How does the Home Office notify me that a translation has been rejected?

The Home Office sends a letter or notification in the online account, stating that additional documents are required or that documents already submitted need to be corrected. The letter usually identifies the specific document and the reason. If the reason is unclear, consult an IAA-registered adviser.

Can I resubmit with a corrected translation without paying the visa fee again?

If the Home Office has requested additional documents within an existing application (an Additional Documents Request), providing a corrected translation does not require a new fee. If the application was refused outright and you are making a fresh application, the fee is charged again.

Does the Home Office accept translations from translators based outside the UK?

The Home Office looks at the format of the certification, not the translator's location. In practice, translations from UK-based providers with UK qualifications (ITI, CIOL) are accepted without question. A translation from a translator outside the UK, produced in the UK format with a Certificate of Accuracy, formally meets the requirements but may raise questions with the caseworker.

What does "translator not qualified" mean? What qualification is required?

The Home Office does not mandate a specific membership organisation. The translator must be able to demonstrate their competence — by stating their qualification, membership of a professional body (ITI, CIOL), or other evidence of professional standing. A translator without stated qualifications, working only as a "professional translator", may receive a request for clarification.

Can machine translation with "manual proofreading" be accepted as certified?

No. A certified translation means a human translator performed the translation and takes responsibility for its accuracy. Machine translation with post-editing is not the same as a translation carried out by a translator. UKVI caseworkers are increasingly able to identify characteristic machine translation patterns for CIS languages.

Does a stamp on a document need to be translated?

Yes. All elements of a document — including stamps, seals, marginal annotations, dates of stamps, and signatures of officials — must be included in the translation. The translator must translate the text of the stamp or note that the stamp is illegible.

What is a "UK letterhead" and why does it matter?

This is not a gov.uk requirement, but some caseworkers expect the translation company to have a UK address on its headed paper. A UK address indicates that the translator is reachable for verification. A translation issued by a company without a UK address is not automatically refused, but may be a source of questions.

What is the difference between a "rejection" and a "request for further information"?

A Request for Further Information (RFI) is a request from UKVI for additional documents or clarification within an active application. It is not a refusal. A rejection is a refusal of the whole application. With an RFI, you have time (usually 10–28 days) to provide what is missing. With a rejection, you must apply again.

Guide · Rejections

Why Home Office rejects translations — top 10 reasons

A UKVI caseworker can reject a certified translation — and a visa application along with it — on purely formal grounds, even if the translation itself is accurate. This guide covers the 10 most common reasons and explains how to avoid each one.

Last verified against gov.uk: 20 May 2026

REASON 1

No Certificate of Accuracy

The most common reason. The translation contains no signed statement from the translator confirming that it is complete and accurate. Without a Certificate of Accuracy, any translation is automatically not a "certified translation" in the Home Office sense.

REASON 2

CIS notarial stamp instead of a Certificate of Accuracy

A notary in Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, or Tajikistan certifies the translator's signature — not the accuracy of the translation in the UK sense. UKVI regularly rejects such translations. A UK-format Certificate of Accuracy is required.

REASON 3

Machine translation

UKVI does not accept machine translation (Google Translate, DeepL, or AI tools) without human certification. Additionally, caseworkers are increasingly able to identify characteristic machine translation patterns in Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, and other CIS languages.

REASON 4

Partial translation

Only "important" fields are translated while stamps, seals, marginal annotations, dates, and official signatures are omitted. The Home Office requires a complete translation of every element on the document.

REASON 5

No translator contact details

The Certificate of Accuracy shows the agency name but not the individual translator's name, email, or telephone number. UKVI expects to be able to contact the translator to verify the translation.

REASON 6

Self-translation

The applicant, a family member, or a friend translated the document, even if they are fluent in both languages. The Home Office does not accept self-translations — the translator must be independent of the applicant.

REASON 7

Inconsistent transliteration of names

The same name appears in different transliterations across documents in the same pack — for example, "Aygul" in one and "Aigul" in another, or "Akhmetov" and "Akhmedov". This creates doubts about whether the documents relate to the same person. All translations in a pack must use a consistent transliteration.

REASON 8

Unqualified translator — no stated qualifications

The Certificate of Accuracy contains no stated qualifications, membership of a professional body (ITI, CIOL, ATC), or other evidence of professional competence. Without this, a caseworker may request further evidence of the translator's qualification.

REASON 9

Missing date on the Certificate of Accuracy

The Certificate of Accuracy is signed but has no date. This is a minor formal error, but it is sufficient grounds for a caseworker to raise a query.

REASON 10

Incomplete document — missing pages not flagged

If a multi-page document (for example, a military service book or a court judgment) was translated without all pages being included, and the translator did not note that certain pages were missing or illegible — this is grounds for rejection. The translation must account for the entire document, even if some parts are damaged.

What to do if your translation has been rejected

Obtain and read the refusal letter — it should identify the specific document and reason.
If the reason is a translation format issue (no Certificate of Accuracy, missing contact details, incomplete translation, etc.) — contact the translator. A professional provider will redo it at no charge.
If the reason is doubt about the authenticity of the original document (not the translation) — this requires a different approach. Consult an IAA-registered immigration adviser: gov.uk/find-immigration-adviser.
If the reason is name transliteration inconsistency — an experienced translator can add an explanatory note on transliteration variants to the relevant translation.