









Certified & Sworn Translation
in the UK




At EKO 4 Translations we guarantee 100%
- Document Acceptance
- Accuracy and Quality
- Delivery on Time
- Free Corrections
- Accredited and sworn, fully bilingual philologist/linguist human translators
- Additional native-speaking proofreader for quality assurance
- Professional DTP (desktop publishing) editing and formatting
- Signed affidavit and declaration of translation accuracy
- Company wet stamp for authenticity
- Official certification on company letterhead
- Full compliance with ISO 17100 quality standard
- Physical copy with wet stamps and company letterhead
- No originals to post – a scan is all we need, and hard copies come to your address
- Free corrections – any iterations, corrections or editing of the translations are free of charge and done same day or next day
When Do I Need Official Document Translation
What does Document Translation Services mean?
Document translation for overseas uses
Translating foreign documents
When Do I Need Official Document Translation
What Is Certified Translation
Document Translation Services for overseas use
Translating foreign documents for the Home Office, Court
Which languages do we translate?
How much does a certified translation cost?
Quoted per document, free of charge

Both prices include:
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Professional translation by a sworn bi-lingual philologist
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Additional native speaking proof-reader
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Editing
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Formatting
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Company accuracy/authenticity of the translation certification
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Sending a sealed document as a digital PDF in 24-72h
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Posted hard copy available, priced per page
How it works
Which documents do we certify?Â
More than 114 official document types, round the clock
EKO 4 Translations UK has experience in certified translation of more than 114 types of personal or business documents with varying subject matter and purpose. Our certified translation procedures for processing such documents guarantee that the target content looks as close to the original as possible with all special formatting and formal terminology.
- Adoption Certificates
- Affidavit
- Authorisation Letter
- Birth Certificate
- Certificate of Name Change
- Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
- Civil partnership certificate
- Criminal records bureau check
- Death certificate
- Decree Absolute or Decree Nisi
- Department of Health document
- Doctor’s medical letter
- Government issued document
- High Court of Justice document
- HM Revenue and Customs document & Letters
- Last will and testament
- Marriage Records Certificate
- Police Certificates ACPO, ACRO, CRB’s
- Power of Attorney
- Test results & Medical
- AD01 Address Form
- Affidavit
- AP01 Director Form
- AR01 Annual Return
- Articles of Association
- Authorisation Letter
- Certificate of freesale
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Certificate of incorporation
- Certificate of Incumbency
- Certificate of memorandum
- CH01 Director Form
- Companies House document
- Export certificate
- HM Revenue and Customs document
- LLP Incorporation Forms
- Memorandum of Association
- Partnership document
- Power of Attorney
- Tax Return
- Academic Degrees
- Apprenticeship & Indenture Certificate
- Awards
- Educational certificate (UK)
- GCSE, GCE
- Letter from an employer
- Letter of enrolment
- Level, A Level
- Membership Certificates
- NVQ
- PGCE & QTS
- Professional Documents
- Professional Qualifications
- Reference from an employer
- Supplement
- TEFL/CELTA/TESOL documents
- Training Certificates
- Transcripts
- Certificate of Residence
- Fingerprints documen
- Fit note (from adoctor)
- Islamic Marriage Certificates
- Other identity Document
- Passport
- Driving License
- Bank
- Statements
- Utility bills
- Proof of address
- Other identity documents
- Bills of Sale
- Proof of Ownership
- Religious document
- Utility bill
- Name change deed or document

