The short answer: you almost certainly just need a certified translation, not a notarised one. A certified translation carries a signed statement of accuracy from the translator and the company. A notarised translation is the same document with a UK notary witnessing that signature, and it is only needed when the receiving office names it, or when the document is being legalised for use abroad.
It helps to think of this as a specific requirement rather than a quality upgrade. Paying for the notarised version does not make a document more acceptable to the Home Office, a university or a council. It usually just adds cost and a little delay for a step nobody asked for, so it is worth settling before the quote arrives rather than after.
The third term you will see, sworn, is a different thing altogether: a formal appointment made in another country, which matters if the document is going to Spain, Poland, France or Belgium. It is covered on the sworn translation page rather than here.
What is the difference between certified and notarised?
| Certified | Notarised | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A translation plus a signed statement confirming accuracy, with the date, translator’s name and contact details | The same translation, with the signature witnessed and sealed by a practising UK notary |
| Who provides it | A professional translator or translation company | A UK notary, after the translation is certified |
| When it is needed | Home Office and UKVI applications, universities, councils, employers, most regulators | When the receiving body asks for a notarised translation, or when a document is being legalised with an FCDO apostille |
| What it costs | Included in the translation price | Quoted separately, because the notary sets their own fee |
Which one do you need?
- Where is the document going? That single question decides almost everything.
- Staying in the UK? Certified. Courts also want a signed Statement of Truth for filings.
- Going to another country? Ask the receiving office what it requires. If it names a sworn translator, it means one appointed there.
- Does it need legalising? An FCDO apostille legalises a UK signature or seal. If the translation is notarised, the notary’s seal is what gets legalised.
Three simple ways to avoid overpaying
Check whether notarisation was actually requested
For a UKVI application, a certified translation is what is asked for. University admissions offices and councils usually ask for the same. If the wording you were given says “certified translation”, that is the whole requirement, so there is nothing extra to buy. If a form does mention a notary, it is worth asking the receiving office to confirm what it means before ordering.
Sworn translation is a foreign appointment, not a UK one
There is no UK register of sworn translators and no UK body that appoints them, so a UK company cannot give someone that status. What we can do is arrange the translation through a translator appointed in the country that requires one, which is a different job with a different timeline. If Spain, Poland, France or Belgium is the destination, it is worth saying so at the start.
An apostille needs a notary’s seal to legalise
The FCDO legalises a signature or seal, not the accuracy of a translation. With no notary involved there is nothing for it to attest to, which is why the usual order is certified, then notarised, then apostilled. Each step depends on the one before, so it is worth doing them in that order and not buying the last one first.
A worked example
Take one Spanish birth certificate and two different destinations.
For a Spanish registry or notary: they will generally expect a traductor jurado, because the appointment is the thing they can verify. A certified translation from a UK company, however well presented, is not the instrument they are looking for, so it is worth starting with a translator appointed in Spain rather than with a UK quote.
For a UKVI application: the same certificate needs a certified translation with a statement of accuracy, the date and contact details. No notary, no apostille and no Spanish appointment are required, and adding them would only cost time and money.
Which is why one question before ordering saves the most: where is this document going, and what has that office asked for? Most people who end up paying for the wrong step were simply never asked that.
How much does it cost?
Certified translation starts at £40 per document, with longer files priced from £0.09 per word after the first 400 words. Notarisation and apostille are quoted separately because both are third-party steps with their own fees, and neither is included in the translation price.
DHCTranslations issues the certified version described above: a signed statement of accuracy, dated, carrying the translator’s name and our contact details so the receiving office can verify it. When an office does ask for notarisation, we arrange it with a UK notary and quote the notary’s fee separately.
See certified translation prices, notarised translations and FCDO apostille for what each step involves. If your document is going to Spain, Poland, France or Belgium, the sworn translation page explains what can be arranged.
What do you need to send with the order?
A clear photograph or scan of every page, including the reverse sides, stamps and seals. Alongside it, three details are enough: who is receiving the translation, which country it is going to, and the date you need it by. If the document carries a name, send the passport spelling too, so the translation matches from the start.
If you are not sure which of those matters for your case, just tell us what the document is and where it is going. We will gladly double-check the exact requirement for you before you spend anything, so you are not paying for a step you do not need.
Related guide: Home Office approved translators, and why the phrase is misleading.
Frequently asked questions
Is a certified translation the same as a certified copy?
No, and the two are often confused. A certified copy confirms that a copy matches an original document. A certified translation confirms that a translation is accurate. Offices sometimes ask for both: the copy of the original, and a certified translation of it.
Can one translation be used for both the Home Office and a foreign authority?
Usually not. A certified translation covers UK requirements. A country that requires its own sworn translator wants an appointment it recognises, so the same document often needs two separate translations for two destinations.
Do I need to post the original document?
Not for a certified translation. A clear scan or photograph of every page, including the reverse and any stamps, is enough, and the translation is issued as a PDF. Post the original only if the receiving office has asked for it.
Does a notarised translation cost more than a certified one?
Yes, because a notary charges a separate fee for witnessing the signature. That fee is set by the notary rather than by us, so it is quoted separately once we know the document and the destination.