Document translation and verification

What types of documents can we undertake for translation?

We undertake translation of the following:

• documents issued by UK education institutions and official professional bodies in the UK – please note that we can only translate documents whose authenticity has been checked with the issuing body (verification service)
• documents issued by Greek education institutions and Greek authorities for studies in the UK
• English language certificates issued by recognised examination bodies in the UK.

Please note: Submission of the original document(s) is a requirement in certain cases.

Supporting documentation and ways to submit your documents

• Supporting documentation (PDF, 103 kb)
• Submission by courier and receipt by courier (PDF, 73 kb)
• Submission by email and receipt by courier (PDF, 50 kb)

Indicative turnaround times

• Translation of certificates issued by the University of Cambridge normally takes three (3) working days including the verification process.
• Translation of English documents normally takes 5–7 working days from the date you are notified that your order has been registered, on condition that the verification process has been completed. Please note that the verification of English documents depends on UK bodies’ response time to our request for the confirmation of authenticity.
• Translation of Greek documents normally takes 5–7 working days from the date you are notified that your order has been registered.
• Courier dispatch is not included in the above turnaround times.

What types of documents can we undertake for verification?

We only verify documents issued by British bodies that have official or recognised academic or professional status in the UK.

For further information, read our Code of Practice (PDF, 133 kb), which also includes an ‘Indicative List of Accredited Institutions in the UK’ in section C.

Submission of the original document(s) is a requirement in certain cases.

We can only verify after we have confirmation of the authenticity of the document from the issuing body. For this purpose, you will be asked to sign our Consent Form (PDF, 56 kb).

When a fee for confirmation of authenticity is set by the issuing body, this is borne by the customer. Depending on what is required by the issuing body, this fee is either additional to our verification fee or paid directly to the issuing body by the customer.

Supporting documentation and ways to submit your documents

• Supporting documentation (PDF, 103 kb)
• Submission by courier and receipt by courier (PDF, 73 kb)
• Submission by email and receipt by courier (PDF, 50 kb)

Indicative turnaround times

• Verification of language certificates issued by the University of Cambridge normally takes 2–3 working days from the date you are notified that your order has been registered.
• Verification of English documents depends on UK bodies’ response time to our request for confirmation of authenticity as described above.
• Courier dispatch is not included in the above turnaround times.

What is the service that we can offer?

If you have lost your University of Cambridge language certificate, or if it has been destroyed, we can issue a British Council Statement (PDF, 146 kb) stating your name, level, grade and the date you took the exam.

Supporting documentation and ways to submit your documents

• Supporting documentation (PDF, 103 kb)
• Submission by courier and receipt by courier (PDF, 73 kb)
• Submission by email and receipt by courier (PDF, 50 kb)

Indicative turnaround times

• Depending on the examination centre, this may take 3–5 working days from the date you are notified that your order has been registered.
• Courier dispatch is not included in the above turnaround times.

Supporting documentation for translation and/or verification of documents

1. A clear photocopy or scanned copy of your document(s) submitted for translation and/or verification (photographs of your document/documents will not be accepted). Exemptions that require submission of the original document by courier:
   (i) language certificates issued by recognised UK examination bodies
   (ii) qualifications issued by UK higher education institutions to be submitted by you to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in the UK for legalisation purposes (Apostille).
2. A signed copy of our Request Form (PDF, 111 kb).
3. If the documents will not be received by the document holder in person, please also indicate the name and details of the authorised recipient on the Request Form.
4. A clear copy of the document holder’s identity card/passport/driver’s license or other official identification document.
5. If you submit a document issued by a UK institution, a signed copy of our Consent Form (PDF, 56 kb).
6. If you have had the same document(s) translated/verified by the British Council in the past, photocopies or scanned copies of the translation/verification.
7. Only if you intend to submit documents verified by the British Council to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for legalisation purposes (Apostille) and therefore need the original documents to be stamped (degree certificates are stamped overleaf), a signed copy of our Consent to Stamp Original Documents Form (PDF, 22 kb).

