UKVI does NOT require notarised translations, so a certified translation is all you need for a UK visa. Sending documents to a US university, employer, DMV or court? Add US notarization online, per document.
Instant price
Accepted for UKVI / Home Office applications · Acceptance guaranteed — if any authority queries the format, we correct and reissue free.
Instant price
Accepted for UKVI / Home Office applications · Acceptance guaranteed — if any authority queries the format, we correct and reissue free.
Notarised translation (or "notarized translation" in US English) means a solicitor or notary public has witnessed the translator's signature on top of the certified translation itself. It's a real legal step. It's also one UKVI explicitly does not require for any standard visa application. We offer notarisation when you actually need it — US universities, employers and agencies that ask for it, FCDO apostille, certain EU administrative submissions — and steer you away from it when you don't.
Going the other way, to Vietnam? A UK certificate used there needs a Vietnamese translation notarised in Vietnam: that's our notarised Vietnamese translation, delivered as a hard copy to an address in Vietnam.
No. UKVI does not require notarised translations for standard UK visa applications. A certified translation with a statement of accuracy is sufficient. This saves you £30–£50 per document compared to notarisation.
It comes up in nearly every spouse-visa conversation. Someone — a friend, a forum post, sometimes a solicitor whose practice leans US-side — has told the applicant they need a notarised translation. They don't. UKVI's guidance is explicit on the point: certified, with a statement of accuracy, is the bar.
Where it gets ugly is when a translation provider quietly upsells notarisation as if it were required. We won't. If your destination is UKVI, the notary appointment is wasted money and three to five wasted days. If your destination is somewhere it's actually needed (a US school or agency that asks for it, FCDO apostille, an overseas property purchase), we'll arrange it.
Certified translation includes a translator's statement of accuracy. Notarised translation adds a solicitor or notary witnessing the signature. Sworn translation is done by a court-appointed translator. For UK visas, only certified translation is required.
Three different ways jurisdictions answer the same question: how do we trust this translation? The UK keeps it light — the translator signs a statement of accuracy. The US often bolts a notary on top, although USCIS itself only asks for the translator's certification. Continental Europe's sworn-translator system goes further still, restricting official translation to court-appointed professionals. Same end goal, three different mechanisms, three very different costs.
| Feature | Certified | Notarised | Sworn |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it includes | Translation + statement of accuracy + translator credentials | Certified translation + solicitor/notary witnessing signature | Translation by court-appointed translator |
| Required for UKVI? | Yes — this is all you need | No — not required | No — not used in UK system |
| Typical cost | From £15.59/page | US use: +£20 per document (US notarization add-on). UK notary: £45–£80/page | Varies — not standard in UK |
| Turnaround | 24 business hours | US use: same as standard delivery (no rush). UK notary: 3–5 days | Varies |
| Common in | UK, Australia, Canada | US, some EU countries | France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands |
| Accepted by | UKVI, Home Office, HMCTS, USCIS, universities | US institutions that ask for it, some EU bodies | Courts in countries that use the sworn system |
What it includes
Required for UKVI?
Typical cost
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Common in
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Notarised translations are needed for some international legal proceedings, property transactions abroad, US schools, employers and agencies that ask for them, and some EU administrative processes. They are NOT needed for UK visas — and USCIS doesn't require them either.
Cross-border situations are the main one. If a foreign authority — not UKVI — is asking for the translation and that country's system uses notarisation, then yes, you'll need it. US use is the most common case in our caseload: not USCIS itself, which accepts a certified translation for USCIS, but the US schools, employers, courts and state agencies that ask for a notarized copy. International property and adoption proceedings come up periodically. FCDO apostille, where you're legalising a UK document for use abroad, often requires the translation to be notarised first.
For those cases we work with registered notaries across the UK. The certified translation is produced first, then a notary appointment is scheduled to witness the translator's declaration. Lead time is usually three to five working days from order to notarised PDF.
