Contract Translation Services in London & UK
Certified contract translation services in London and the UK. Sworn legal translators deliver accurate, court-admissible contracts in 200+ languages, fast.
- ISO 17100 Certified
- Same-day Turnaround
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What we do
Our services
What is contract translation?
Contract translation is the certified conversion of a legally binding agreement from one language into another by a qualified legal translator, preserving the original legal effect, defined terms, obligations, and enforceability before courts and regulators in both
Why do UK businesses need certified contract translation?
UK businesses need certified contract translation because cross-border agreements must be enforceable, admissible in English courts, accepted by Companies House and HMRC, and understood identically by all signatories regardless of native
What types of contracts do we translate?
We translate 14 contract types, including NDAs, sale and purchase agreements, employment contracts, lease agreements, distribution and franchise contracts, SaaS terms and conditions, joint venture agreements, loan agreements, and shareholder
What are the 4 types of contract certification in the UK?
The 4 types of contract certification in the UK are certified translation, sworn translation, notarised translation, and apostilled (legalised) translation, each carrying different evidentiary weight before UK courts and overseas
How does our contract translation process work?
Our contract translation process follows 6 ISO 17100 steps: quote, NDA, source-file analysis, translation by a legal specialist, revision by a second legal linguist, and certified delivery with audit trail in 48 hours
Which languages do we translate contracts into?
We translate contracts into 200+ language pairs, including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Japanese, Greek, and Hebrew, with native legal linguists in each target
What we do
What is contract translation?
Contract translation is the certified conversion of a legally binding agreement from one language into another by a qualified legal translator, preserving the original legal effect, defined terms, obligations, and enforceability before courts and regulators in both
How it works
What is contract translation?
Contract translation is the certified conversion of a legally binding agreement from one language into another by a qualified legal translator, preserving the original legal effect, defined terms, obligations, and enforceability before courts and regulators in both
Why us
Why do UK businesses need certified contract translation?
UK businesses need certified contract translation because cross-border agreements must be enforceable, admissible in English courts, accepted by Companies House and HMRC, and understood identically by all signatories regardless of native
What’s included
What types of contracts do we translate?
We translate 14 contract types, including NDAs, sale and purchase agreements, employment contracts, lease agreements, distribution and franchise contracts, SaaS terms and conditions, joint venture agreements, loan agreements, and shareholder
Complete guide
Everything you need to know
Cross-border commerce, post-Brexit trade flows, and international M&A activity have made certified contract translation a legal-risk discipline rather than a linguistic task. UK businesses, London law firms, and overseas counterparties commission bilingual contracts that must remain enforceable in English courts, accepted by Companies House and HMRC, and admissible before overseas authorities under FCDO legalisation.
What is contract translation?
Contract translation is the certified conversion of a legally binding agreement from one language into another by a qualified legal translator, preserving the original legal effect, defined terms, obligations, and enforceability before courts and regulators in both jurisdictions. The deliverable carries a signed Certificate of Accuracy, retains parallel clause numbering, and keeps defined terms locked through a managed termbase so both language versions remain legally synchronised across amendments. Contract translation is a highly specialised skill that demands an expert linguist capable of interpreting not just vocabulary but the precise legal intent embedded in every clause, condition precedent, and warranty provision.
Contract translation has grown in demand alongside global trade, cross-border transactions, and business internationalisation, with bilingual NDAs, SPAs, distribution agreements, and SaaS T&Cs forming the highest-volume document categories handled by our London translation agency. Our quality management system is certified as compliant with the ISO 17100:2015 standard, meaning every contract passes through a four-eye process involving a dedicated translator, an independent reviser, a proofreader, and a project manager before final sign-off. Every linguist on our roster holds recognised credentials from CIOL or ITI, and our agency carries full ATC membership, providing clients with an independently audited assurance of professional standards.
How does contract translation differ from general legal translation?
