DEATH CERTIFICATES · SERVING LONDON
Death certificate translation in London.
Certified death certificate translation from £35, handled with care and signed for probate and settling an estate.
Accepted by UK courts, the Home Office, universities, HMRC and banks
- From £35
- Signed Statement of Truth
- Same-day PDF before 12:00
WHEN IT IS NEEDED
When a death certificate must be read in English.
Families usually need it at one of three points, each set out on GOV.UK or in the HM Courts and Tribunals Service probate forms.
Bringing someone home from abroad
GOV.UK lists a certified English translation of the death certificate among the things you must get before the body can come home. Once home, the certificate is taken to the register office for the area where the funeral will be held.
Probate in England and Wales
When the death happened outside England or Wales, the probate application needs a copy of the death certificate. The probate forms also ask for an English translation of a foreign will, and an official translation of a succession or inheritance certificate from abroad, where either is not in English.
Marrying again after being widowed
When you give notice, anyone previously married or in a civil partnership must show it ended, and a former partner's death certificate is one of the listed documents. If either of you is from outside the UK, anything not in English needs translating.
HANDLED WITH CARE
What we take care over on a death certificate.
A death certificate is short, yet nearly every line is used later by a registrar, a probate registry, a bank or an insurer. These are the entries we slow down for.
- Names exactly as recorded. The probate forms ask for forenames and surname as they appear on the death certificate, so the spelling has to match the will and bank records. Tell us the spelling those papers use.
- Other names. Maiden names, patronymics and second surnames each stay in their own place, never merged.
- Cause of death. Medical wording is translated precisely, including Latin terms and a doctor's abbreviations.
- Three different dates. Death, registration and issue are often on different days. Each keeps its label and is written so the day and month cannot be confused.
- Register and entry numbers. The entry number, the registry and the registrar's name are carried across, since an estate or insurer may quote them back.
- Handwriting and later annotations. Corrections, added notes and every official stamp are described exactly where they appear.
ACCEPTED WHERE YOU NEED IT
Ready for probate and the bank.
Lingo Service certified translations are accepted by UK courts, the Home Office, universities, HMRC and banks. After a death, that often means the probate registry and the banks holding the estate's accounts.
Every translation carries a signed Statement of Truth. If a UK authority turns it down, we revise it free or refund you in full.
HOW IT WORKS
What happens after you send it.
- 01
Upload the certificate
Upload a clear photo or scan of the death certificate on the quote form. If the will or a foreign inheritance certificate needs translating too, add it at the same time.
- 02
See the full price
The instant quote shows the full price before you pay.
- 03
Receive the signed translation
The certified PDF comes by email. If a funeral or repatriation date is close, call 0800 193 8888 as you order. Weekday orders before 12:00 UK time can get a same-day certified PDF.
QUESTIONS
Questions families ask us.
Can the British embassy translate the death certificate for us?
No. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says embassies and consulates cannot translate documents for you, and a certificate not in English needs an official translation that you pay for. We provide certified translations for exactly that.
Is a translation the same as getting the certificate verified?
No. Before you can use Tell Us Once, GOV.UK says the register office may ask for a foreign death certificate to be verified by that country's embassy or high commission in the UK. That check is separate from translation and goes through the embassy.
Do I still need the official certificate for probate?
Usually. The paper probate forms ask for an official copy of the death certificate, not a photocopy, and GOV.UK asks for a copy whenever the death happened outside England or Wales. We work from a clear photo or scan, so your official copy stays with you for the probate application.
The estate includes property abroad. Can a UK certificate go into another language?
Yes. We translate UK death certificates into the language of the country dealing with the estate. The FCDO Legalisation Office can apostille a UK death certificate, and we can arrange notarisation and the apostille if that country asks for them. Allow 2 to 5 extra working days.
Will the cause of death be translated as written?
Yes. The translation follows the certificate line by line, medical terms included, without softening or leaving anything out.
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