Our process of ordering a certified document translation is easy from start to finish
We can deliver your official or certified translation via:
- Email – Instant delivery of the translation on a secure PDF file via your email
- Local Postage – Next day delivery to your preferred address
- Local Postage – Within 72 hours and FREE service
- International postage – Within 72 hours, regardless of where you are
How our certified translation
process works, step by step
- What free professional consultation does EKO 4 Translations UK provide?
- Our excellent and experienced customer service representatives will help you and give you the best advice possible.
- How is document translation analysis done?
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Analysing the submitted documents, calculating price rates and giving you the best offer for your translation.
- How does EKO 4 Translations UK do project management?
- Assembling the proper translation team for your bespoke translation project, and preparing the simultaneous cloud environment.
- What is the translation process at EKO 4 Translations UK?
- Our professional linguists, who are native speakers of the target language, use a wide database of approved translation templates and advanced terminology dictionaries. Whether it’d be a governmental body or a potential business partner you’d like to win over, the recipient of your document must be confident that the translation represents precisely the original source material, and this is exactly what the linguists at EKO 4 Translations UK do.
- What are the EKO 4 Translations UK proofreading and editing procedures?
- A UK-accredited translator proofreads and edits the translation, preparing it for certification.
- Does EKO 4 Translations UK do formatting and printing of the translations?
- The project manager formats the document in accordance with international law requirements and prints it on a letterhead, complete with a stamp and an authenticity certificate.
- What is certifying/swearing of a translation?
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Swearing of translation for overseas uses. Our solicitors certify the translation with their signature, stamp and the date. The document is now ready for the FCO and official usage.
- How does EKO 4 Translations UK deliver nationally and internationally document translations?
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Delivering the documents directly to your door via select postage/courier service.

Six reasons to choose EKO 4 for certified document translation
Award Winning and Internationally Recognised Brand Since 1991