Contract translation focuses on bilateral or multilateral binding agreements such as NDAs, SPAs, and employment contracts, whereas general legal translation covers statutes, judgments, pleadings, and regulatory filings with different terminology registers. Contract work demands fidelity to defined terms, governing-language clauses, and warranty wording, and the consequences of terminology drift in a contract are more immediately actionable than in a statute or regulatory filing. Broader work under our Legal Translation Services covers court bundles, witness statements, and statutory instruments where register and citation conventions differ significantly from bilateral commercial agreements.
What is a translation contract versus translation of a contract?
A translation contract is the service agreement between client and translation agency, while translation of a contract is the linguistic deliverable — the certified rendering of the client’s binding document. The two terms collapse in casual usage but carry distinct legal meaning: one binds the agency to deliver, the other binds the signatories to perform. Understanding this distinction matters when briefing legal counsel or specifying the scope of a multilingual transaction because the governing-language clause in the translated contract sits entirely separately from the service terms under which the translation was produced.
Why do UK businesses need certified contract translation?
UK businesses need certified contract translation because cross-border agreements must be enforceable, admissible in English courts, accepted by Companies House and HMRC, and understood identically by all signatories regardless of native language. A bilingual contract drafted in both parties’ languages reduces ambiguity, clarifies agreed terms, and shrinks the surface area for language-based disputes during performance or litigation. Our agency has worked alongside the overwhelming majority of the UK’s top-tier law firms across more than three decades of specialist legal translation, giving us direct insight into the terminology standards and formatting conventions those firms apply to cross-border agreements.
Professional contract translation reduces downstream legal fees by catching terminology drift before signature, aligning warranty and indemnity wording, and locking the prevailing-language clause so courts apply the intended interpretation. Certified translations produced under our ISO 17100-compliant quality management system are accepted by the Home Office, UK courts, Companies House, HMRC, UKVI, and UK universities, eliminating the risk of submission rejection that can delay closings, visa applications, and regulatory filings. Every linguist we deploy holds CIOL or ITI qualifications and is bound by professional codes of conduct that carry enforceable disciplinary consequences, a standard that machine translation and generalist agencies cannot match.
What legal risks arise from a mistranslated contract?
Mistranslated contracts create four compounding legal risks: voidable clauses, unenforceable obligations, regulatory rejection, and litigation exposure under conflicting governing-language interpretations in cross-jurisdiction disputes. Specific failure modes include:
- Voidable clauses — mistranslated conditions precedent that fail to trigger, leaving obligations suspended and performance timelines broken.
- Unenforceable obligations — warranty or indemnity wording that loses legal effect in the target jurisdiction because equivalent concepts do not map directly between common-law and civil-law systems.
- Regulatory rejection — Companies House or HMRC refusing filings due to inconsistent corporate names, numerical data, or signatory details between the English original and the translated version.
- Litigation exposure — conflicting bilingual versions that allow opposing counsel to argue the more favourable text governs, particularly where the governing-language clause was itself mistranslated.
When is a certified translation required in the UK?
Certified translation is required for Home Office submissions, UK court evidence, Companies House filings, HMRC documentation, visa applications, and any contract signed by parties relying on a non-English version as authoritative. UKVI, UK universities, and the Land Registry also require certified translations of supporting documents for immigration, admissions, and property transactions. In each of these contexts, the acceptance body requires a signed Certificate of Accuracy from a qualified agency — an unsigned or uncertified translation is not a substitute, regardless of its linguistic quality.
What types of contracts do we translate?
