Last updated: March 2026
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.
Skilled Worker visa applicants need a valid passport, certificate of sponsorship, proof of English language ability, criminal record certificate, and professional qualifications. Any non-English documents need a certified translation.
The Skilled Worker route used to be called Tier 2 before the 2020 rebrand. You need a UK job offer from a licensed sponsor, plus a supporting document pack. Which documents face scrutiny depends on the role, salary, and country. A software engineer joining a tech firm has a different document mix than a nurse joining the NHS, or a doctor joining a private trust.
Professional qualifications carry extra weight in regulated professions — healthcare especially. GMC for doctors, NMC for nurses, GDC for dentists, HCPC for allied health. None of these bodies will register an overseas qualification without a certified English translation. The standards they apply are tighter than UKVI's.
Degree certificates, academic transcripts, professional qualifications, criminal record certificates, and bank statements need certified translation if they are not in English. Your Certificate of Sponsorship is already in English.
The Certificate of Sponsorship is issued by your UK employer and is always in English. So it does not need translation. But supporting documents from your home country — especially qualifications and criminal records — often need translation.
For healthcare workers, professional registration documents and medical qualifications almost always need certified translation for GMC, NMC, or GDC registration.
A typical Skilled Worker visa translation package costs £40–£100. That covers a degree certificate, transcript, and criminal record certificate. Each document costs from £12.99 per page.
Skilled Worker visa applications usually need fewer translated documents than spouse visa applications. The most common documents are a degree certificate (1 page), an academic transcript (2–4 pages), and a criminal record certificate (1 page).
If your degree certificate is not in English, yes. UKVI needs a certified translation. If your degree was awarded by an English-medium institution and the certificate is in English, no translation is needed.
If your criminal record certificate (police clearance) is not in English, yes — it must come with a certified translation.
Yes. GMC, NMC, and GDC all need certified translations of overseas medical qualifications and professional registration documents.
Processing times are usually 3–8 weeks when you apply from outside the UK. Having all translations ready before applying helps avoid delays.
Not always. UKVI may accept your overseas qualification directly. But some employers and professional bodies need UK ENIC comparability statements.
UKVI-accepted certified translations from £12.99 per page. Statement of accuracy included. 24-hour delivery.