My certificate says I have no record. Does it still need translating?
Yes. If the certificate isn't in English, UKVI needs a certified translation whatever it says.
UKVI Accepted
Police Certificate Translation for UK Visa Applications
Police clearance certificates, criminal record extracts and character certificates translated and certified for UKVI, with every stamp and reference number included. From £15.59 per page.
- 150,000+documents translated
- 99.8%acceptance rate
- 24 hrsdelivery
- £15.59per page
Police certificate translation is usually needed when a UK visa asks you to show your record from the countries you've lived in. If your police clearance or criminal record certificate isn't in English, UKVI expects a certified English translation, and because these certificates have a limited shelf life, it helps to order the translation as soon as the certificate arrives.
We translate police clearance certificates, criminal record extracts and police character certificates from any country, with every stamp, seal, reference number and verification code rendered in full. Our guide to police clearance certificate translation covers the main formats. Most applicants who need a certificate are moving for a job in education, health or social care, so they usually need their degree and transcripts translated as well.
Police and Criminal Record Certificates We Translate
Every country issues these differently. We translate each format in full and certify it for UKVI.
Police clearance certificates
Certificates from national police authorities confirming whether you have a criminal record in that country.
Criminal record extracts
Extracts from national registers, such as a French casier judiciaire, German Führungszeugnis or Polish KRK certificate.
Police character certificates
Character and conduct certificates issued by local or district police, common across South Asia.
Notarised no-criminal-record certificates
Certificates issued with a notarial certificate, as is common in China, translated cover to cover.
Apostilles and legalisation
Apostilles or embassy legalisation attached to the certificate, translated as part of the same order.
Correspondence with the issuing authority
Letters showing you applied for a certificate, useful if one can't be issued in time.
How to Translate a Police Certificate for UKVI
Upload the certificate as soon as it arrives, and receive a certified translation the next working day.
- 1
Upload every page
Send a scan or clear photo of the full certificate, including any notarial pages, apostille and the back of each page with stamps or codes.
- 2
Translated in full
A qualified translator renders the certificate word for word, including reference numbers, verification codes and the issuing officer's details.
- 3
Certified PDF in 24 hours
Delivered within 24 business hours with a signed statement of accuracy, ready to upload with your UK visa application.
Do I need a police certificate for a UK visa?
Some routes require one. If you apply from outside the UK for a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa in education, healthcare, therapy or social services, you must provide a criminal record certificate from each country where you've stayed for 12 months or more as an adult in the last 10 years. UKVI can also ask other applicants for one.
The requirement follows the job, not the nationality. Teachers, teaching assistants, childminders, nurses, doctors, paramedics, pharmacists, dentists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers and probation officers are among the roles gov.uk lists. If you're under 28, it covers any country where you've spent a total of 12 months or more since you turned 18. If you're 28 or over, it covers the last 10 years.
Other applications ask about your record differently. Settlement and citizenship applications include good-character questions, and you must declare convictions and cautions from any country; if the Home Office wants more evidence, it may ask for a certificate. Whatever the reason for the request, a certificate that isn't in English needs a certified translation.
- Skilled Worker visas for jobs in education, healthcare, therapy and social services
- Health and Care Worker visas, applying from outside the UK
- Certificates from every country where you've stayed 12 months or more as an adult
- Settlement and citizenship applications, where the Home Office asks
Does a police certificate need to be translated for UKVI?
Yes, if any part of it is not in English or Welsh. The Home Office asks for a translated copy of a foreign-language criminal record certificate, and like every UKVI translation it must confirm it's accurate and include the date, the translator's full name, contact details and signature.
Bilingual certificates deserve a second look. Some carry English headings over a local-language body, or an English summary with remarks, stamps or the officer's notes only in the original. If anything a caseworker needs to read is untranslated, the certificate counts as foreign-language.
Notarised certificates are translated in full, including the notary's certificate, and so are apostilles and legalisation stamps. Reference numbers, QR codes and online verification codes are reproduced exactly, so a caseworker can check the certificate with the issuing authority. For the wider rules on translations for visas, see UKVI certified translation.