We translate 14 contract types, including NDAs, sale and purchase agreements, employment contracts, lease agreements, distribution and franchise contracts, SaaS terms and conditions, joint venture agreements, loan agreements, and shareholder agreements. Each contract type carries its own terminology register, risk allocation framework, and jurisdictional sensitivity, so every project is assigned to a legal linguist with specific subject-matter experience in that document category. The full catalogue and indicative per-word bands appear in the table below.
| Contract type | Typical length (words) | Per-word band (EN<>EU) | Standard turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDA / Confidentiality Agreement | 800–2,000 | £0.10–£0.14 | 24–48 hours |
| Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) | 8,000–25,000 | £0.12–£0.18 | 5–10 business days |
| Employment Contract | 2,000–5,000 | £0.10–£0.14 | 48 hours |
| Lease Agreement | 4,000–12,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 3–5 business days |
| Distribution Agreement | 5,000–15,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 4–7 business days |
| Franchise Deed | 10,000–30,000 | £0.14–£0.18 | 7–12 business days |
| SaaS Terms & Conditions | 3,000–8,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 3–5 business days |
| Joint Venture Agreement | 8,000–20,000 | £0.14–£0.18 | 5–10 business days |
| Loan Agreement | 5,000–15,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 4–7 business days |
| Shareholder Agreement | 6,000–18,000 | £0.14–£0.18 | 5–8 business days |
| EULA / Software Licence | 3,000–10,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 3–5 business days |
| Data Processing Agreement | 3,000–8,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 3–5 business days |
| Agency Agreement | 4,000–10,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 3–5 business days |
| Master Services Agreement | 6,000–15,000 | £0.12–£0.16 | 4–7 business days |
Which commercial contracts do we handle?
Commercial contracts handled include supply agreements, distribution contracts, agency agreements, franchise deeds, joint venture contracts, and master services agreements between UK and overseas trading partners. Service contracts — those outlining the terms under which one party provides services to another — require precise translation of performance standards, service-level obligations, and liability caps, all of which carry different legal expressions across jurisdictions. Sales contracts, which detail the terms of a goods transaction between buyer and seller, demand accurate conversion of delivery obligations, risk-of-loss provisions, and payment milestones. These documents sit inside our broader Business Translation Services pillar, which covers tender documents, corporate policies, board minutes, and due-diligence packs alongside binding agreements.
Which employment and HR contracts do we translate?
Employment contracts translated include UK employment contracts, expatriate assignment letters, settlement agreements, restrictive covenants, and TUPE transfer documents for multinational workforces. Employment contracts are among the most sensitive agreement types because they define salary, job responsibilities, and duration of employment — terms that are directly personal to the individual and that carry statutory minimum protections in both the UK and the destination jurisdiction. Restrictive covenant translation requires particularly careful handling of non-compete, non-solicitation, and garden-leave wording so the clauses remain enforceable under both UK common law and the employee’s home jurisdiction.
Which property, finance, and technology contracts do we cover?
Property, finance, and technology contracts covered include leases, mortgage deeds, loan agreements, share purchase agreements, SaaS T&Cs, EULAs, software licences, and data processing agreements aligned with UK GDPR. Lease agreements specify the duration of the rental, payment terms, and conditions for use of the property — all of which require jurisdiction-specific legal vocabulary rather than literal word-for-word conversion. SaaS, EULA, and software licence work intersects with our Technical Translation Services when product specifications, API documentation, or security schedules sit inside the contract annexes.
What are the 4 types of contract certification in the UK?
The 4 types of contract certification in the UK are certified translation, sworn translation, notarised translation, and apostilled (legalised) translation, each carrying different evidentiary weight before UK courts and overseas authorities. Selecting the correct tier from the outset prevents costly resubmission: a certified translation satisfies HMRC and Companies House, but the same document destined for a civil-law jurisdiction may require sworn status, and overseas use in a Hague Convention country requires a full apostille. The decision matrix below maps each tier to the acceptance bodies and use cases that drive the selection.
| Certification tier | UK court | Companies House | HMRC | Overseas (FCDO) | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Limited | Home Office, UKVI, contract evidence |
| Sworn | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Required (civil-law) | France, Spain, Germany, Italy filings |
| Notarised | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Pre-apostille step | Overseas property, cross-border M&A |
| Apostilled | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Required (Hague 1961) | 120+ Hague signatory countries |
What is a certified contract translation?
