Translation Services for Immigration Solicitors and Refugee Charities

Legal aid quotes and invoicing

Much asylum casework is publicly funded, so our legal aid translation services are set up to fit the Legal Aid Agency's (LAA) process rather than work around it.

How the LAA treats translation costs

Translation is claimed as a disbursement. The LAA's Guidance on the Remuneration of Expert Witnesses (version 7, September 2022) codifies interpreter rates but sets no fixed rate for translators. Instead, prior authority is needed where translation exceeds £100 per 1,000 words. Prior authority is also, in the LAA's words, "the only way to guarantee an hourly rate in advance". Please check the LAA website for any newer version of the guidance before relying on these figures.

What we provide for prior authority

• A written, itemised quote per bundle. Word count per document, language pair, rate and total, on letterhead ready to attach to your application.
• No work without instruction. We start only when you confirm authority is granted, or that you are proceeding at your own risk.

Invoicing the firm

We invoice the firm, not the client, and put your client reference, LAA case reference (if given) and fee earner's name on every invoice, and you pay on agreed terms. Your client pays nothing and never has to handle our invoice.

Bundle-ready translations for Tribunal deadlines

Rule 12(5) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Rules 2014 says a document not written in English "must be accompanied by an English translation" (legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)). Bundle procedure now sits under the FtT IAC Practice Direction 2024, in force since 1 November 2024. Your directions set the deadline, so we build delivery around them.

How we format bundle translations

• Matched to your index. Each translation carries the same tab or page reference as the original in your bundle, so the judge can move between them easily.
• Searchable PDFs. Text-based, not scanned images, so you can search, copy quotes into skeleton arguments and paginate.
• One certificate per document, or a single certificate with a schedule for large bundles, as you prefer.
• Translator's notes, not commentary. Illegible text, calendar conversions (Solar Hijri, Ethiopian) and transliteration choices are noted in square brackets. We never comment on credibility or meaning beyond the text.
• Consistent names. We match the spelling of names to the Home Office file or your client's eVisa, if you send it.

Staged delivery

For large appeal bundles, we can deliver in stages: the key documents first (for example FIRs, arrest warrants and court judgments), then the rest. This lets you draft your witness statement while the remaining translations are finished. See asylum appeal bundle translation for the full process, and fresh asylum claim translation for further submissions.

Tight deadlines

If directions are short, we offer urgent asylum document translation, including same-day delivery for short documents. For bulk legal translation immigration work, we split large bundles across several qualified translators of the same language. One lead translator reviews the whole bundle so names and terms stay consistent.

Rare languages for asylum casework

The languages your clients need are often the hardest to find. In the year to June 2026, the six most common nationalities claiming asylum in the UK were Pakistani, Eritrean, Iranian, Sudanese, Afghan and Bangladeshi. That means Urdu, Tigrinya, Farsi, Arabic, Pashto, Dari and Bengali, plus Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji), Amharic, Somali, Oromo and others.

Our UK-based translators know the documents as well as the language, and we never use machine translation for certified work. For example:

• Afghan paper Tazkiras often show an age in a Solar Hijri year rather than a date of birth.
• Iraqi CSIDs and Nationality Certificates have been invalid since 1 April 2024, replaced by the INID. Older cards still appear in bundles as historical evidence.
• Pakistani FIRs are often handwritten in Urdu.
• Eritrean state documents use the Gregorian calendar, while Orthodox baptism certificates usually use the Ethiopian calendar.

See our full list of asylum document translation languages. We cover 140+ languages; tell us the language and we confirm before you pay.

Specialist evidence

We also translate medico-legal and scarring reports into the client's language, and GP and hospital records from abroad into English. See medical report translation for asylum. For chat logs, we produce time-stamped translations of WhatsApp and social media evidence that sit next to the screenshots.

Secure file transfer and confidentiality

Asylum files hold sensitive personal data, often about third parties still at risk. We handle them accordingly.

• UK GDPR. We can act as your data processor and sign a data processing agreement.
• Secure transfer. Encrypted upload, or your firm's own secure file-sharing platform if you prefer.
• NDAs. Every translator signs a confidentiality agreement before receiving any file.
• Deletion schedule. Files are deleted after delivery on a set schedule, and we confirm deletion in writing on request. See our privacy policy.
• Conflict checks. We ask translators to declare any connection to the client, the region or the political groups named in the evidence.

Charity and caseworker rates

We offer translation for refugee charities and community organisations at a reduced rate: 15% off all translations. Our charity rate is available to UK registered charities, refugee community organisations, law centres and individuals referred by one of these organisations with a referral letter or email. This covers casework for clients who cannot get legal aid, such as some family reunion, ILR and citizenship applications.

We also provide translation for immigration advisers regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly OISC). We translate only; we do not advise on the merits of any case. Our standard rates are on our asylum document translation prices page. Prices shown there are starting prices and include VAT, and we confirm the exact price in a written quote before any work starts.

Open a firm account

A firm account makes repeat instructions faster. Tell us:

1. Firm or organisation name, SRA or IAA number, or charity number
2. Billing contact and invoice address
3. Fee earners or caseworkers who will send work
4. Preferred secure transfer method
5. Standard formatting needs, such as bundle tab references or one certificate per document

Send these details to info@asylumdocumenttranslations.co.uk, or call +44 7482 545337, and we will set up your account and confirm your rates in writing.

We provide translation for law firms UK-wide, working remotely with firms wherever they are based. Asylum Document Translations is based at 33 Willmore Road, Birmingham, B20 3JH, United Kingdom. We are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC and work to ISO-certified quality processes.