Face-to-face
Farsi interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
Middle Eastern and Central Asian
Farsi interpreting and translation
Farsi, as spoken and written in Iran, shares its grammar and script with Dari in Afghanistan and is closely related to Tajik, but each has its own standard, so we match linguists to the variety your client uses.
In its own words
فارسی
- Script
- Arabic script
- Direction
- Right to left
- ISO 639-3
pes
Farsi is one of the major languages of the Middle East and Central Asia, with a literary tradition going back more than a thousand years. The language has three modern standards: the Farsi of Iran, where it is the official language; Dari, an official language of Afghanistan; and Tajik, the state language of Tajikistan, written in Cyrillic. Farsi and Dari are especially close, while Tajik has developed its own written standard.
Farsi is the name speakers themselves use for the language. This page covers Farsi as used in Iran. For speakers from Afghanistan, see our Dari page, and for Tajikistan, our Tajik page.
Iran is linguistically diverse. Many people whose first language is Azeri, Kurdish, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi or Arabic use Farsi at school and in official life. Some will prefer an interpreter in their first language for sensitive conversations.
- Main areas: Iran (Tehran, Alborz, Qom, Markazi, Isfahan, Semnan, Yazd, Kerman, South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan)
- Other regions, where Kurdish, Azeri, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Arabic, Balochi, Turkmen and other languages predominate
Communities abroad are not shown. Point to an area to see its name.
How we help
Farsi services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Farsi translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Farsi interpreters, translators and certified Farsi translation with SILA Linguists®
Farsi is the official language of Iran and carries a literary tradition of more than a thousand years. SILA Linguists® supplies Farsi interpreters, Farsi translators and Farsi transcribers to courts, tribunals, healthcare providers, universities and businesses in Britain, the United States and Canada, and in Australia and New Zealand. Iran is linguistically diverse, and many people whose first language is Azeri, Kurdish, Gilaki or Balochi use Farsi only for school and officialdom, so we check which language the person is most comfortable with before we book, and we refer Afghan clients to our Dari service.
Farsi interpreting with the right register
Farsi has a sharp divide between formal and colloquial speech and an elaborate etiquette of politeness, known as taarof. Our Farsi interpreters render the meaning rather than every courtesy formula, and keep the register right for a courtroom, a consulting room or a negotiation.
We provide face-to-face interpreting for asylum interviews, tribunals, police interviews, hospital and mental health appointments and university meetings; Farsi interpreting by phone whenever a call comes in, weekends and bank holidays included; and video sessions on the SILA Linguists® app or whichever conferencing tool the client prefers. Conferences, academic symposia and business events can be covered by consecutive, simultaneous and remote simultaneous Farsi interpreters. A female or male interpreter can be arranged where the subject is sensitive.
Farsi translation and certified Farsi translation
Farsi is written right to left in an extended Arabic alphabet, and good typesetting needs the zero-width non-joiner and suitable fonts. Iranian documents use the Solar Hijri calendar and often Farsi digits, so our translators convert dates accurately and show the original next to them.
We translate the shenasnameh (birth certificate), marriage and divorce documents, academic degrees and transcripts, court rulings, medical records, contracts and corporate documents. Each certified Farsi translation carries a signed declaration of accuracy and is accepted by UK authorities, ready for the Home Office, a tribunal bundle, an admissions office or a professional regulator, and we localise websites and marketing material for Farsi-speaking audiences.
Farsi transcription and LADO
Interviews, recorded hearings, research focus groups and voice messages are written out in Farsi, time-coded line by line and rendered into English. Where a claimed Iranian nationality is challenged, SILA Linguists® can supply LADO and nationality assessment reports prepared by specialist analysts. Our transcribers distinguish colloquial Tehrani speech from regional accents and from passages in Azeri, Kurdish or English, and they flag any word that is unclear instead of filling the gap.
Where we can help in Farsi
Our vetted, trained and qualified Farsi linguists can support immigration and asylum services, courts and tribunals, police, NHS and mental health teams, universities verifying credentials, and companies in trade and technology. Each Farsi job is run by the same small project team, with vetted linguists who sign non-disclosure agreements and handle personal data as UK GDPR requires.
Good to know
Working with Farsi
Interpreting
- Farsi has a clear distinction between formal and colloquial speech and an elaborate system of politeness formulas, known as taarof. Experienced interpreters render the meaning, not the courtesy phrases word for word, and keep the register appropriate for court, clinic or business meeting.
- Tell us if the person comes from a particular region or community, or if they would be more comfortable in another language spoken in Iran.
- Some clients request an interpreter of the same gender, particularly for healthcare and sensitive interviews.
- Farsi interpreting is available face to face, by video, by telephone and for conferences, including remote simultaneous interpreting.
Translation
- Farsi is written right to left in an extended Arabic alphabet with four additional letters (پ چ ژ گ). Typesetting needs right-to-left support, Farsi fonts and correct use of the zero-width non-joiner, which separates parts of words without a space.
- Iranian documents use the Solar Hijri calendar and often Farsi digits. Dates must be converted accurately and the original date shown alongside.
- We provide certified translations of Iranian birth certificates (shenasnameh), marriage and divorce documents, academic transcripts, court judgments and driving licences, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, courts and universities, and by international bodies.
Related languages
Farsi and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where Farsi is often needed
- Immigration and asylum
- Courts, tribunals and police
- Healthcare and mental health
- Universities and academic credential checks
- Business and trade
- LADO and nationality assessment
Explore more middle eastern and central asian or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Farsi interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.