A certified contract translation carries a signed Certificate of Accuracy from an ITI- or CIOL-registered agency, accepted by the Home Office, UK courts, Companies House, HMRC, UKVI, and UK universities. The certificate confirms that the translation is complete, accurate, and produced by a qualified legal linguist, and it references the translator’s credentials and the source document. Our Certified Translation Services deliver the certificate as a signed PDF and optional courier-delivered hard copy bearing the company stamp, translator declaration, and project reference, making the package immediately submission-ready for any of the acceptance bodies listed above.
What is a sworn contract translation?
A sworn contract translation is signed before a sworn translator registered with a continental European court, and it is required by civil-law jurisdictions such as France, Spain, Germany, and Italy for legal admissibility. The sworn-translator system is a feature of civil-law procedure that has no direct common-law equivalent, which is why UK-issued certified translations are sometimes rejected by continental registries that specifically require the sworn form. Our Sworn Translation Services coordinate with sworn translators registered at the relevant national bodies in each civil-law country for documents destined for those jurisdictions.
What is a notarised contract translation?
A notarised contract translation is a certified translation whose translator’s signature is witnessed by a UK notary public, commonly required for overseas property transactions and cross-border M&A filings. Notarisation adds a layer of authentication that confirms the translator’s identity and the authenticity of their signature — it does not constitute the notary’s endorsement of the translation’s accuracy, but it satisfies the procedural requirements of overseas registrars and land authorities. Our Notarised Translation Services arrange the notary attendance, witness statement, and notarial seal as a single managed step before any FCDO apostille application.
What is an apostilled (legalised) contract translation?
An apostilled contract translation has the notarised translation authenticated by the FCDO Legalisation Office under the 1961 Hague Convention, and it is mandatory for use in more than 120 signatory countries. The legalisation process follows a fixed sequence: the translation is first certified, then notarised, and finally submitted to the FCDO, which affixes the apostille certificate that overseas authorities recognise as proof of the document’s authenticity. Our Apostille & Legalisation Services handle the end-to-end FCDO submission, premium-service routing, and return courier so the legalised contract reaches the overseas counterparty without client involvement at any stage of the process.
How it works
How does our contract translation process work?
1
How do you request a contract translation quote?
Request a quote by uploading the contract via our encrypted portal; we return a fixed per-word price, certification type, and turnaround estimate within 30 minutes during London business hours. The portal accepts PDF, DOCX, scanned images, and InDesign packages, and the upload triggers an immediate confidentiality wrapper before any linguist accesses the file. The quoted price is fixed — it does not increase if the source word count aligns with the uploaded document, giving clients cost certainty before authorising the work.
2
How is confidentiality protected during translation?
Confidentiality is protected through mutual NDAs with every linguist, AES-256 encrypted file transfer, UK-based server storage under UK GDPR, and a strict prohibition on public machine translation engines for any contract content. The protocol applies equally to translator, reviser, proofreader, and project manager, so the confidentiality chain is unbroken from first file receipt to final delivery and through the defined post-project retention and secure-destruction schedule. This standard is particularly important for contracts containing commercially sensitive deal terms, personally identifiable data, or information subject to legal professional privilege.
3
How is bilingual contract alignment delivered?
Bilingual contract alignment is delivered as a two-column side-by-side document with synchronised clause numbering, shared translation memory, and a managed termbase that locks defined terms across all amendment rounds. The managed termbase guarantees that defined terms such as “Effective Date”, “Confidential Information”, and “Permitted Purpose” remain lexically identical in every version of the contract, preventing the terminology drift that creates governing-language disputes. Subsequent amendment rounds re-use the stored translation memory, generating repetition discounts that typically recover between 15% and 40% of the per-word cost depending on the proportion of repeated segments.
Which languages do we translate contracts into?