Price Match Promise Proofing, DTP & Certification


Quick Turnaround Under 8h & Progress Notifications


Accredited and Assessed Human Certified Translators

Reliability, Confidentiality & Security Assured


100 % Money Back Guarantee


WHO ACCEPTS our certified translations?
Our certified translations are prepared to UK requirements and are accepted by the bodies below. Every translation carries a signed declaration of accuracy, our company wet stamp and official letterhead – which is exactly what these organisations ask for.
- Home Office and UK Visas & Immigration
- HM Passport Office
- HM Courts & Tribunals Service
- UK universities, colleges and UK ENIC
- General Register Office and register offices
- DVLA, banks, employers and solicitors
- NHS trusts and professional registers
- Foreign embassies and consulates in the UK
IS THERE SUCH A THING as a sworn translator in the UK?
No – and that is the single most useful thing to know before you order. The United Kingdom has no state register of sworn translators. France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany and most of the civil-law world appoint translators before a court and give them a seal; the UK never adopted that system, so no UK body can swear a translator in.
What the UK uses instead is a ladder of independent witnessing, and each rung is built on the one below it. A certified translation carries our own signed declaration of accuracy. Above it, the translator swears that declaration before a solicitor acting as a Commissioner for Oaths – the closest thing UK practice has to continental sworn translation, and the level most people arrive here looking for. Above that sits a notary’s seal, and above that an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Our linguists are sworn translators, in the places where sworn status actually exists: many hold court appointments in their own countries. What no one can offer is a UK swearing-in, because there is nothing to be sworn into. So we do it the way the UK does it – before a solicitor, on oath, in writing.
THE FOUR LEVELS of UK translation certification
Each rung includes everything below it, and each one costs more and takes longer than the last. Most people need less than they think – which is why we ask before we quote.
- 01
Certified translation
What it isThe translation itself, plus a signed and dated statement that it is a true and complete rendering of the original – on our letterhead, with our company wet stamp, the translator’s details and our contact details.
When you need itHome Office and UKVI applications, HM Passport Office, HM Courts & Tribunals, universities, register offices, employers and the DVLA. Official UK guidance is explicit that these do not need a notary or a solicitor.
- 02
Solicitor-certified sworn declaration
What it isOur translator signs a statutory declaration that the translation is true and complete, and swears it before an independent solicitor. Every practising solicitor in England & Wales is automatically a Commissioner for Oaths, so the document comes back bearing an officer of the court’s signature.
When you need itWhen an overseas authority asks for a “sworn” translation, when a receiving body wants the accuracy statement witnessed by someone independent of us, and whenever an apostille will be needed – this is the signature the FCDO can legalise.
- 03
Notarised translation
What it isA Notary Public verifies the translator’s identity, witnesses the signature on the declaration and applies their own seal and register entry.
When you need itWhere the receiving authority specifically asks for a notary. A notary’s authority is recognised internationally in a way a solicitor’s is not, which is the entire reason to pay the premium – and the reason we will tell you when you do not need it.
- 04
Apostille and legalisation
What it isA certificate issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirming that the UK signature or seal on the document is genuine. Only the FCDO can issue it, and only over a signature it recognises – which includes both notaries and solicitors.
When you need itWhenever a UK document is going to be used in another country: overseas marriages, foreign visa and residency applications, employment abroad, foreign property and court matters.
The notarised and apostilled levels are, in practice, an export product: nothing inside the UK requires them. If your document is staying in the UK, level 01 is almost always the answer.
CERTIFIED, NOTARISED or apostilled – which do you need?
These words get used interchangeably and they are not the same thing. Ordering the wrong one is the most common and most expensive mistake in this process, so here is the short version.
| What it is | What you get | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Certified translation | The translation plus a signed declaration of accuracy on company letterhead, with our wet stamp, name, date and contact details. | Home Office and UKVI applications, passports, universities, employers, register offices. This page. |
| Sworn or notarised translation | A certified translation whose declaration of accuracy is sworn before a solicitor, or witnessed and sealed by a Notary Public. | Usually foreign authorities, some courts and banks. The UK has no sworn-translator register, so this is what “sworn” means here. Certified & sworn translation → |
| Apostilled / legalised | A government stamp from the FCDO confirming a UK document or signature is genuine. | Using a UK document abroad – marriage overseas, foreign visas, overseas employment. Notarised translation & apostille → |
| Professional translation | An accurate translation with no legal declaration attached, priced per word. | Business documents, contracts, websites, marketing. Professional translation → |
What gets the apostille is normally our document, not yours. We translate, a solicitor or notary certifies the translation, and the FCDO issues the apostille over that signature – so a scan is enough and your original stays with you. The exception is a receiving authority that wants the UK record itself authenticated, and there the original is apostilled first and the translation then covers the document and the apostille certificate. Tell us the destination country and the receiving body and we will confirm which before anything is submitted.
HOW LONG does a certified translation take?
A standard certificate – birth, marriage, death, police check, diploma – is normally back as a sealed digital PDF within 24 to 72 hours, and expedited 24-hour service is available on request. Hard copies with wet stamps are posted to your address the same working day the translation is approved.
For longer or multi-document sets we process up to 11,000 words per day by assembling a team of native-speaking linguists on a shared terminology base. Send the document over and you get a firm delivery time with the quote.
CERTIFIED TRANSLATION near you
You never have to part with an original document. A clear scan is all we need, so nothing of yours goes in the post and there is no appointment to keep – which matters when the original is the only birth certificate you own.
Upload the file, approve the quote, and the sealed PDF comes back by email. Where you need the wet-stamped hard copy, it is posted to your address with tracking. We are a UK company with people you can actually reach if you would rather ask a question first.
CERTIFIED TRANSLATION questions, answered
How much does a certified translation cost in the UK?
