On this page
Eritrean documents we translate for asylum
| Document | Issued by | Usual language | More detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| National ID card | Department of Immigration and Nationality (branches in each Zoba) | Tigrinya and Arabic | ID card translation for asylum |
| Birth certificate | Public Registration Office | Tigrinya or English | Birth certificate translation for asylum |
| Baptism certificate | Eritrean Orthodox Church, other churches | Tigrinya, sometimes Ge'ez | Baptism certificate translation |
| Sawa and national service papers, military ID, release letters | National service and military authorities | Tigrinya | Military service document translation |
| Marriage certificate | Church, mosque or civil office | Tigrinya or Arabic | Marriage certificate translation for family reunion |
| School certificates and reports | Schools and Ministry of Education | Tigrinya or English | Education certificate translation for refugees |
Some Eritreans also hold papers issued in Ethiopia or Sudan while they were in transit. Ethiopian documents are usually in Amharic (see our Amharic asylum document translation page), and Sudanese ones in Arabic.
How Eritrean documents are issued
The national ID card
The Eritrean national ID card is issued by the Department of Immigration and Nationality, which has branches in each Zoba (region). The card is printed in Tigrinya and Arabic, and it does not expire. A report from Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, dated 2013, also says the card is issued to citizens over 18 (IRB report via ecoi.net (opens in a new tab)). Because the card has no expiry date, an old card is still a current document, and we translate it as it stands.
Birth certificates
Birth certificates are issued by the Public Registration Office, in Tigrinya or English. The same IRB report notes that applicants may need a hospital record, a baptismal certificate and witness statements. If you hold any of these supporting papers, send them too. They can help show a consistent date and place of birth.
Church and national service papers
Baptism certificates come from the church, most often the Eritrean Orthodox Church. For many Eritreans, a baptism certificate is the oldest record of their birth and parents. National service papers include documents linked to Sawa, the military training centre where national service begins, as well as military ID cards and letters. We translate unit names, ranks and reference numbers as written, with a short note where a term has no direct English equivalent.
Languages used on Eritrean documents
Tigrinya, written in the Ge'ez (Ethiopic) script, is the language of most Eritrean documents. Arabic appears on the ID card and on many papers for Muslim families. Our Tigrinya asylum document translation page explains how our translators handle the script, handwriting and regional terms.
Some Eritrean papers are mainly in English but carry Tigrinya stamps or notes. We translate those parts too. Tell us what languages you can see, or simply send the photos and we will check.
Dates and names on Eritrean documents
Two calendars
Eritrean state documents, such as the ID card and birth certificate, use the Gregorian calendar. Orthodox Church documents, such as baptism certificates, usually use the Ge'ez (Ethiopian) calendar (Swiss Refugee Council note via ecoi.net (opens in a new tab)).
The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months and runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. Its new year falls on 11 September, or 12 September in some years. A baptism dated in this calendar can look several years "wrong" if nobody converts it. We translate the date as written, then add the Gregorian equivalent in a translator's note.
Names
Eritreans usually do not have a family surname. A full name is normally your own name, then your father's name, then your grandfather's name. UK forms often treat the father's name as a surname, and spellings vary, such as Tesfay and Tesfaye. We use the spelling on your Home Office papers or passport and keep it the same everywhere.
Eritrea document translation for asylum: price and delivery
Eritrean documents are usually short. An ID card or baptism certificate is normally priced as a single short document.
- ID cards and single certificates: from £15 per document
- Longer documents: from £18 per page
- Standard delivery: 1 working day for ID cards and certificates, 2–3 working days for longer documents
- Urgent delivery: same day or within 24 hours, from £10 extra per document
Prices shown are starting prices and include VAT. We confirm your exact price in a written quote before any work starts.
If your interview or hearing is soon, use our urgent asylum document translation service. All fees are listed on our translation prices page.
What you receive
- A complete English translation, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes
- A translator's note for every calendar conversion
- A signed certificate stating it is a "true and accurate translation of the original document", with the date and the translator's full name and contact details, as GOV.UK asks
- Work by UK-based translators, never machine translation, from a company that is a member of the ITI, CIOL and ATC
Certified translation
Baptism certificate (Eritrean Orthodox church record)
- Full name
- redacted
- Father's name
- redacted
- Mother's name
- redacted
- Date of birth
- redacted
- Date of baptism
- redacted
- Place of baptism
- redacted church, redacted Zoba
- Priest
- redacted
- [Round stamp: church, partly illegible]
- [Translator's note: dates are in the Ethiopian calendar; we add the Gregorian date in square brackets.]
- [Signature]
Translator's statement
I confirm that this is a true and accurate translation of the original document.
Date
DD/MM/YYYY
Translator
Full name
Signature
Your documents stay private under UK GDPR and are deleted after delivery. We translate; we do not advise on your claim. For advice, speak to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA).
Frequently asked questions
Which Eritrean documents help an asylum claim?
Your solicitor should decide what to submit. Eritrean claimants often use a national ID card, birth certificate or baptism certificate to show identity, age and family. National service papers, military ID or letters may relate to the reasons for the claim. The Home Office or the tribunal decides how much weight each document gets. We give you an accurate, complete certified translation of each one.
Do you convert Ethiopian calendar dates on church certificates?
Yes. We keep the original date exactly as written, for example the Ge'ez month and year, and add the Gregorian date in a translator's note. We check the conversion carefully, because a date that looks seven or eight years different can confuse a caseworker. If the certificate does not give a full date, we convert only what it shows and say so.
Do you offer Eritrea documents translation UK-wide?
Yes. We work online, so you can send photos from anywhere in the UK. You can translate Eritrean documents for Home Office claims, appeals and later applications in one consistent format.
Send your Eritrean documents for a free certified translation quote. We reply with a fixed price and a delivery date.
Last reviewed 1 October 2026. This page explains our translation service and is not legal advice.