By now, several million people have fled Ukraine. In the UK, the Ukraine Family Scheme Visa is open for applications for the family members of Ukrainians already settled in the country, with thousands of refugees expected to apply.
But visa applications require certified translations of documents such as birth and marriage certificates. Many refugees not fluent in English rely on interpreting to communicate with UK authorities. Access to language support is a critical element in the UK’s response to the escalating crisis.
A language support task force
UK-based translation, interpreting and language service associations and organisations have formed a language support task force to respond to the rapidly developing need for Ukrainian into English language support in the UK.
The task force consists of Charity Translators, CIOL, ITI, NRPSI, the AIIC UK & Ireland and the ATC.
Free of Charge – Ukrainian-English Translation Templates for Official Documents
The UK’s Ukraine Language Support Task Force has produced model document translations from Ukrainian into English for key Ukrainian official documents:
- Birth Certificate (in two versions: late Soviet-era and more recent)
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Certificate
The Ukrainian model has the language code UK in the file name, and the English model the language code EN.
Both the UK and EN models have blank spaces _____ for personal details.
About the template translations
The templates have been made available through Task Force partner Charity Translators, and may be downloaded and used free of charge from www.charitytranslators.org/LinksforUkraine#Templates. Further templates will be added in due course, for the most commonly needed document types.
Rules and regulations for producing certified translations are different in each country, and local conventions should be followed in producing translations of official documents for the authorities.
About certified translations in the UK
Under normal circumstances, visa applications and other official purposes require a certified translation of the original document.
A certified translation includes a photocopy of the original document, a translation of the original document, and a certificate stating that the translation is a true and accurate representation of the original document. The certificate is signed by the professionally qualified translator or a representative of a translation company, and it may carry the stamp of a professional trade association.
In the UK, there is no system of state-authorised or sworn translators, or legislation for certifying translations. Different UK authorities may have different requirements on how a certified translation is submitted.
General instructions from the UK Government for certifying an original document (if needed), and certifying a translation of a document, can be found at https://www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document.
If you need a certified translation in any language produced by a professional, please contact us at info@dixon-associates.co.uk
