaration	Translator and notary	Some foreign authorities, some legal and commercial uses
Sworn translation	Translation by a translator appointed and accredited by a state authority	Sworn translator in that country	Official use in countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy; there are no sworn translators in the UK
Apostille	A certificate confirming the authenticity of a signature, seal or stamp on a public document, for use abroad	In the UK, the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office	Documents going to countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention

Two points cause the most confusion:

Notarisation does not make a translation more accurate. The notary confirms the identity and declaration of the person signing, not the quality of the translation. That still depends on the translator.

An apostille does not certify the content. It verifies a signature, seal or stamp. In the UK, the Legalisation Office can legalise documents certified by a UK notary or solicitor, which is why notarisation is often a step before an apostille.

How a certified translation is produced

A professional workflow usually looks like this:

1. Assessment. The translator checks the document is complete and legible and confirms what the receiving organisation needs.
2. Translation. A translator working into their native language, with experience of the document type, translates everything: text, stamps, seals, handwritten notes and marginal annotations.
3. Names and dates. Personal names are reproduced exactly as in official documents such as passports, and dates are presented unambiguously.
4. Layout. The translation follows the structure of the original, with notes such as “[signature]” or “[official stamp]” so the two can be compared.
5. Review. A second linguist checks accuracy and consistency.
6. Certification. The certification statement is added with the date, name, signature and contact details.

Common reasons translations are rejected

• Missing elements in the certification, such as the date or the translator’s contact details.
• Untranslated parts, often stamps, seals or the reverse of a document.
• Names spelt differently from the passport or from other documents in the same application.
• Partial translations or summaries where a full translation was required.
• The wrong level of certification, for example a certified translation when the receiving country required an apostille.

Certified translation services from SILA Linguists®

SILA Linguists® provides certified translations accepted by UK authorities, educational institutions and international bodies. Each one includes a signed statement confirming that it is a true and accurate translation of the original. Outside the UK, we follow the receiving country’s rules: a translator’s certificate of accuracy for US immigration authorities, translation by a translator certified by a provincial association where a Canadian authority requires one, and NAATI-certified translation, arranged by SILA Linguists® through NAATI-certified translators, where Australian authorities require it. Certified, legal and medical translations are always carried out by human translators, and every translation is reviewed by native-speaking professionals before delivery. Where a receiving body requires notarisation, we arrange it with our notary partner: we translate and certify, and the partner notarises.

If you are preparing documents for an immigration or asylum case or for legal proceedings, tell us who will receive the translation and we will check what they need. Certified work sits within our wider translation services in 350+ languages. The same cases often call for spoken language support too: face-to-face interpreters for appointments and hearings, telephone interpreting at any hour and video interpreting. Recorded interviews or evidence go to our transcription team, with a translated transcript where the receiving body needs one.

SILA Linguists® provides certified translation across the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Email your documents and the name of the receiving body to bookings@silalinguists.co.uk, or call +44 (0)333 339 8218.