We translate contracts into 200+ language pairs, including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Japanese, Greek, and Hebrew, with native legal linguists in each target jurisdiction. Coverage across more than 200 language pairs means we can handle the linguistic requirements of the vast majority of international commercial transactions, from EU distribution agreements to GCC energy contracts and Asia-Pacific technology licences. All linguists are native speakers of the target language and hold recognised qualifications from CIOL or ITI, ensuring that the legal register and terminology conventions of the target jurisdiction are applied precisely rather than approximated from the source.
| Region | Languages | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe | French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese | EU distribution, M&A, employment |
| Central & Eastern Europe | Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian | Supply chain, manufacturing, JV |
| Middle East | Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Turkish | GCC trade, real estate, energy |
| Asia | Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu | Sourcing, technology licensing, FDI |
| Southern Europe | Greek, Maltese | Shipping, finance, hospitality |
Which European languages are most requested?
Most-requested European languages for contract translation include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Greek, and Portuguese, driven by EU trade flows, post-Brexit distribution agreements, and intra-European M&A transactions. French and German together account for a large share of our European contract volume, reflecting the concentration of Paris-London corporate work and the significance of the German automotive and manufacturing supply chain for UK exporters. Spanish and Italian are high-volume languages for distribution and agency agreements across Iberia and Southern Europe, while Polish and Czech dominate the supply-chain and manufacturing sectors in Central Europe.
Which Middle Eastern and Asian languages do we handle?
Middle Eastern and Asian languages handled include Arabic, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and Urdu, with full right-to-left typesetting capability for Arabic and Hebrew bilingual contracts. RTL contracts require specialist desktop publishing so that clause numbering, table alignment, footnotes, and signature blocks mirror correctly across the two-column layout — a technical requirement that goes beyond linguistic competence and demands dedicated DTP expertise. Mandarin and Japanese contracts frequently arise in technology licensing, foreign direct investment, and sourcing agreements, where precision in financial and IP terminology is critical to the enforceability of the deal.
Pricing
How much does contract translation cost in the UK?
Contract translation costs £0.10 to £0.18 per source word for standard EU language pairs, with a £45 minimum charge inclusive of one Certificate of Accuracy, a 25% urgency surcharge for sub-24-hour delivery, and a 50% surcharge for same-day emergency service. These rates apply to human translation by CIOL- or ITI-qualified legal linguists working under our ISO 17100-certified quality management system — they are not machine-translation rates with post-editing, and the delivered product carries the full evidentiary weight required by UK courts, HMRC, and Companies House. Broader pricing across non-contract documents follows the same per-word model under our Document Translation Services.
| Service tier | Per-word rate | Minimum charge | Certification | Turnaround surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard EU pair | £0.10–£0.14 | £45 | Included | None |
| Rare / Asian pair | £0.14–£0.18 | £60 | Included | None |
| Express (24h) | +25% | £60 | Included | 25% |
| Same-day (London) | +50% | £95 | Included | 50% |
How much does a certified translation cost in the UK?
A certified translation in the UK costs between £35 and £85 per page for short standard documents, or £0.10 to £0.18 per word for longer contracts, with the Certificate of Accuracy included in the minimum £45 charge. Per-page pricing is practical for short documents such as NDAs and assignment letters where page count is a more intuitive unit; per-word pricing applies once the source exceeds approximately 500 words, at which point word-count pricing delivers greater transparency and allows repetition discounts from translation memory to flow through directly to the client. The minimum charge of £45 is inclusive of one Certificate of Accuracy, meaning short contracts under roughly 400 to 450 source words are priced at the minimum rather than at the per-word rate.
What is the average rate to translate a document in the UK?
