Arabic Birth Certificate Translation for UK Visa

Many UK visa applicants come from Arabic-speaking countries. They apply for Skilled Worker and Student visas, and for Spouse, ILR and asylum routes. Every Arabic birth certificate needs a certified translation. But the layout, the proof you need, and the papers you can even get vary a lot from country to country. This guide covers the main countries one by one.

Country-by-Country Guide

Saudi Arabia Birth Certificates

Saudi Arabia issues birth certificates (شهادة الميلاد) through the Civil Status Authority (الأحوال المدنية). New certificates all follow the same layout and are mostly in Arabic. Some parts may have English labels. All the Arabic text must still be translated.

A Saudi birth certificate shows the child's name, the parents' names, the date of birth, the place of birth and national ID numbers. The date of birth often appears in both the Hijri and Gregorian calendars. The certified translation must convert Hijri dates into Gregorian ones.

Egyptian Birth Certificates

Egypt issues two types of birth certificate: the قيد ميلاد مختصر (short form) and the قيد ميلاد كامل (long form). UKVI usually prefers the long form because it holds more information. Both need a certified translation.

Lebanese Birth Documents

Lebanon records births in an unusual way, because the system is built around religious communities. Births go into the civil registry, but records are also held by religious communities such as Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Sunni, Shia and Druze. The document people use most is the إخراج القيد (family register extract).

The إخراج القيد is a family record. It shows the whole registered family, with birth dates, places and family links. It is in Arabic, so it needs a certified translation. For a UK visa, your own page matters most. Translating the full document gives UKVI helpful context.

Iraq and Syria: Conflict-Affected Documentation

War has badly disrupted birth records in both Iraq and Syria. Many Iraqis and Syrians fled without their papers. Others hold papers that cannot be checked in the normal way. UKVI has its own guidance for applicants from countries affected by conflict.

If you have Iraqi or Syrian birth documents, send them with certified translations, even if they look damaged or incomplete. If you have none, send your UNHCR registration, witness statements and any other supporting evidence, along with a clear explanation.

Arabic Name Transliteration

There is no single way to write Arabic names in Latin letters. The same name is spelled differently from country to country. Mohammed (Egypt), Muhammad (Saudi Arabia), Mohammad (Iran, though Persian) and Mohamed (North Africa) all stand for محمد. For a UK visa, the name must match your passport.

• Always provide your passport spelling to your translator
• The translator will use the passport spelling and note where it differs from the Arabic
• Arabic birth certificates often show the full name chain (for example, Ahmad ibn Khalid ibn Mohammed). Every part must be translated
• Religious prefixes and titles (Haj, Sheikh, Sayed) on documents must be translated

Costs and Turnaround

Frequently Asked Questions

My UAE birth certificate has English text on it. Do I still need a certified translation?

Check whether the English text covers all the Arabic content. UAE certificates are sometimes only part bilingual. The English part often misses some Arabic text, such as stamps, notes and registrar details. If the English covers everything, you may not need a translation. If you are unsure, get a certified translation to be safe.

My birth certificate from Egypt shows the Coptic date. What Gregorian year does it correspond to?

Your certified translator will work out the Gregorian date and note it. Do not try to convert it yourself. The result depends on the exact month and day, not just the year. Your translator will add a note that explains the calendar and gives the converted date.

I am Syrian and fled without documents. What can I do?

UKVI has guidance for Syrian applicants who have no documents. Send whatever you have, and translate anything that is not in English. Include your UNHCR registration papers if you have them. Add a full explanation of why you cannot get official documents. Witness statements from family members can help too. For protection claims this situation is well understood. For other visa types, speak to an immigration solicitor.

My Arabic name includes my grandfather's name. Do all parts need to be translated?

Yes. Every part of the name on the birth certificate must be translated, even if your passport shows only two parts. The translator writes out the full recorded name and notes that the passport shows a shorter version. This is common with Arabic naming, where the father's and grandfather's names are included.