Pakistani Birth Certificate Translation for UK Visa

Pakistan sends one of the largest numbers of UK visa applicants. Pakistani nationals apply for Spouse visas, Skilled Worker visas, Student visas, family settlement and naturalisation. All of these may need a certified translation of a Pakistani birth certificate. So it helps to know which type of certificate you have, and what makes a certified translation valid.

Types of Pakistani Birth Certificates

NADRA Computerised Birth Certificate

The NADRA CBC is the most trusted and most widely accepted Pakistani birth document. NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) is Pakistan's national registration body. Its computerised certificates use the same format across the whole country. If you can choose between a NADRA certificate and an older Union Council one, use the NADRA one.

A NADRA CBC usually shows the following details. All of them must be translated:

• Child's full name in Urdu (and sometimes English transliteration)
• Date of birth (often in both the Gregorian and the Islamic Hijri calendar)
• Place of birth (district, union council)
• Father's full name, CNIC number, and address
• Mother's full name and sometimes her CNIC number
• Registration date and NADRA certificate number
• Religion of the child

The B-Form for Dependent Children

The B-Form (its official name is the Child Registration Certificate) is a NADRA document for children under 18. You usually need it when a parent applies for a UK visa and wants to include a child as a dependant, or when a child applies for their own visa.

The B-Form shows the child's biometric details (fingerprints and a photo for older children), full name, date of birth, NADRA registration number and parents' details. It is in Urdu, so it needs a certified translation. UKVI accepts the B-Form as proof of who a child dependant is and when they were born.

Union Council Birth Certificates

Union Council birth certificates came before NADRA's central system. They are more common for older applicants, born before the 1990s. The local Union Council issued them. (The Union Council is the lowest level of local government in Pakistan.) The format changed a lot from district to district, council to council, and year to year.

Older Union Council certificates may be:

• Handwritten in Urdu Nastaliq script, a flowing calligraphic style
• Typed in Urdu on an old typewriter
• Stamped with rubber stamps in Arabic, for religious dates or Islamic calendar notes
• Contain amendments or corrections written in the margins
• Written with different date systems: the Islamic Hijri calendar, the Pakistani calendar, or the Gregorian calendar

Quality varies a lot. Some Union Council certificates are clear and in good condition. Others are faded, torn, or hard to read in places. So a good, sharp scan matters even more with these documents.

Name Discrepancies in Pakistani Birth Certificates

Pakistani naming customs often cause name mismatches in UK visa applications. Here are the most common ones:

Costs and Turnaround

Frequently Asked Questions

My birth certificate only shows an Islamic (Hijri) date. What happens?

Your certified translator will convert the Hijri date into the Gregorian date and show both in the translation, with a translator's note explaining the conversion. UKVI caseworkers work in Gregorian dates, so this step matters. The conversion is precise — each Hijri date matches one specific Gregorian date.

My birth certificate has my name only in Arabic/Urdu script. Will UKVI accept the translated version?

Yes. The certified translation will write your name in standard English letters. Tell your translator which spelling to use — ideally the exact spelling in your passport. If your passport uses a different spelling from the one the birth certificate suggests, a translator's note explaining the difference helps.

I have both a Union Council certificate and a NADRA certificate. Which should I use?

Send both if you can. Use the NADRA certificate as your main document and the Union Council certificate as backup evidence. The NADRA certificate is more reliable and follows one format, which UKVI caseworkers prefer. If the two documents disagree on anything, such as name spellings or dates, point that out and explain it in your cover letter.

My B-Form has my child's father listed but the father is not the visa applicant. Do I need extra documents?

Yes. If your child's birth certificate or B-Form names a different father from the visa sponsor, you need extra documents. This is usually a court order or legal paper that sets out the current parental relationship, plus the listed father's consent for the child to travel. Every foreign-language document in that bundle needs a certified translation.