ID Card Translation for Asylum: Tazkira, CNIC, Shenasnameh, Iraqi ID

ID card translation for asylum: what you receive

An ID card is small, but it is dense. One side can hold a photo, a serial number, three dates, a chip, a barcode and a stamp. We translate all of it.

Your certified translation shows:

• Front and back in the same order as the card, with headings such as [Front of card] and [Reverse of card].
• Every field label and entry, for example "Father's name", "Place of issue", "Date of expiry".
• Numbers exactly as printed, including ID numbers, family register references and serial numbers. We never "correct" a number.
• Non-text features described in brackets: [photograph of holder], [hologram], [QR code], [embossed stamp, partly legible].
• Dates in the original calendar with a Gregorian conversion where needed.
• A signed certification statement that the translation is true and accurate, with the date, the translator's full name, signature and contact details, and our credentials: we are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC. This follows GOV.UK's Certifying a document (opens in a new tab) guidance.

You receive a PDF by email. A signed paper copy can be posted on request.

Sample

Certified translation

National identity card, front and back

Arabic and Kurdish → English

Full name

redacted

Father's name

redacted

Mother's name

redacted

Date of birth

redacted

Place of birth

redacted

Card number

redacted

Issuing authority

Ministry of Interior

Date of expiry

redacted

• [Photograph]
• [Round stamp: issuing office, partly illegible]
• [Translator's note: both sides of the card are translated, including the back.]

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

ID documents we translate by country

Each country's ID has its own fields, script and history. Our national ID card translation for asylum is done by translators who know these formats.

Tazkira (Afghanistan)

Two types are in circulation: the paper Tazkira and the electronic e-Tazkira. Both are issued by Afghanistan's civil registration authority (ACCRA, formerly under NSIA). The paper form is in Dari and Pashto. The e-Tazkira has field labels in Pashto, Dari and English. Dates use the Solar Hijri calendar. Most paper Tazkiras give an age at the time of issue, such as "18 years old in 1395", rather than a date of birth. For Tazkira translation UK clients can find more detail on our Tazkira translation page and our Afghanistan document translation for asylum page.

CNIC, NICOP and Form B (Pakistan)

NADRA issues the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), the NICOP for Pakistanis abroad and the Form B (Child Registration Certificate). Cards are mostly in English with Urdu fields. For a CNIC translation for Home Office use, we translate the Urdu text, the address on the back and any NADRA stamps. See our CNIC translation page and our Pakistan document translation for asylum guide.

Shenasnameh and Kart-e Melli (Iran)

The Shenasnameh is a birth certificate booklet issued by the National Organization for Civil Registration (NOCR). The newer format has a green cover for under-15s and a brown cover for over-15s; only the brown one has a photo. The Kart-e Melli is the national ID card. The smart card has been issued since 2012 and is valid for seven years. For Shenasnameh translation UK details, including marriage and child entries, see our Shenasnameh translation page and the Iran document translation for asylum page.

Iraqi INID, CSID and Nationality Certificate

Iraq now issues the INID (Unified National Card). Older Iraqis may hold a Civil Status ID (CSID) and an Iraqi Nationality Certificate (INC). Records also refer to the "Family Book" by volume and page number, which we always translate. See our Iraqi ID card translation page and the Iraq document translation for asylum page.

Eritrean ID card translation

Eritrean national ID cards usually carry text in Tigrinya and Arabic. We translate both scripts in full, together with any stamps and handwritten entries. More Eritrean documents are covered on our Eritrea document translation for asylum page.

Sudanese national number card

Since 2011, Sudan's General Directorate for Civil Registration (Ministry of Interior) has issued the national number and ID cards. They are in Arabic, with mainly Gregorian dates. See our Sudan document translation for asylum page.

Other national ID cards

We also translate Bangladesh's National ID (NID), issued by the Election Commission, as well as Albanian and Vietnamese identity cards. See our pages on Bangladesh document translation for asylum, Albania document translation for asylum and Vietnam document translation for asylum.

Old, damaged and replaced ID documents

Many people arrive with worn, cracked, water-damaged or expired cards. Some cards have been replaced by new systems. We translate what is there and say clearly what is not.

How we mark damage

• Unreadable text: [illegible] or [illegible: approx. 2 words].
• Partly readable text: we give the readable part and mark the rest, for example "Moham[illegible]".
• Torn or missing areas: [corner of card missing; text not visible].
• Faded stamps: [circular stamp, text partly legible: "...Directorate of..."].

We never fill a gap with a guess. A caseworker needs to know what the document actually shows.

Iraq: CSID no longer valid

The Home Office's Iraq country bulletin (July 2026) says the Iraqi Ministry of Interior ended use of the CSID from 1 April 2024. The CSID and the Iraqi Nationality Certificate "are no longer valid and cannot be used", and have been replaced by the INID. Since October 2024, Iraqis in the UK can enrol for an INID at the Iraqi Embassy in London. Source: GOV.UK Iraq country bulletin, July 2026 (opens in a new tab).

Expired and replaced cards

We translate expired cards exactly as they are, including the expiry date. If you have both an old and a new card, send both. We will use the same spelling on each.

Where your translated ID card is used

1. Identity and nationality evidence. An ID card is usually sent with your other asylum claim evidence translation, such as birth records and letters.
2. Age evidence. For young people, a Tazkira or Form B may be part of age evidence. The Home Office or a council decides what weight to give it.
3. Appeals and fresh claims. Your solicitor may include the translated ID in a later bundle.
4. Settlement and citizenship. The same translation may be needed again later. See our refugee ILR and citizenship translation page.

Our translations are certified to meet the Home Office's published requirements. We cannot say whether an ID will be accepted as genuine, and we do not give legal advice. For that, speak to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly OISC).

Languages for id card translation

We translate ID documents into English from these languages:

ID card translation price and delivery time

Most ID cards are priced as one page, even with two sides. A Shenasnameh booklet or Family Book extract may be several pages.

Prices shown are starting prices and include VAT. We confirm your exact price in a written quote before any work starts. If your interview is close, ask for urgent delivery when you request your ID card translation quote. See our full translation prices.