WhatsApp, Social Media and Voice Note Translation for Asylum

WhatsApp evidence translation for asylum: what you receive

A pile of screenshots is hard for a caseworker or judge to follow. A clear table, in time order, is much easier. We keep every message exactly as it was written and show who sent it and when.

You receive:

• A translation table with columns for date, time, sender, the original message and the English translation.
• Every message in the selected range, including short replies, deleted-message notices and missed-call lines.
• Emoji, stickers, images and links described in square brackets, such as [emoji: crying face] or [photo: not translated, no text].
• Voice notes transcribed and translated, with the length of each clip.
• Translator notes for slang, local sayings, mixed languages and spelling errors that change meaning.
• A signed certification statement confirming a true and accurate translation, with the date, the translator's full name, signature and contact details. We are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC.

We send the translation as a PDF, and as an editable file if your solicitor wants to add page numbers for a bundle.

Sample

Certified translation

WhatsApp chat excerpt, translation table

Urdu → English

Message 1: date, time, sender

[REDACTED date], 09:14, [Sender A]

Message 1: English

[Translated message text]

Message 2: date, time, sender

[REDACTED date], 09:16, [Sender B]

Message 2: English

[Translated message text]

Message 3: date, time, sender

[REDACTED date], 09:21, [Sender A]

Message 3: English

[emoji: crying face] [Translated message text]

Voice note

[Voice note, 0:42: transcribed and translated]

• [Photo: not translated, no text]
• [Translator's note: slang expression translated by meaning, with the literal wording given here.]

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

Digital evidence we translate

WhatsApp chats and exports

WhatsApp lets you export a chat as a text file, with or without media. An export is usually better than screenshots, because it includes the date and time of every message. If you can only send screenshots, we work from those. We translate one-to-one chats and group chats, and we label each group member consistently.

Screenshots

Many people only have screenshots, often sent on by relatives. For a screenshot translation for tribunal use, we translate everything visible in the image: the contact name, the time stamps, the messages and any system notices. If the date is not shown in the screenshot, we write [date not visible]. We never add a date we cannot see.

Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and other posts

A Facebook post translation for asylum covers the post text, the account name as shown, the date, and any visible comments or shares you ask us to include. We also translate Telegram channels, Instagram captions, X (Twitter) posts, TikTok captions and YouTube comments. This social media evidence translation can support claims about threats, political activity or public posts made in the UK.

Voice notes and videos

Voice notes are common in threats and family messages. Voice note translation has two stages. First, the translator writes down exactly what is said in the original language (a transcription). Then we translate it into English. Long recordings, phone calls and videos are covered on our audio video translation for asylum page.

Dates, senders and timestamps in the translation

This is where a careful translation adds real value. A judge needs to know who said what, and when.

Sample table layout

How we handle dates and times

• Dates copied exactly as the export or screenshot shows them, in the same format. We do not change the time zone.
• Senders named as they appear, such as the saved contact name or phone number. If you tell us who a contact is, we can add it in square brackets, for example "Ahmad [client's brother]".
• Messages kept in order, including gaps. If you only send part of a chat, the table says which dates it covers.

Which messages to translate

A full chat can run to thousands of messages. Translating all of it can be costly and may not help your case. Ask your solicitor which dates or topics matter. We can then translate only that part and clearly state the range, for example "Messages from 1 January 2026 to 14 February 2026".

Emoji, slang and mixed languages

Messages often mix languages, for example Farsi written in Latin letters, or Arabic with English words. We translate each part and note the mix. Emoji are described, not interpreted. Slang and local sayings get a short note so the meaning is not lost.

Where your translated WhatsApp evidence is used

1. Your Home Office claim. Messages can support your account of threats or events. They are often sent with other asylum claim evidence translation.
2. Your appeal. The Tribunal needs an English translation of any evidence not in English. A clear WhatsApp message translation for court use is easier to put into an asylum appeal bundle translation.
3. Proof of a relationship. Regular messages and calls between partners or with children abroad can support a family application. New refugee family reunion applications have been paused since 4 September 2025, and the Home Office said in March 2026 that the route "remains paused". Check GOV.UK for the latest position. See our refugee family reunion document translation page.

Written threats on paper are covered on our threat letter translation for asylum page.

Our translations are certified to meet the Home Office's published requirements. We do not check whether messages are genuine or who wrote them, and we do not give legal advice. For advice on what to submit, speak to a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly OISC).

Languages for WhatsApp evidence translation

We translate digital evidence from the languages most used by people seeking asylum in the UK:

• Arabic, including dialects from Sudan, Iraq, Syria and Libya, and Arabic written in Latin letters. See Arabic asylum document translation.
• Farsi, including "Finglish" (Farsi in Latin letters). See Farsi asylum document translation.
• Kurdish, Sorani and Kurmanji. See Kurdish asylum document translation.
• Urdu and Punjabi, often written as Roman Urdu. See Urdu asylum document translation.
• Pashto, Dari and Tigrinya, including voice notes.

WhatsApp evidence translation price and delivery time

Chats are priced by the amount of text or audio, not by the number of screenshots.

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, or ask about urgent asylum document translation if your deadline is close.