If the translation is going to the United States, there's a quicker route: notarized translation for the US, added at checkout. A US notary public notarizes your certified translation and you get a digital notarized PDF on the standard delivery timeline. It costs £20 per document ($26.45 / €24 on US-dollar and euro orders) — at checkout you say how many documents you're notarizing and pick which ones, and each is notarized and charged separately — and it's standard delivery only, so it can't be combined with Same-Day Rush. It is valid for US use only: it won't help with a UK visa or a submission in any other country.
No. Certified translation includes a statement of accuracy from the translator. Notarised translation is a certified translation that has additionally been witnessed by a solicitor or notary public. For UK visas, only certified translation is needed.
Some translation companies upsell notarisation because it increases their revenue. UKVI's own guidance clearly states that a certified translation with statement of accuracy is sufficient. Notarisation is an unnecessary additional cost for UK visa applications.
For use in the United States, our US notarization add-on is £20 per document on top of the certified translation (from £15.59 per page) — each document is charged separately. For a UK notary appointment (for non-US use), expect £45–£80 per page including translation and notary fees. A certified translation on its own, which is all UKVI requires, costs from £15.59 per page.
Yes. If the translation is for use in the United States, tick the US notarization add-on at checkout: £20 per document, delivered as a digital notarized PDF with standard delivery (no rush). It is valid for US use only. For other non-UKVI submissions that need a UK notary, message us on WhatsApp or email and we'll arrange a registered notary to witness the declaration.
No. The US notarization add-on is for documents being used in the United States only. UKVI and the Home Office don't require notarisation at all, and other countries may need a local notary or a sworn translation instead. It's charged per document — £20 each — and at checkout you tell us how many documents you're notarizing and tick which ones, so you only pay for the documents going to a US authority.
Sworn translation is a system used in some continental European countries (France, Germany, Spain) where translations are done by court-appointed translators. It isn't used in the UK and UKVI doesn't require it. If your documents are going to Germany, Spain or Bulgaria, though, we offer sworn translations into German and Spanish, and from English into Bulgarian.
No. The Home Office and UKVI do not require notarised translations for any standard visa application. Certified translations with a statement of accuracy meet all requirements.
No. Notary translation services bolt a solicitor or notary public on top of a certified translation — they witness the translator's signature on the statement of accuracy. Certified translation alone is what UKVI, HMCTS, and most UK administrative bodies need. Reserve notary translation services for US institutions that ask for notarization, FCDO apostille, or overseas legal use.
Yes. We provide notary public translation services and full notarised translation services when there's a genuine non-UK requirement — US immigration (where 'notarized translation' is standard), overseas property transactions, certain EU submissions. For US use, add US notarization at checkout — £20 per document, digital notarized PDF, standard delivery. For other countries, we produce the certified translation first and then arrange a registered UK notary appointment to witness the translator's declaration (three to five working days end-to-end). For UK use, certified translation alone is sufficient.
Confusingly, 'translate notary' and 'notary translation' are search terms people use to mean two different things: (1) translating a document that's already been notarised abroad, or (2) getting a UK notary to witness a certified translation. We handle both. For an already-notarised foreign document, we translate it including the notary stamp and seal language. For a fresh notarisation of our translation, we book the notary appointment as a £45–£80 add-on.
UKVI-accepted certified translations from £15.59 per page. Statement of accuracy included. 24-hour delivery.
A certified translation, notarized by a US notary public and delivered as a digital PDF. No notary appointment to book: tick the add-on at checkout for $26.45 per document.
Over 150,000 documents translated for UK applicants. Statement of accuracy, translator credentials and digital delivery — all included from £15.59 per page.
Translation of apostilled documents and preparation of translations for apostille legalisation.
Certified legal translation for UK courts, solicitors, and immigration tribunals — from £15.59 per page with statement of accuracy.
Certified translations that meet all UKVI and Home Office requirements. No notarisation needed.
