Certified French Translation in the UK
We translate French documents into English for use in the UK: visas and settlement, British passports, courts, universities and employers. Each translation is certified in the form UK authorities ask for and delivered as a PDF by email.
Documents come to us from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada, and from French-speaking countries in North, West and Central Africa. Send a photo or scan and you receive a quote by email, usually within 30 minutes during business hours. Standard single documents start from £30.
French documents we translate into English
French civil documents come in several versions, and UK authorities usually want the fullest one. For a birth certificate that is the copie intégrale, or an extrait avec filiation that names the parents.
- Acte de naissance (copie intégrale or extrait avec filiation)
- Acte de mariage and livret de famille
- Jugement de divorce, with the certificate that it is final
- Diplôme, relevé de notes and attestation de réussite
- Extrait de casier judiciaire (bulletin n° 3)
- Permis de conduire, carte d'identité and titre de séjour
- Avis d'imposition, bulletins de salaire and relevés bancaires
- Extrait Kbis and other company documents
What UK authorities ask for
The Home Office asks for a full translation of every document that is not in English or Welsh, and it must be able to verify that translation independently. HM Passport Office, the courts and universities ask for certified translations too.
Home Office guidance says each translation must contain:
- Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
- The date of the translation
- The translator's full name and signature
- The translator's contact details
How we handle the details in French documents
French certificates carry information in the margins and in handwriting that is easy to overlook. These are the points we check:
- Mentions marginales, the margin notes recording a marriage, divorce, PACS or change of name, are translated in full
- Surnames written in capitals and given names are kept in the order shown, spelt as in your passport, accents included
- Handwritten entries and stamps on older or African civil registry documents are transcribed, and anything illegible is marked as such rather than guessed
- Grades out of 20 and mentions such as assez bien or très bien are translated as shown and are not converted into UK classifications
UK ENIC and academic documents
UK ENIC's Translation Waiver Service covers French at no extra charge, so you can submit French diplomas and transcripts for a Statement of Comparability without translating them.
The waiver applies to UK ENIC's own assessment only. A university, an employer, a professional regulator or the Home Office may still ask you for a certified translation of the same documents. These are UK ENIC's published terms for November 2026.
English to French, for use abroad
French authorities usually ask for a translation by a traducteur assermenté, a translator sworn in before a French court of appeal. A UK certified translation is generally not accepted in its place. Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec have their own sworn or certified translator systems.
Tell us the country and the authority when you ask for a quote, and we will tell you what it normally accepts.
Prices and turnaround
Standard single documents such as a birth certificate, an ID card or a driving licence start from £30. Longer documents are priced by word count, and you see the exact price before you pay.
You receive your quote by email, usually within 30 minutes during business hours, together with the delivery time for your document.
Get a Free Quote
Upload your French document and receive a free quote by email, usually within 30 minutes during business hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is your French to English translation accepted by the Home Office?
Yes. It carries what Home Office guidance asks for: the translator's confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document, the date, the translator's full name and signature, and contact details.
Do I need to send the original document?
No. A clear photo or scan is enough. Send every page that carries text, stamps or annotations, including the reverse side.
My country issues a multilingual certificate that includes English. Do I still need a translation?
Possibly not. France can issue an extrait plurilingue, a multilingual extract of a birth or marriage record with English headings. Ask the UK authority whether it will accept that version before you order a translation; if it prefers the full national certificate, that one needs translating.
How much does a certified French translation cost?
Standard single documents start from £30. Longer documents are priced by word count. You receive the exact price by email before you pay.