Do I need a notarised translation for UKVI, or is certified enough?
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Certified is enough. A signed and stamped copy is all UKVI has ever asked for on a visa, settlement or nationality file, and paying for more is money gone for nothing. A notary only comes in when the same paper is heading to an office or a court outside Britain. If somebody has told you otherwise, send us their wording and we will read it with you.
My registry gave me a multilingual form. Will that do instead?
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Usually not, and this catches a lot of families out. Registries in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal hand out an extract with printed field labels in several languages and call it international. HM Passport Office has refused these, because printed labels are not a translation of the entries written on the page. Send us whatever you were given and we will write the whole thing out.
Does the apostille page have to be translated as well?
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Only if the office reading it says so. Many apostilles are already printed in two languages, so plenty of readers take the certificate on its own. Where yours is wanted too, it is a few lines and costs very little. We quote it both ways so the choice stays with you.
Will my name be spelled the way my passport has it?
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Yes, if you tell us. Send your passport page with the order and the English copy follows that spelling, with a short note where the original differs. This matters most with Greek, Arabic, Urdu, Ukrainian, Chinese and Turkish records. Two spellings and no explanation is one of the commonest reasons a caseworker writes back.
My certificate came as a PDF with a code on it. Is that usable?
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Yes, and we handle these every week. Registries in Spain, Peru, Portugal and Greece now issue electronically signed records carrying a verification reference. We reproduce that reference and the signature block, so the office can look your original up online. There is no need to order a paper copy first.
I have fifteen pages of bank statements. Do I pay for every one?
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No. Wording that repeats month after month is charged once, and only what changes is counted after that. It is why six months never costs six times one month, and why it is worth sending the whole bundle in one go rather than in pieces.
Can I have just the important lines done rather than the whole page?
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Sometimes, and it turns on who is reading it. A short version covering your name, the headings and the monthly totals is often enough for a visitor file. Where the detail itself is the evidence, a part-done set looks like something was held back. Tell us the route and we will say honestly which one you are in.
My appointment is tomorrow. Is it too late to send it now?
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Probably not. Most single page documents are back in about four hours, and we keep people working at weekends and on bank holidays because appointment dates do not care what day it is. Send the file and your deadline in the same message, and you will get a straight answer before you pay anything.
I am applying from outside the UK. Can you still do this?
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Yes, and a good half of our work is exactly that. Files reach us from Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, Mexico and the United States every week. Everything runs by email, so you never post an original and you never sit in a waiting room.
Do I upload the original as well as the English copy?
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Both, side by side, for every document. UKVI expects to see the source page next to the translation. Sending the English on its own is a common reason for being asked for more evidence, and that can add weeks to a decision.
Can the same translation be used again for my next application?
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Usually yes, as long as the original has not been reissued. Work done for a visa often goes on to support a settlement or citizenship file years later. Some offices want something dated within three or six months, and we reissue at a reduced rate in that case.
What happens if a caseworker queries the translation?
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Send us the exact wording they used and we act on it the same day. If the fault is ours it is corrected and reissued free. Requirements do shift, so where an office now wants an extra line or a different layout, we add it rather than charging you for a fresh order.