Pay £0.10 to £0.18 per source word for professional human contract translation in the UK; rates below £0.08 per word typically indicate machine translation with light post-editing, which carries elevated legal risk for binding agreements. Contract translation falls firmly outside the safe zone for MT-only output because defined-term consistency, governing-language alignment, warranty wording, and jurisdiction-specific legal register all demand a qualified legal linguist with relevant subject-matter experience — not a fluent generalist or an automated pipeline. When a mistranslated warranty or indemnity cap creates a dispute, the cost of litigation far exceeds any saving achieved by commissioning a below-rate provider.
What factors affect contract translation rates?
Six factors affect contract translation rates: language pair rarity, subject-matter complexity, certification type required, turnaround urgency, source file format, and repetition discounts available through translation memory leverage on amendment rounds. Language pair rarity is the single largest driver of rate variation: a French or German pair sits at £0.10–£0.14 per word, while a less common Asian or Middle Eastern pair reaches £0.14–£0.18 per word because the pool of qualified legal linguists is smaller. Repetition discounts on contract amendment rounds typically recover between 15% and 40% of the per-word cost, making the second and subsequent versions of a frequently revised agreement progressively more cost-efficient.
How fast can a contract be translated?
A contract is translated in 48 hours under our standard service, 24 hours under express, and same-day under our emergency tier for contracts up to 1,500 words, with courier delivery of certified hard copy within London Zones 1 and 2 available on the same business day. These turnaround benchmarks are achievable because every project enters a pre-cleared workflow under our ISO 17100-certified quality management system, with a translator, reviser, proofreader, and project manager each allocated at the point of order confirmation rather than queued sequentially. Turnaround times apply to the full certified deliverable — the signed PDF plus Certificate of Accuracy — not merely to an unchecked first draft. These benchmarks anchor our London service hub described on Translation Services London.
What is the standard turnaround time for contract translation?
Standard turnaround time is based on 2,000 to 2,500 source words translated, revised, and certified per business day, with revision and proofreading adding 4 to 6 working hours before signed PDF delivery. This throughput rate means a typical NDA of 1,000 to 1,500 words is returned within 24 hours on the standard service, while a mid-length distribution agreement of 8,000 to 10,000 words requires 4 to 5 business days end to end. Longer, complex contracts such as SPAs and franchise deeds are allocated to parallel linguist teams working under a single lead reviser to preserve terminology consistency across the full document while maintaining competitive turnaround times.
Do you offer same-day contract translation in London?
Same-day contract translation is available in London for contracts up to 1,500 words submitted before 10:00 GMT, with a certified signed PDF delivered by 17:00 and hard copy couriered to Zone 1 and Zone 2 addresses by 18:00 on the same business day. Same-day delivery requires the 50% urgency surcharge, confirmation that the source file is provided in an editable format, and immediate payment authorisation so the project enters the workflow without administrative delay. For contracts that exceed 1,500 words but are urgently required, our express 24-hour service accommodates source files up to approximately 5,000 words with the 25% surcharge applied to the standard per-word rate of £0.10 to £0.18.
How do governing-language clauses affect contract translation?
Governing-language clauses determine which linguistic version prevails in a dispute; a mistranslated ‘prevailing language’ provision shifts enforcement risk, so legal translators flag and align this clause across both versions before signature. The checklist applied before certification covers:
- Identical wording of the prevailing-language designation in both versions.
- Consistent naming of the languages (e.g. “English” vs “British English”).
- Alignment with the governing-law and jurisdiction clauses to avoid contradiction.
- Treatment of annexes, schedules, and side letters — explicit inclusion or exclusion.
- Handling of subsequent amendments and translated notices served under the contract.
What is a prevailing language clause?
A prevailing language clause states that one language version of a bilingual contract governs interpretation in disputes, overriding any conflicting translation, and must be drafted identically in both language versions. A mismatched prevailing-language designation lets opposing counsel argue the more favourable text controls, which converts a translation error into a substantive legal exposure.
How do translators handle untranslatable legal terms?
