Iranian Document Translation for UK Asylum Claims

Iranian documents we translate for asylum

Iranian court and security papers are often short but dense. One summons can hold a case number, a branch number, a charge, a deadline and a warning. We translate every line, including the stamp and the signature block.

How Iranian documents are issued

The facts below come mainly from Landinfo, the Norwegian country-information centre (Landinfo report on Iranian documents, via ecoi.net (opens in a new tab)).

NOCR: Shenasnameh and Kart-e Melli

The Shenasnameh is issued by the National Organization for Civil Registration (NOCR), known in Iran as Sabt-e Ahval, under the Ministry of the Interior. The current booklet comes in two versions. Children under 15 have a green cover, and people over 15 have a brown cover. Only the brown version has a photo. The later pages record events such as marriage, divorce, children and death, so we translate every page that has an entry.

The Kart-e Melli is the national ID card, also from the NOCR. Only the electronic smart-card version is now issued. It has been issued since 2012 and is valid for seven years. Older paper cards still turn up as evidence, and we translate those the same way.

Courts and the Sana system

Political, religious and security cases are often heard by the Revolutionary Courts, which issue summons and verdicts. Iran's judiciary also uses Sana, its electronic registration and notification system. Summons and notices can be served through it, via the judiciary's website (adliran.ir). A Sana notice may reach you as a screenshot or a printout rather than a stamped paper. We translate what is shown and describe the format in a note.

Languages used on Iranian documents

Iranian official documents are in Persian (Farsi), written right to left in the Perso-Arabic script. Our Farsi asylum document translation page explains our Farsi translators, handwriting and legal terms.

Kurdish claimants from Iran often have letters, party membership papers or messages in Kurdish, even though their state documents are in Persian. See our Kurdish asylum document translation page for Sorani and other Kurdish dialects.

Dates and names on Iranian documents

Solar Hijri dates

Iran's official calendar is the Solar Hijri (Shamsi) calendar. The year begins at Nowruz in March, and months have Persian names such as Farvardin, Mehr and Esfand. For example, 1 Farvardin 1400 is 21 March 2021.

We translate the date as written, then add the Gregorian date in square brackets or a translator's note. Getting this right matters. A summons date or hearing deadline converted wrongly by even one day can confuse the story told in your interview or appeal.

Names and numbers

Persian names can be written in English in several ways, such as Hosseini or Hosseyni, and Mohammad or Mohamad. We use your passport spelling, or the spelling your solicitor gives us, and keep it the same across every document.

Iranian documents also carry long reference numbers, including the 10-digit national code, the Shenasnameh serial and court case numbers. We copy them digit by digit and convert Persian numerals into Western numerals.

Iran document translation for asylum: price and delivery

Price depends on the number of pages. A Kart-e Melli is usually one page. A Shenasnameh with several filled pages, or a court verdict, costs more. We quote a fixed price before starting.

• Certified translation: from £18 per page (ID cards and single certificates from £15 per document)
• 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 hearing or interview is close, we offer urgent asylum document translation. You can compare all fees on our translation prices page.

What you get

Your certified translation comes as a PDF with a signed statement that it is a "true and accurate translation of the original document". It includes the date and the translator's full name and contact details, as GOV.UK guidance requires. It is signed by a qualified translator, and we are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC. We never use machine translation for certified work.

Sample

Certified translation

Iranian birth certificate (Shenasnameh)

Farsi → English

Full name

redacted

Father's name

redacted

Mother's name

redacted

Date of birth

redacted

Place of birth

redacted

Certificate serial number

redacted

Issuing authority

Civil Registration Organisation

• [Round stamp: civil registration office, partly illegible]
• [Handwritten: entries in the margin]
• [Translator's note: dates are in the Solar Hijri calendar; we add the Gregorian date in square brackets.]

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

Iranian cases can involve sensitive political or religious details. Your files stay confidential under UK GDPR, are uploaded through an encrypted link, and are deleted after delivery. We do not give legal advice. A solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) can advise on your case.