How recent does a police certificate need to be for a UK visa?
For the Skilled Worker and Health and Care criminal record requirement, the certificate from the country you live in now should be issued no more than 6 months before you apply. The translation date doesn't extend that, so order the translation as soon as the certificate arrives.
Police certificates can take weeks to obtain, and the 6-month window starts on the issue date, so it's worth planning backwards from your application date. We usually deliver within 24 business hours, which keeps the translation off the critical path.
If you genuinely can't get a certificate from a country, UKVI expects a written explanation of why, and any correspondence with the authority helps support it. We translate those letters in the same order. Moving somewhere other than the UK? New Zealand and Australia also ask for police certificates: see police certificate translation for New Zealand and police certificate translation for Australia.
What do police certificates from different countries look like?
They vary widely: a short extract from a national criminal records register in most of Europe, a police character certificate from a local or district station in parts of South Asia, and a notarised no-criminal-record certificate in China. We translate every format in full, including stamps, seals and verification codes.
We assign translators who know the format, because the terminology is specific. A register extract may list the statutory basis for the search; a character certificate may note which station checked which records; a notarised certificate has the notary's own wording on top. Each is translated as it reads, without interpretation or comment.
- France: extrait de casier judiciaire
- Germany: Führungszeugnis
- Spain: certificado de antecedentes penales
- Italy: certificato del casellario giudiziale
- Poland: certificate from the National Criminal Register (KRK)
- Romania: cazier judiciar
- Pakistan: police character certificate
- China: notarised no-criminal-record certificate
How much does police certificate translation cost?
Police certificate translation costs from £15.59 per page. Most certificates are a single page, so the total is usually £15.59 per country; notarised certificates with several pages are charged at the same per-page rate.
If you need certificates from several countries, order them together: three single-page certificates come to £46.77, and the names, dates and places of residence will read consistently across all of them. There's no surcharge for language or script, and the statement of accuracy and PDF delivery are included.
Same-day rush is £29.99 per page if your certificate arrived later than planned.
- Standard: £15.59 per page, delivered within 24 business hours
- Same-day rush: £29.99 per page
- Same rate for every country and language
Need your police certificate translated?
Certified for UKVI and delivered within 24 hours — from £15.59 per page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Police Certificate Translation UK
My certificate shows a conviction. Will the translation change how it reads?
No. We translate exactly what the certificate says, accurately and completely, without adding or leaving anything out. Your document is handled only by the people working on your order and used for nothing else.
Do I need a certificate from every country I've lived in?
For the Skilled Worker and Health and Care criminal record requirement, you need one from each country where you've stayed for 12 months or more as an adult in the relevant period. Check the current gov.uk guidance for your route before ordering.
Part of my certificate is already in English. Do I need a translation?
If any text a caseworker needs, such as the result, remarks, stamps or the issuing officer's details, is only in another language, translate the whole certificate.
What if I can't get a police certificate from one country?
UKVI expects a written explanation of why it isn't possible. If you have letters or emails from the authority, we can translate them to support your explanation.
Do I need a notarised translation of my police certificate?
Not for UKVI. A certified translation with a signed statement of accuracy is what the Home Office asks for.
Do you translate the apostille on my police certificate?
Yes. Apostilles and legalisation stamps are translated in the same order at the standard per-page rate.
How long does police certificate translation take?
Standard delivery is within 24 business hours. Same-day rush is available if your certificate is close to the 6-month limit or your application date is near.
Can I send a photo instead of a scan?
Yes, as long as every word, stamp and code is readable. Make sure any QR code or verification number is sharp, as the translation reproduces it exactly.
What happens if UKVI queries the translation?
Every document includes 2 free revisions. Send us the query and we'll update the translation at no cost.
Get Your Certified Translation Today
UKVI-accepted certified translations from £15.59 per page. Statement of accuracy included. 24-hour delivery.
Every document includes 2 free revisions. If UKVI or another UK authority queries the translation, we'll update it at no cost.
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