UK Visa Translation Guides
Free guides to document translation requirements for every UK visa type. Learn which documents need translating and how to meet UKVI requirements.
Spouse Visa
Spouse visa applications under Appendix FM are document-heavy by design. UKVI uses your documents to confirm four things at once: identity, marriage, finances, and that the relationship is real. Anything not in English or Welsh needs a certified translation alongside it. This guide walks through what to translate, what it will cost, and where common UKVI queries tend to land.
Skilled Worker Visa
The Skilled Worker route turns on two things: your qualifications and your sponsor's Certificate of Sponsorship. The CoS comes from your UK employer in English, so that's sorted. Everything else may not be. Degree certificates, academic transcripts, professional registration documents, and criminal-record certificates all need translating into English if they were issued in another language. This checklist covers what to translate, plus where the regulated-profession bodies (GMC, NMC, GDC) add extra rules on top.
Student Visa
The Student route turns on two evidence streams: academic and financial. UKVI wants to see you have the qualifications to study here. They also want to see you have the funds to support yourself while you do. Anything not in English needs a certified translation. That includes degree certificates, transcripts, sponsor letters, and bank statements showing maintenance funds. Universities and UK ENIC accept the same translations during admissions, which avoids paying twice.
ILR / Settlement
ILR — Indefinite Leave to Remain — is the UK's permanent residency status. Applications cover years of evidence, not a snapshot. That changes the translation mix. An initial visa application focuses on current circumstances. An ILR file pulls in 3 to 5+ years of built-up documentation. That includes previous visa documents, employment history, accommodation evidence, and financial records. Anything in a foreign language gets a certified translation.
UK Citizenship
British citizenship — naturalisation — is the final step for most settled migrants. The application sits on Form AN. The documentation is lighter than spouse or ILR cases. Identity, marital status, and good character are the three main categories. Birth and marriage certificates not in English still need certified translations, even if you've been a UK resident for years and submitted them before.
Visitor Visa
Visitor visa applications turn on two questions UKVI is trying to answer. Can you fund the visit? And will you go home afterwards? The evidence for both — bank statements, employment letters, property documents, business registrations — gets scrutinised whether you're staying for two weeks or six months. Anything not in English needs a certified translation. The application is generally lighter than other routes, but the translation rule is the same.