Translators handle untranslatable legal terms such as ‘consideration’, ‘estoppel’, or ‘trust’ by retaining the English term with a bracketed functional explanation, preserving common-law concepts inside civil-law target texts. The approach keeps the legal concept intact for the English-law reader while signalling the gap to the civil-law counterparty and their adviser.
Why us
Why choose our London contract translation agency?
What credentials do our legal translators hold?
Our legal translators hold MA-level qualifications, CIOL or ITI membership, and a minimum of 5 years of contract translation experience, with many qualified as solicitors or paralegals in their source jurisdiction. Specialist subject-matter knowledge in contract law underpins every assignment, in line with the way specialised translators apply legal expertise to binding agreements.
How do we guarantee translation accuracy?
Translation accuracy is guaranteed through the ISO 17100 four-eye process, a signed Certificate of Accuracy, professional indemnity insurance of £2 million, and a free correction policy for any flagged inaccuracy. The four-eye process places a translator, a legal reviser, an independent proofreader, and a project manager on every contract, with each stage timestamped in the audit trail.
How do you request a contract translation quote?
Request a contract translation quote by uploading your document through our encrypted form, selecting target language and certification level, and receiving a fixed-price quotation within 30 minutes during London business hours. Submit your contract through Request a Contract Translation Quote to receive the price, certification path, and turnaround estimate without obligation.
What information should I include with my quote request?
Include the following 5 items with the request to receive an accurate fixed price on first reply:
- Source language and target language(s).
- Certification tier required — certified, sworn, notarised, or apostilled.
- Deadline and delivery format (PDF, hard copy, or both).
- Editable source file where available, otherwise a clear scan.
- Destination authority — UK court, Companies House, HMRC, FCDO, or overseas regulator.
What happens after I accept the quote?
After acceptance, the project moves through the 6-step ISO 17100 workflow within the agreed turnaround, with progress visible to the client through the secure portal. The final delivery package contains the bilingual contract, the signed Certificate of Accuracy, the audit trail, and any notarial or apostille documents commissioned alongside the translation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a translation contract?
A translation contract is a legal agreement between a client and a translation agency or translator that outlines the scope of work, language pairs, deadlines, confidentiality terms, and fees. It protects both parties by setting clear expectations around deliverables, revision rounds, and intellectual property rights. For professional translation agencies in the UK, such contracts also typically specify quality assurance standards, compliance with data protection laws (UK GDPR), and whether certification or notarisation is required.
What is a translation of a contract?
A translation of a contract is the rendering of a legally binding agreement from one language into another, preserving the precise meaning, terminology, and intent of the original document. This type of work requires specialist legal translators who understand both the source and target legal systems, as legal concepts do not always map directly between jurisdictions. For example, translating a UK commercial contract into French or Spanish demands knowledge of civil-law versus common-law terminology to ensure the translated document holds the same legal weight.
How much does a certified translation cost UK?
Certified translation in the UK typically costs between £80 and £200 per page, depending on the language pair, complexity, and turnaround time. Rare or less widely spoken languages command higher rates, while common pairs such as French–English or Spanish–English sit at the lower end. Most professional UK agencies include a signed certificate of accuracy with the translation, which is required for official use with bodies like the Home Office, UKVI, or academic institutions. Urgent same-day or next-day services usually carry a 25–50% surcharge.
How much does it cost to translate a document in the UK?
Standard document translation in the UK generally ranges from £0.10 to £0.20 per source word, with a typical minimum project fee of around £50–£100. A standard one-page document of roughly 250–300 words would therefore cost £50–£80 for common language pairs. Legal, technical, or highly specialised documents attract higher per-word rates due to the expertise required. Certified translations for official purposes are usually priced per page rather than per word, commonly between £80 and £150 per page.
How much does it cost to officially translate a document?
