Do all supporting documents have to be in English?

[sjb1983]

HI there,

I am currently looking into getting my girlfriend a visa for the UK. I have a question about the language of the supporting documents - is it obligatory for them all to be in English or can they be submitted in their original language? (in my case, Bahasa Indonesia)

There are 3 reasons for asking this;

- Some of the documents, such as phone bills & bank statements require little knowledge of the language to be understood as they are generally tabular & contain mostly digits. Others, such as a letter from our landlord confirming the length of our cohabitation for example, may require a better knowledge of the local tongue to understand.

- Will the embassy people who assess these documents already possess a high enough level of the local language to understand these types of documents? I assume that is part of getting the job but I may be wrong.

- The cost of getting an official translation done for all the documents could be a substantial extra & I do not wish to pay for this unless entirely necessary.

I think the most obvious answer is to get all letters translated & not worry so much about the bank statements & phone bills but I would like to know if the embassy does not require this.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

[geriatrix]

You will also need to provide a translation of any supporting documents which are not in English, or your application may be refused. Each translated document must:
- be dated;
- include the translator's name and signature; and
- include confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document.

regards

[sjb1983]

A rather belated thank is in order for your previous comment. We got them translated and she is here in the UK on her final year of the 2 year unmarried partner visa.