Planning a marriage or civil partnership abroad in 2025? – Let Business Language Services take the hassle out of getting your documents sorted

Getting official documents translated for weddings or civil partnerships abroad can be confusing. Here at Business Language Services, we have over 30 years of experience, so let us help you work out what you need and take the hassle out of the process.

Overall, there are four types of translation certification:

• Certified
• Sworn
• Notarised
• Legalised (also known as apostilled)

The authority or organisation receiving the translation decides on the level of certification, so contact them as a first port of call to ask which type you need.

Certified Translation

Certified translation is the most common type of translation certification and is our standard service level. If your or your partner’s documents were issued abroad and you need to use them in the UK, certified translation is usually what you need. If the translation is into a language other than English or for a country other than the UK, then requirements may vary.

The process of producing a certified translation is as follows:

• Translation, Revision and Proofreading – the document is translated, revised and proofread by qualified and experienced linguists.
• Certification – the translated document is printed and stamped using our ATC (Association of Translation Companies) stamp. Then, either the translator or project manager signs a declaration, confirming that:
  1. The translator is sufficiently qualified and experienced
  2. The translated document is a true and accurate representation of the original
  3. The translation may be legally relied upon

Sworn Translation

In some circumstances, a higher level of certification may be needed. Examples of these circumstances include translations of UK documents into other languages for use abroad.

The concept of ‘sworn’ translation does not exist in the UK but is a requirement for translation of UK documents into many other languages. It generally involves the translator being ‘sworn in’ for their language pair by a court, solicitor or government body. They then typically have the same legal authority as a notary public, and so their sworn translations carry the same level of legal guarantee as a notarised translation in the UK.

At Business Language Services, we have long-standing relationships with many sworn translators and can arrange sworn translation for you, taking the stress of searching for a suitable translator away from you.

Notarised Translation

Notarised translation provides an additional guarantee to the receiving authority. To do this, the certified or sworn translation is sent to a notary public, who confirms that the declaration, stamp and signature from the translator or translation company is genuine. At Business Language Services, we have established relationships with a number of notaries public and can liaise directly with them to get your documents notarised, taking the hassle of making appointments away from you. These notarised translations can be collected from our office or sent directly to your door.

Legalised / Apostilled Translation

In some circumstances, legalisation (also known as apostille) may be needed for documents to be used abroad.

Legalisation (apostille) may be required on:

• Your or your partner’s documents issued in the UK, such as a birth certificate, Decree Absolute or Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage

In this case, legalisation (apostille) gives a legal assurance that the signature, stamp and/or seal on your official document match(es) the records of the Legalisation Office. If your UK documents need to be legalised (apostilled), you will need to attend the office of a notary public in person to verify your identity. We have established relationships with trusted notaries public and can point you in the right direction, so you can rest assured that you’re in touch with a trusted and reputable legal professional.

Legalisation (apostille) may also be required on:

• The translations of your official documents, such as a birth certificate, Decree Absolute / Final Order or Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
• Both the original documents and the translations

If you need your documents to be translated and then legalised (apostilled), we can arrange this process from start to finish, taking the stress out of organisation. To do this, we will:

• Put you in touch with a trusted notary public to arrange legalisation (apostille) of your official UK documents (if required)
• Arrange notarised translation of your documents (notarised translation is required for a translation to be legalised (apostilled))
• Arrange for the notarised translations and the original documents to be sent to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office via an express service (you can bring your original documents to our office, leave them in the safekeeping of the notary public following your appointment, or post them to us)
• Arrange for tracked postage of your legalised (apostilled) documents and your original documents directly to your door (you are welcome to collect your translations and documents in person from our office if you would prefer to do so)

To find out more about our range of certified translation services, speak to one of our team today or click here to get a quote.

Author: Madeleine Phillips, Office Manager