Documents to Translate for UK Citizenship (Naturalisation)

Handwritten Documents

Civil servants wrote many older birth and marriage certificates by hand. They can be hard to read even in the original language. A professional translator who knows your language and region will recognise the handwriting of that era.

Faded or Damaged Documents

Papers kept for decades often have faded ink, water damage or torn edges. Upload the clearest scan you can. Our translators can usually work with a document you can only partly read. They will mark any part they cannot make out.

Documents from Former Countries

Some countries have changed their name or their borders, such as Yugoslavia, the USSR and Czechoslovakia. If you were born in one, your documents may use a language or a layout no longer in official use. Professional translators who know these regions handle them accurately.

Archaic Language or Formats

Older documents often use dated words, old legal terms or pre-reform spelling. Older Arabic papers may use Ottoman-era terms. Older Chinese papers may use Traditional characters, even ones from mainland China.

Do I need to translate my passport for citizenship?

Usually not. Passports follow an international standard (ICAO), so they show English next to the national language. There is one exception. If a stamp, endorsement or note in your passport is only in a foreign language, and it matters to your case, that part may need translating.

My birth certificate is very old and hard to read. Can it still be translated?

Yes. Professional translators who work with old records can handle aged, handwritten and faded documents. Upload the best scan you have. Our translators will mark any part they cannot read. If you need to, you can ask your home country for a replacement certificate.

I already had documents translated for my ILR application. Do I need new translations?

You can reuse the certified translations from your ILR application. They must still be accurate and still meet UKVI standards. Certified translations do not expire. But if a document itself has changed, such as a new marriage certificate, you need a new translation of it.

What if my document is from a country that no longer exists?

Documents from countries that no longer exist, such as the USSR, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, are still valid for a citizenship application. The translator should record the original issuing office and country in the translation. Ours have handled papers from former Soviet and Yugoslav states, and from other historical states.

Do I need to translate the Life in the UK test certificate?

No. The Life in the UK test certificate comes in English, so it needs no translation. The same goes for your BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) and your English language test certificate.

How does citizenship translation differ from visa translation?

The rules are the same: certified, accurate and complete. Citizenship applications just tend to involve more old documents, and to cover a longer stretch of your life. The good news is that you have probably translated many of them already, for earlier visa and ILR applications.