Guide · official sources quoted
What the Home Office asks of a translation.
A document submitted to the Home Office that is not in English or Welsh must come with a full translation that can be independently verified. The Immigration Rules ask for four things on it: confirmation that it is an accurate translation, the date, the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company, and their contact details. For leave to remain and indefinite leave to remain, the translator’s or company’s credentials are required as well.
- Must be
- A full translation that can be independently verified
- Must show
- Accuracy confirmation · date · full name and signature · contact details
- Leave to remain / ILR
- Also: certification by a qualified translator, and credentials
- Sources
- Quoted as they stood on 20 September 2026
What the three official sources say
The wording differs slightly between them, so each is given separately.
- GOV.UK, “Certifying a document”: ask the translator to confirm in writing on the translation that it is a “true and accurate translation of the original document”, the date of the translation, and their full name and contact details.
- Immigration Rules, Part 1, paragraph 39B(f): the original-language version plus a full translation that can be independently verified; dated; with confirmation that it is accurate, the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company, and the translator’s or company’s contact details. For leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain: certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator’s or company’s credentials.
- Home Office guide to supporting documents for visitors: confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation, the date, the translator’s full name and signature, and the translator’s contact details.
What that means for the translation itself
“Full” means every part of the page: stamps, seals, handwritten entries, the reverse, and the second language of a bilingual document. “Independently verified” means a caseworker can find out who made the translation — which is why a real name and working contact details matter more than a rubber stamp.
None of the three sources names an approved list of translators or a required membership body. They set out what the translation must contain.
What our Certificate of Accuracy contains
A statement that the translation is a true and accurate translation of the original; the date; the name of the translator who did the work; the signature of the director of MENDEE LTD as the company’s authorised official, with his professional membership (ITI Affiliate #00030489); the company’s contact details; the language pair; and a reference to the original — document type, date, issuing authority and number of pages.
What we cannot tell you
We translate documents. We are not immigration advisers and MENDEE LTD is not registered with the Immigration Advice Authority, so we cannot say which documents your application needs, how to present them, or what the outcome will be. Requirements also differ between application types — check the guidance for your own application, or ask a regulated adviser.
Questions
Is there a list of Home Office approved translators?
None of the three official sources quoted on this page refers to an approved list or to a required membership body. They set out what the translation must contain: an accuracy confirmation, the date, a full name and signature, and contact details.
Does a translation for the Home Office need to be notarised?
None of the three sources quoted here asks for notarisation. Other bodies, and authorities in other countries, may ask for it — check with whoever is receiving the document.
Can I translate my own documents for the Home Office?
The Immigration Rules ask for a translation that can be independently verified, with the translator’s name, signature and contact details. Whether a self-made translation would satisfy a caseworker is a question for a regulated immigration adviser, not for a translation company.
What happens if a translation is rejected?
If a Home Office or Tribunal rejection is attributable to the quality of our translation, we re-issue it with a fresh Certificate of Accuracy at no cost. That is a remedy for a translation defect; it is not a guarantee about the application.
Official sources
- GOV.UK — Certifying a document: certifying a translation
- Immigration Rules, Part 1, paragraph 39B(f)
- Home Office — Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK
Last reviewed: 20 September 2026