Nikah Nama Translation from Urdu to English

Nikah Nama translation for your case: what you receive

A Nikah Nama is the Islamic marriage contract used in Pakistan. It is completed by a licensed Nikah Registrar at the wedding and then registered with the local Union Council. Most forms are printed in Urdu with handwritten entries, and some have English headings too.

For your Urdu Nikah Nama to English translation you receive:

1. A full translation of every column, including blank ones, marked "[blank]".
2. The column numbers kept as on the form, so a caseworker can compare line by line.
3. Descriptions of stamps, signatures, thumbprints and photographs.
4. A certification statement confirming a "true and accurate translation of the original document", with the date, the translator's full name, signature and contact details, as described on GOV.UK's certifying a document (opens in a new tab) page, and our credentials. We are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC.
5. A PDF copy by email and an optional posted hard copy.

Sample

Certified translation

Nikah Nama (Islamic marriage certificate)

Urdu → English

Groom's full name

redacted

Bride's full name

redacted

Date of nikah

redacted

Place of nikah

redacted

Dower (haq mehr)

redacted

Witnesses

redacted

Officiant (Nikah Khwan)

redacted

• [Round stamp: Union Council, partly illegible]
• [Handwritten: entries in the register, translated in full]
• [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

Nikah Nama columns and clauses

The standard Pakistani Nikah Nama form has 25 numbered columns. The layout can differ slightly between provinces and printings, so we always follow your form rather than a template. The columns fall into five groups.

The conditions clauses are often short or crossed through, and they are easy to misread. Because they can matter in later divorce or family matters, we translate them word for word and note any crossing-out, for example "[struck through in original]".

Dates on a Pakistani Nikah Nama are normally Gregorian. Occasionally the Islamic (Hijri) date is written too. Where it is, we translate it as written and do not change it.

Nikah Nama and NADRA marriage certificate

The Nikah Nama is registered with the Union Council. NADRA then issues a computerised Marriage Registration Certificate (MRC), which is shorter and more standardised. Many couples have both.

• The Nikah Nama shows the full contract: witnesses, mahr and conditions.
• The NADRA MRC confirms the marriage is on the national database and gives both spouses' CNIC numbers.

We translate both together and match the spellings across them. Our NADRA marriage certificate translation is usually quicker, as the form is short. Tell us if you also need the spouses' CNICs; see our page on CNIC translation.

Where your translated Nikah Nama is used

A Pakistani marriage certificate translation is used for:

• Family applications: proof of marriage when a refugee sponsors a spouse. New refugee family reunion applications have been paused since 4 September 2025 and remained paused in March 2026. Check GOV.UK for the latest position before you apply. Our refugee family reunion document translation page covers the rest of the evidence.
• Asylum claims and appeals: where your marriage is part of your account.
• Register office: when giving notice of a new marriage, to show previous marital status.
• ILR and citizenship: where marital history is asked for.

Our main guide to marriage certificate translation for family reunion covers marriage papers from other countries, such as the Afghan Nikah Khat. We translate; we do not advise which documents to send. Ask a solicitor or an IAA-regulated adviser about your case.

Languages for Nikah Nama translation

Almost all Pakistani Nikah Namas are in Urdu, written in the Nastaliq style. Our Urdu asylum document translation specialists read registrars' handwriting, which is often fast and cramped.

Some families also hold papers in Punjabi or Sindhi, and some Nikah Namas come from Bangladesh or India in other scripts. For the wider set of papers from Pakistan, such as police and court records, see Pakistan document translation for asylum.

Nikah Nama translation price and delivery time

A Nikah Nama is usually two to four pages. Translation costs from £18 per page, and the NADRA MRC, as a single certificate, from £15.

• Standard delivery: 1 working day for the NADRA MRC and other single certificates, 2–3 working days for a full Nikah Nama
• 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. See our translation prices page, or send your pages for a free Nikah Nama translation quote. Uploads are encrypted, handled under UK GDPR and deleted after delivery.

Notarised Nikah Nama translation for use abroad

The Home Office does not ask for notarised translations. A certified translation meets its published requirements. Some embassies and foreign authorities do ask for notarisation, for example when a translated Nikah Nama is used outside the UK.

If you need this, we arrange notarisation with a UK notary public, from £45 per bundle (VAT included). It adds 1 working day, and your written quote confirms the exact price. Read more on our notarised translation for refugees page. Check with the receiving authority first, so you do not pay for something you do not need.