Officially translating a document in the UK — meaning a certified translation accepted by government bodies, courts, or universities — typically costs £80–£200 per page. The price depends on the language pair, document type (e.g. birth certificate, contract, diploma), and urgency. Notarised translations, which require a solicitor or notary public to authenticate the translator’s signature, add a further £50–£150 to the overall cost. Always confirm with the receiving authority exactly what level of certification — certified, notarised, or apostilled — they require.
Who can certify a translation in the UK?
In the UK, a translation can be certified by a professional translator or translation agency that provides a signed statement confirming the translation is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge. There is no single government-regulated body that licenses translators, but membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) or the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) is widely recognised as a mark of professional credibility. For submissions to UKVI or the Home Office, translations must be accompanied by the translator’s full name, signature, contact details, and date.
Can a solicitor certify a translation?
A solicitor can certify a translation in the UK, but only if they are also competent in the source language — they are certifying accuracy, not just the translator’s signature. More commonly, solicitors notarise a certified translation by witnessing and authenticating the translator’s signed declaration, rather than certifying the linguistic content themselves. For most UK official purposes (UKVI, courts, universities), a certified translation from a professional agency is sufficient without solicitor involvement. Notarisation by a solicitor or notary public is typically required only for use in foreign legal proceedings.
How can I translate a legal document?
To translate a legal document accurately, you should commission a professional translator with specialist legal expertise in both the source and target jurisdictions. Legal documents such as contracts, court orders, or powers of attorney contain precise terminology where errors can have serious legal consequences. A reputable UK translation agency will assign a qualified legal translator, carry out proofreading by a second linguist, and provide a certificate of accuracy if required. Avoid using unqualified translators or machine translation alone for any document intended for official or legal use.
Can AI translate a contract?
AI can produce a rough draft translation of a contract, but it is not reliable enough to use without thorough review by a qualified legal translator. AI tools frequently mistranslate jurisdiction-specific legal terms, fail to account for cultural and systemic differences between legal systems, and cannot take professional responsibility for accuracy. For any contract with legal or commercial consequences, AI output should at most be used as a starting point that is then reviewed, corrected, and certified by a human expert. Professional UK translation agencies use AI-assisted tools within a rigorous human quality-assurance workflow.
Is certified translation legit?
Yes, certified translation is a legitimate and widely accepted form of official document translation recognised by UK government bodies, courts, universities, and financial institutions. A certified translation includes a signed statement from the translator or agency confirming the translation is a true and accurate representation of the original. In the UK, bodies such as UKVI, the Home Office, and HMCTS routinely require certified translations for foreign-language documents. Choosing an agency whose translators hold memberships with CIOL or ITI adds an additional layer of professional assurance.
What is the golden rule of translation?
The golden rule of translation is to convey the meaning, intent, and tone of the source text as accurately as possible in the target language, rather than translating word for word. A literal, word-for-word approach often produces unnatural or misleading results, especially in legal and contract translation where precision is critical. Professional translators balance fidelity to the source with natural expression in the target language, adapting syntax and phrasing while preserving every legal nuance. This principle is especially important in contract translation, where a misplaced term can alter legal obligations.
What does contract mean in French?
The French word for contract is "contrat" (masculine noun, un contrat). In legal contexts, French uses related terms such as "contrat de travail" (employment contract), "contrat de vente" (sales contract), and "contrat de prestation de services" (service agreement). French contract law, rooted in the civil-law tradition of the Code Civil, differs structurally from English common law, so a professional legal translator must adapt terminology accordingly rather than relying on direct equivalents.
What is a contract in Spanish?
In Spanish, the word for contract is "contrato" (masculine noun, un contrato). Common related terms include "contrato de trabajo" (employment contract), "contrato de compraventa" (sales contract), and "contrato de arrendamiento" (lease agreement). Spanish-speaking countries operate under civil-law systems influenced by the Código Civil, which differs from English common law, making specialist legal translation essential to ensure that translated contracts carry the correct legal meaning for the relevant jurisdiction — whether Spain, Mexico, or a Latin American country.