A standard document is priced per document and includes the translation, the signed certificate of accuracy, our company stamp and the sealed digital PDF; a posted hard copy is priced per page. We quote each job rather than publish one figure, because the language pair, the length and the certification the receiving body wants all move it. Send the file and the quote is free, itemised and fixed.
Will my certified translation be accepted by the Home Office and UKVI?
Yes. Our certified translations meet UK requirements: a complete translation of the document, a signed statement confirming it is a true and accurate translation, the date, and our company name and contact details on official letterhead with a wet stamp. They are accepted by the Home Office, UKVI, HM Passport Office, HM Courts & Tribunals, universities and register offices, and we back that with a 100% acceptance guarantee.
What is the difference between certified, notarised, sworn and apostilled translation?
A certified translation carries a signed declaration of accuracy from the translation company – that is what UK authorities normally ask for. A notarised translation adds a Notary Public witnessing that signature. An apostille is a government stamp confirming a UK document is genuine, needed when the document is going abroad. "Sworn" translation is a continental European concept with no direct UK equivalent; in the UK a certified translation is normally what is meant.
Can I translate my own documents, or ask a friend?
No. UK authorities require the translation to come from a professional translator or translation company independent of the applicant, precisely so the declaration of accuracy carries weight. A translation you produced yourself will be rejected even if it is perfectly accurate.
How long does a certified translation take?
Most standard certificates are returned as a sealed PDF within 24 to 72 hours, and expedited 24-hour service is available on request. Hard copies are posted to your address the same working day the translation is approved.
Do you need the original document?
No. A clear scan or photograph of the whole document is enough for the translation and certification – every edge and stamp needs to be visible and legible. If the receiving authority has asked to see the original alongside the translation, keep it safe and submit the two together.
What exactly do I receive?
A complete translation of the document formatted to match the original layout, a signed certificate of translation accuracy on company letterhead, our company wet stamp, and the translator's details. You receive it as a sealed digital PDF, and as a printed hard copy by post or in-person collection if you need one.
Do certified translations expire?
The translation itself does not expire, but some authorities want a recently issued document – a police certificate or a bank statement, for example – and will judge the age of the underlying document rather than the translation. If you are reapplying with an older set, tell us and we will reissue the certification at no charge.
Will names, dates and handwriting be reproduced exactly?
Yes. Names, dates, reference numbers, stamps, seals and handwritten annotations are transcribed exactly as they appear, and anything illegible is marked as such rather than guessed. Getting a name or a date wrong is the single most common cause of a rejected application, which is why every certified document is proofread by a second native-speaking linguist.
Which documents do you certify?
Over 114 document types across 76 languages – birth, marriage and death certificates, police and criminal record checks, passports and ID cards, diplomas, transcripts and academic records, driving licences, bank statements, medical records, court judgments, contracts, company records and more. If your document is not on the list, ask.
Are your translations done by humans or by AI?
Certified and official documents are translated by accredited, sworn, fully bilingual human linguists and proofread by a second native speaker. We never put a document destined for the Home Office, a court, a university or an employer through machine translation, whatever the deadline.
Is my document kept confidential?
Yes. Documents are handled under UK GDPR by linguists bound by confidentiality agreements, and your content is never used for anything other than your translation. If your matter needs a specific non-disclosure agreement in place first, send it over and we will sign it.
What happens if my translation is rejected or needs a correction?
Tell us and we fix it immediately. Any iteration, correction or edit is free of charge and turned around the same day or next day, and certified work is covered by our 100% acceptance guarantee and money-back promise.
Do I need to visit an office or post my original documents?
No. The service is handled digitally from end to end: you upload a scan, we translate and certify, and the sealed PDF comes back by email. Where you need the wet-stamped hard copy, it is posted to your address with tracking. Your original documents stay with you throughout – there is nothing to bring in and nothing to risk in the post.
Sworn translation
Is there such a thing as a sworn translator in the UK?
No. The UK has no state register of sworn translators and no official body that swears translators in, unlike France, Spain, Italy, Poland or Germany. When a UK company offers a "sworn translation" what is normally meant is a translation whose declaration of accuracy has been sworn before a solicitor acting as a Commissioner for Oaths, which is the closest UK equivalent.
What is a solicitor-certified sworn translation?
Our translator signs a statutory declaration stating that the translation is a true and complete rendering of the original, and swears it in person before an independent solicitor. Every practising solicitor in England and Wales is automatically a Commissioner for Oaths, so the finished document carries the signature of an officer of the court who has no interest in your case.
Do I need a sworn translation, or is a certified one enough?
For anything inside the UK a certified translation is normally enough, including Home Office and UKVI applications, passport applications, courts, universities, employers and register offices. The sworn and notarised levels are, in practice, an export product. Tell us the destination country and the receiving body and we will confirm the level before you order.
Does the Home Office require a notarised or sworn translation?
No. UK government guidance asks for a certified translation with a statement of accuracy, the date, and the translator's or company's name and contact details, and states that it does not need to be notarised or certified by a solicitor. If someone has told you the Home Office requires notarisation, they are selling you something you do not need.
Will a solicitor-sworn declaration be accepted abroad?
Often, but not always, and nobody can honestly promise otherwise. The FCDO recognises a solicitor's signature, so a solicitor-sworn document can carry an apostille and be used abroad. However, a receiving authority is entitled to insist on a notary's seal, and some do. We check the destination country's requirements before we quote so the question is settled before you pay.
Who swears the declaration – me or the translator?
The translator. The declaration being sworn is a statement about the accuracy of the translation, so it is the person who made the translation who swears it. You do not need to attend an appointment, take time off work or travel.
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