Romanian Document Translation for UK Visa Applications
A full guide for Romanian nationals. How to translate acte de stare civilă and other Romanian documents for UK visa, settlement, and Skilled Worker applications in 2026.
Do Romanian Nationals Need Document Translation for UK Visas?
Yes. Romanian (Română) is the official language of Romania. It is a Romance language with Latin roots, close to Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. If your UK visa documents are in Romanian, the UK Home Office needs certified English translations of them all.
Romanians are one of the largest EU groups in the UK. Whatever you apply for — a family visa, a Skilled Worker visa, settlement (ILR), or another route — your Romanian civil documents need UKVI-certified translations. Romanian uses the Latin alphabet and looks like other Romance languages. That does not mean you can send the documents without a translation.
UKVI Requirement for Romanian Documents
UK Visas and Immigration needs a certified translation with every document that is not in English or Welsh. That covers all your Romanian civil documents: birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, police certificates, and academic records. Being an EU national does not change this rule.
Romanian Standard Translation Service
Romanian uses the Latin alphabet with accent marks, so it costs our standard rate of £17.99 per page. Every translation is fully certified, meets UKVI rules, and arrives within 24 hours.
Romanian Language Characteristics Affecting Translation
Romanian is a Romance language, but it has taken in a lot of Slavic, Greek, Turkish, and Hungarian words over the centuries. That gives Romanian civil documents a few special features:
Romanian Diacritics
Romanian uses five accented letters that plain Latin does not have: ă (a-breve), â (a-circumflex), î (i-circumflex), ș (s-comma-below), and ț (t-comma-below). They change how a word sounds, and dropping them changes the word itself. Older or computer-typed documents may swap the cedilla forms (ș, ț) for comma-below forms, or drop the marks entirely. A good translator spots these differences and keeps them right.
Slavic Administrative Vocabulary
Romanian is a Romance language, but its civil administration kept many words of Slavic origin for offices, roles, and procedures. Words like primărie (town hall), starea civilă (civil status), and Judecătorie (court) have no direct Latin match. The translator needs to know Romanian administrative vocabulary.
Historical Naming Practices
Older Romanian documents often follow older naming habits shaped by Hungarian, German, or Bulgarian custom. This is common for people from Transylvania, Banat, or Dobrogea. Communist-era documents (1947–1989) may also give foreign names a Romanian form. Those spellings can then clash with modern documents.
Communist-Era Document Formats
Romanian documents from before 1990 often use old layouts, old wording, and different registration number systems. A birth certificate from that era may be missing fields that modern ones have. It may also carry a political preamble. Translators must handle all of this correctly.
Common Romanian Documents Requiring Translation
If you are applying for a UK visa or settlement, you will usually need these documents translated:
Birth Certificates (Certificat de naștere)
Issued by the starea civilă (civil status) desk at your local primărie. You can get it in the standard Romanian format or the multilingual EU format. Needed for every visa route.
Marriage Certificates (Certificat de căsătorie)
Civil marriage certificates from the Romanian civil registry. A religious ceremony only counts in law once it is registered with the civil registry. Needed for spouse and family visas.
Divorce Decrees (Sentință de divorț)
Divorce decrees from Romanian courts (Judecătorie). You need one if you have remarried, and to show your civil status. Some come with property settlement annexes.
Police Clearance (Cazier judiciar)
The Romanian criminal record certificate from the Inspectoratul General al Poliției Române. You need it for ILR and settlement. Ask for it in person or through a Romanian embassy.
Academic Certificates (Diplomă / Foaie matricolă)
Degrees and transcripts from Romanian universities and colleges. You need them for skilled worker and student visas, and to get your qualifications recognised in the UK.
Death Certificates (Certificat de deces)
Needed for ancestry visas, for widowed applicants, and for some settlement applications. Issued by the Romanian civil registry.
Romanian Civil Registry (Starea Civilă): How It Works
It helps to know how Romania registers civil records. Then you can get the right documents faster. The starea civilă system works at the level of the local primărie (town hall):
Where Documents Are Registered
Births, marriages, and deaths are registered at the primărie of the town where they happened. So you usually have to contact that exact primărie to get a certificate. Hungary keeps one central system; Romania is still mostly local, though it is going digital. The Direcția de Evidență a Persoanelor (Directorate for Personal Records) also holds records at county level.
Requesting Documents from Abroad
If you live in the UK, you can ask for civil documents through the Romanian Embassy in London or the Romanian Consulate in Manchester. Someone you trust in Romania can also collect them for you, with a notarised power of attorney. Some documents are available through Romanian government websites. It can take a few days or several weeks.
Extracte versus Copii Certificate
Romanian civil certificates come in two main forms. There is the standard certificate (certificat) and the certified copy (copie certificată). For a UK visa, the standard certificate is usually enough. The certified copy repeats the whole original register entry, which helps with older records or when you need more detail.
EU Apostille for Romanian Documents
Apostille for Romanian Documents: Do You Need It?
Romania belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, so you can get Romanian documents apostilled. But for a UK visa, UKVI does not usually ask for an apostille on foreign civil documents. It asks for a certified translation.
In Romania, the Ministerul Justiției (Ministry of Justice) apostilles court documents. The Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (Ministry of Internal Affairs) apostilles police certificates and civil documents. An apostille simply confirms that the official signature on the document is genuine.
So you do not need an apostille on your Romanian birth or marriage certificate before you get it translated for a UK visa.
