Documents to Translate When Extending Your UK Visa

For your first UK visa you probably translated several personal documents. These may have included a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, qualifications and financial records. At the extension stage (Further Leave to Remain, or FLR), UKVI usually only asks for documents that have changed, or that show you still qualify. The exact rules differ a lot from one visa route to another.

By Visa Route: What Needs Translation at Extension

Skilled Worker Visa Extension (FLR(W))

For a Skilled Worker extension, UKVI mainly checks that you still have the job and the salary. You usually only need a translation if:

• You have changed employer and now rely on qualifications that were not in your first application
• You are adding dependants, such as children born abroad or a spouse who has not been to the UK before. Their birth or marriage certificates must be translated
• Your English language evidence has run out and you now rely on new foreign qualifications
• Your name has changed (marriage/divorce) and new ID documents are in a foreign language

Spouse Visa Extension / FLR(M) — Further Leave to Remain in Family

For a spouse visa extension you must show the relationship is real and still going. You may need a translation for:

Student Visa Extension (FLR(S)) or Tier 4 Switch

Student visa extensions and switches to the Graduate visa usually need very little translation. The main test is that you keep studying at a licensed school or university with a CAS. Even so, you may need a translation if you are:

• Moving to a new course at a higher level and sending new foreign academic certificates as proof of your qualifications
• Applying to bring dependants for the first time — their birth and marriage certificates must be translated
• Your financial sponsor lives abroad and their money evidence is in another language

ILR Applications (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

Documents That Always Need Fresh Translation at Any Extension

How Long Does a Certified Translation Last?

A certified translation has no official expiry date. A birth certificate never expires, and neither does its translation. Even so, UKVI may question a very old translation. This is more likely if notes were added to the document after it was translated, or if the translation format no longer meets current standards. As a rule of thumb, it is worth refreshing translations more than 5-7 years old for a big application like ILR.

Costs and Turnaround

Frequently Asked Questions

UKVI has my translated birth certificate from my original application. Do I need to resubmit it for my extension?

Usually not. UKVI keeps documents from your earlier applications. If nothing in the document has changed, and you are not moving to a different visa category, you do not need to send or translate that birth certificate again. Some UKVI forms do ask you to list your documents again, so follow the guidance for your own visa category.

My child was born in the UK during my visa. Do I need their birth certificate translated?

No. UK birth certificates are in English, so they need no translation. If you are adding a UK-born child as a dependant, just include the original UK birth certificate. You only need a translation for documents issued abroad in a foreign language.

I got married abroad while on my UK visa. What do I need to translate?

If you married abroad and the certificate is in a foreign language, you need a certified translation of it. You must also check that the UK recognises the marriage in law. Marriages in EU countries and most Commonwealth countries are recognised automatically. If the country has different marriage laws, speak to an immigration solicitor.