Failure to provide the documents and information required as specified above may result in a delay in the translation/verification process. For further information, refer to our Terms and Conditions (PDF, 139 kb).

Supporting documentation for the issue of a British Council Statement for destroyed/lost University of Cambridge English language certificates

1. A completed and signed copy of our British Council Statement Form (PDF, 146 kb).
2. A clear copy of the document holder’s identity card/passport/driver’s license or other official identification document.

Failure to provide the documents and information required as specified above may result in a delay in the translation/verification process. For further information, refer to our Terms and Conditions (PDF, 139 kb).

Send and receive your documents by courier

You can submit your document(s) along with your supporting documentation (PDF, 103 kb) from anywhere in Greece by courier:

Document Services
British Council
17 Kolonaki Square
106 73 Athens

ACS Courier special rates

We have secured special courier rates, offered exclusively to our customers, for sending your document(s) by ACS Courier to recipients in Greece – see our downloadable list of fees (PDF, 138 kb).

You can make use of the special rates by following the steps below:

1. Call ACS Courier on 801 500 1111 or 210 819 0000 to arrange for the pick-up of your document(s) at your convenience. For a full list of ACS branches, visit www.acscourier.net/en/myacs/my-tools/acs-points-locator.
2. Inform the ACS Courier agent who collects your document(s) that the British Council will pay the courier fee.*
3. We will contact you to confirm the overall fee before proceeding to verification/translation.
4. ACS Courier will deliver the verified/translated document(s) to you.**

* The cost of the courier service is borne by the customer and is additional to the translation/verification fee. However, it is important that you inform the ACS Courier agent that the British Council will pay for the courier service so that you can make use of the special courier rates offered exclusively to our customers.

** The British Council does not bear any responsibility for any delays related to any courier company.

Use of another courier company

If you wish, you can make use of another courier company to send and receive your document(s) by making all the necessary arrangements directly with them.

In this case, please note that:

• the courier fee is borne by the customer and must be paid directly to the courier company*
• you must pay the translation/verification fees by bank payment.

* The British Council does not bear any responsibility for any delays related to any courier company.

Send your documents by email and receive them by courier

Important – Check the types of documents exempted from this method of submission which require submission of the original document by courier:

Exemptions

1. Language certificates issued by recognised UK examination bodies
2. Qualifications issued by UK higher education institutions to be submitted to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in the UK for legalisation purposes (Apostille)

How to submit your documents

Send a clear scanned copy of your document(s) submitted for translation and/or verification along with your supporting documentation (PDF, 103 kb) to Translation-Verification@britishcouncil.gr (photographs of your document/documents will not be accepted).

We will contact you to confirm the overall fee before proceeding to verification/translation.

How to receive your documents

ACS Courier will deliver the verified/translated document(s) to you at the address indicated on your Request Form.

We will notify you with a text message when your document(s) are to be dispatched to you.

Fees can be paid in one of the following two ways (follow the instructions below exactly):

Payment on receipt of your document(s) via ACS Courier (available for delivery in Greece only)

• Pay the ACS Courier agent when the verification/translation you have requested is delivered to you.
• If you have made arrangements to receive your document(s) by a courier company other than ACS Courier, you must pay the translation/verification fees by bank payment.

Bank payment: Direct deposit to the British Council account at Alpha Bank

You can do this at any Alpha Bank branch or via web banking through your own bank after we confirm the overall fee by email or phone when we receive your document(s), and before the completion of the verification/translation procedure. You may also send us the payment slip to GR_Translation-Verification@britishcouncil.gr.

A full list of Alpha Bank branches can be found at www.alpha.gr.

Important: You must quote the name of the document holder in the ‘Αιτιολογία’ field.

By choosing our translation and verification services you enjoy:

• high quality services
• international credibility
• time efficiency as all the necessary procedures are completed in one place.

Our translation fees start from €15.00 per translated page (250 words). These fees do not include the required translation certification fee. 

Our verification fees start from €10.00 per document.

We will contact you to confirm the overall fee before proceeding to verification/translation.

For further information, refer to our downloadable list of fees (PDF, 138 kb).

Examples