Romania vs Moldova: Document Differences
Romanian is also the official language of Moldova (the Republic of Moldova). Moldovans with Romanian-language documents face much the same translation rules. But there are some key differences:
Romania (EU Member State)
- EU member — documents in standard EU format available
- Hague Convention member — apostilles available
- Well-organised starea civilă civil registry
- Diacritics: ă, â, î, ș, ț used throughout
- Documents can be requested via Romanian Embassy in London
Moldova (Non-EU)
- Not an EU member — no EU format documents
- Hague Convention member — apostilles available from Ministerul Justiției
- Some older documents mix Romanian (Latin script) with Russian in Cyrillic script
- Transnistria documents (unrecognised) may be in Russian and need extra explanation
- Ask the separate Moldovan Embassy in London for documents
UKVI Translation Requirements for Romanian Documents
Complete Romanian to English Translation
Every word is translated: official stamps, registrar names, ministry titles, and registration reference numbers
Accurate Diacritic Handling
Romanian accent marks (ă, â, î, ș, ț) are read and written correctly. This matters most in names, where the marks change the meaning and the official identity
Administrative Terminology
Romanian civil and legal terms are translated accurately, including the Slavic-origin words used by Romanian institutions
Professional Certification
An official translator certification with credentials and contact details. UKVI and the UK Home Office accept it
Translation Process for Romanian Documents
Obtain Your Romanian Documents
Request your documents from Romanian authorities:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates from the primărie that registered the event
- Your criminal record certificate (cazier judiciar) from the local police or the IGPR website
- You can also ask the Romanian Embassy in London, using a power of attorney
- Degrees and transcripts from your Romanian university or college
- Court documents from the Judecătorie or Tribunal that issued them
Upload for Instant Quote
Upload clear scans of your Romanian documents. Romanian uses the Latin alphabet, so it costs the standard £17.99 per page. Our system spots Romanian on its own and gives you a price at once.
Expert Romanian Translation
We give your documents to certified Romanian-English translators. They:
- Get the Romanian accent marks right, above all in names
- Translate Romanian civil and legal terms correctly
- Know old and Communist-era document formats
- Translate all official seals, registrar signatures, and court stamps
Receive Certified Translation
Your certified Romanian translation arrives by email within 24 hours. It meets UKVI rules, comes with the full translator certification, and is ready to send with your visa application.
Pricing for Romanian Document Translation
| Document Type | Typical Pages | Standard Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate (Certificat de naștere) | 1–2 pages | £17.99–£35.98 |
| Marriage Certificate (Certificat de căsătorie) | 1–2 pages | £17.99–£35.98 |
| Divorce Decree (Sentință de divorț) | 3–10 pages | £53.97–£179.90 |
| Police Clearance (Cazier judiciar) | 1–2 pages | £17.99–£35.98 |
| Academic Certificate / Diploma | 1–4 pages | £17.99–£71.96 |
| Death Certificate (Certificat de deces) | 1 page | £17.99 |
| Bank Statement | 3–6 pages | £53.97–£107.94 |
* Romanian uses the Latin alphabet, so it costs the standard rate of £17.99 per page. Court documents such as divorce decrees often run to several pages, and you pay per page.
Frequently Asked Questions — Romanian Translation
I have a multilingual EU format birth certificate. Do I still need a full translation?
Romania issues multilingual EU-format civil documents under EU Regulation 2016/1191. The field labels appear in every EU language, English included. But UKVI does not drop the translation rule for them. The entries themselves are still in Romanian, and UKVI wants a full certified translation confirming that it is accurate and complete. So send one to be safe.
How do I get a Romanian criminal record certificate (cazier judiciar) from the UK?
There are three ways. One: through the Romanian Embassy in London. Send a written request with proof of identity and pay the consular fee. Two: online through the IGPR (Romanian Police) website, if you have a Romanian digital identity. Three: in person at any Romanian police station or DAC (Evidence of Persons office) when you visit Romania. It usually takes 5–15 working days. The certificate is valid for 6 months.
My name has diacritics in Romanian but appears without them on my UK passport. Is this a problem?
This happens to a lot of Romanians. UK passports often cannot print Romanian accent marks (ă, â, î, ș, ț), so the name is written without them. Our certified translations show the name exactly as it is on the Romanian document, marks and all, and note the UK passport version too. That note explains the difference to UKVI, so it should not cause a problem.
Do I need to apostille my Romanian documents for a UK visa?
No. For UK visas, UKVI does not usually ask for an apostille on foreign civil documents. It asks for certified translations. So you do not need an apostille on your Romanian birth or marriage certificate before translation. The certified translation is enough. You may need an apostille for other purposes — using a UK document in Romania, for example — but not for a UK immigration application.
My Romanian documents are from the Communist era (before 1989). Will they be accepted?
Yes. Communist-era Romanian documents are valid, and UKVI accepts them with a certified translation. They may look different, use old wording, or name offices that no longer exist. Our translators know these pre-1990 formats. They translate everything on the page, including any political or administrative preamble from that time.
How long does Romanian document translation take?
Standard Romanian translation arrives within 24 hours. Upload your documents, get an instant quote at £17.99 per page, and receive your UKVI-certified translation by email. It is then ready to send with your visa application.
Romanian to UK Visa Translation Checklist
- Ask the right Romanian primărie, or the Romanian Embassy in London, for your civil registry documents (acte de stare civilă)
- Ask the Romanian Embassy or IGPR for your cazier judiciar (criminal record), if your visa route needs one
- Scan every Romanian document clearly, so the accent marks are easy to see
- Upload to certified translation service — standard rate of £17.99 per page for Romanian
- Get your certified translations within 24 hours, with the accent marks and terms handled correctly
- Check that the name matches between the translations and your passport (the accent marks may differ)
- Send the certified translations with your UK visa application. UKVI needs no apostille
Ready to Translate Your Romanian Documents?
Get a UKVI-certified Romanian translation for £17.99 per page. We handle the accent marks and starea civilă terms with care, and deliver within 24 hours.
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