Marriage Certificate and Nikah Nama Translation for Family Reunion and Family Visas

Marriage certificate translation for family reunion: what you receive

Your marriage record is the main proof that you and your partner are legally or religiously married. A caseworker will compare it with your asylum statement, your partner's documents and any other evidence of your relationship. So the translation must be complete and consistent.

We give you:

1. A full English translation of every page and every column, including empty boxes marked [blank].
2. All people named on the record: husband, wife, fathers, guardians or representatives (wakil), witnesses, the officiant and the registrar.
3. Seals, stamps, thumbprints and signatures, each described in square brackets, for example [thumbprint of bride] or [oval stamp: Nikah Registrar, Union Council].
4. Dates in both forms where the original uses the Solar Hijri, Islamic lunar or Ethiopian calendar.
5. A signed certification statement confirming a true and accurate translation, the date, the translator's full name, signature and contact details, and our credentials. We are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC.

The Home Office's family rules say a document not in English or Welsh needs "a full translation that can be independently verified" (Appendix FM-SE, paragraph 1(j) (opens in a new tab)). We write every translation with that in mind. You get a PDF by email and, if you ask, a signed printed copy by post.

Sample

Certified translation

Marriage certificate

Arabic → English

Husband's full name

redacted

Wife's full name

redacted

Date of marriage

redacted

Place of marriage

redacted

Witnesses

redacted

Certificate number

redacted

Issuing authority

Civil status court

• [Round stamp: court, partly illegible]
• [Signature]
• [Translator's note: dates in the Hijri calendar are converted, with 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

Marriage records we translate

Most couples who reach us have religious marriage records, local certificates or both. Each type has its own layout and pitfalls.

Nikah Nama translation for family reunion

The Pakistani Nikah Nama is a long form with numbered columns. It records the couple, their representatives, witnesses, the mahr (dower), any special conditions and whether the right of divorce has been delegated to the wife. We translate every column, including the mahr amount and payment terms. For a deeper look at the columns, see our dedicated Nikah Nama translation page. Our Urdu asylum document translation team handles the handwriting.

Afghan Nikah Khat

The Home Office often calls the Afghan marriage certificate a "Nikah Khat". It may also be called a Nikah Nama or, at Afghan embassies, a Zawjiyat Khat. Dates are usually in the Solar Hijri calendar. Our Pashto and Dari document translators show the original date and the Gregorian date together.

Islamic marriage certificate translation for Sudan and Iraq

Our Islamic marriage certificate translation UK service also covers Sudanese and Iraqi marriage contracts. Caseworkers need the court name, case or contract number and the names of witnesses and the guardian (wali). We keep these exactly as written. Our Arabic asylum document translation page covers other Sudanese and Iraqi records.

Church and civil certificates

A religious marriage certificate translation from Eritrea is usually from a church record in Tigrinya, sometimes dated in the Ethiopian calendar. See our Tigrinya asylum document translation service. Civil certificates from any country are translated the same careful way.

Divorce papers and previous marriages

If either partner was married before, the caseworker may ask how that marriage ended. We translate the papers that show it, so the full history is clear.

Talaq Nama

A Talaq Nama is a written divorce by the husband. In Pakistan it is normally followed by a notice to the Union Council and, later, a divorce certificate. We translate each document, with dates and reference numbers.

Khula

A Khula is a divorce started by the wife, usually through a family court. We translate the court decree, the case number and the judge's orders.

Court divorce decrees and death certificates

We also translate civil divorce decrees and, where a former spouse has died, the death certificate. For more detail, see our divorce certificate translation for refugees page.

Where your translated marriage certificate is used

Family reunion and family visas

New refugee family reunion applications have been paused since 4 September 2025. In March 2026 the Home Office said the route "remains paused". Check GOV.UK for the latest position before you apply. Applications made before the cut-off are still processed under the old rules. For now, many refugees use the standard family visa route under Appendix FM, which has its own fee and rules.

For a marriage certificate translation for spouse visa refugee applications, the translation is the same careful document. Our refugee family reunion document translation page explains the other papers these applications usually need.

Your asylum claim

If your partner is part of your claim or your account, your marriage record may be sent with your other asylum claim evidence translation.

Giving notice of marriage in the UK

If you are marrying again in the UK, the register office may ask for proof that a previous marriage has ended. Foreign-language papers will need an English translation.

Settlement and citizenship

Marriage records may be needed again when you apply for settlement, British citizenship or a passport. See our refugee ILR and citizenship translation page.

Proof of your relationship

Chats and calls can support a relationship too. If you have messages in another language, see our page on translating WhatsApp evidence for asylum.

Whether a religious or unregistered marriage is recognised is a legal question. We translate; we do not give legal advice. Please ask a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly OISC).

Languages for marriage certificate translation

We translate marriage and divorce records into English from:

• Urdu (Pakistan): Nikah Nama, MRC, Talaq Nama, Khula decrees
• Dari and Pashto (Afghanistan): Nikah Khat, court marriage records
• Persian: Iranian marriage deeds and Shenasnameh entries, through our Farsi asylum document translation team
• Arabic (Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen): marriage contracts and court records
• Tigrinya (Eritrea): church and civil certificates
• Bengali and Kurdish: Kabin Nama and civil certificates

Marriage certificate translation price and delivery time

A civil certificate is usually one page. A Nikah Nama or court record can be two to four pages, especially with handwritten notes.

Prices shown are starting prices and include VAT. We confirm your exact price in a written quote before any work starts. If you are sending marriage, birth and divorce papers together, we quote them as one order. See our full translation prices page for details.

Notarised marriage certificate translation for use abroad

The Home Office and UK register offices normally accept a certified translation. The Immigration Rules do not ask for notarisation.

You may need a notarised translation if the document will be used outside the UK. Examples include registering your marriage at an embassy, or sending documents to a court in another country. A notary public confirms the translator's signature. Read our notarised translation for refugees page to see how it works. Notarisation starts from £45 per bundle (VAT included) and adds 1 working day; your written quote confirms the exact price.