Afar interpreters and translators for Home Office interviews, NHS appointments, solicitors and local authorities anywhere in the UK, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Afar and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day for a language where interpreters are rare and early notice helps.
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Afar interpreting services
When you book, three questions save time: where the client grew up, which languages they also speak, and whether they would rather have a man or a woman. The second answer is especially useful. An Afar speaker from Djibouti may also speak French and Arabic, one from the Eritrean coast often knows Arabic or Tigrinya, and one from Ethiopia usually has some Amharic, which tells us both who is likely to suit and what the fallback would be. Speech varies from one area to another, but Afar speakers generally understand each other without much trouble.
Consecutive interpreting, in short turns, is the norm. Given how few interpreters there are, a video link is often the difference between an interview going ahead this week and being put off for a month.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Afar interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Afar translation
Very little official paperwork is written in Afar. Djibouti issues its documents in French, Eritrean records are usually in Tigrinya, Arabic or English, and Ethiopian ones in Amharic, so the translator is chosen by the language on the page rather than the language the client speaks. Each translator translates into their native language, so the English version is written by a native English speaker, and we certify it for the Home Office, courts, schools or employers.
Names are the usual problem. Many Afar names come from Arabic and turn up in several spellings (Mohammed, Mahammad, Mohamed) across a single family's papers. We follow the spelling in the passport or travel document and flag every mismatch for you.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Afar audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Afar translation
Written Afar in its present Latin spelling is fairly young, and plenty of adults, older ones especially, never learned to read it at school. For a leaflet or letter aimed at Afar speakers, keep sentences short and plain, and think about a recorded audio version alongside. If the readers are from Djibouti, French may reach them better than written Afar; for Eritrean readers, Arabic sometimes does. We will ask about your audience before we quote.
Afar court and police interpreters
Most Afar legal work sits around asylum: appeals before the immigration tribunal, statements for solicitors, and occasionally criminal cases. We ask for an Afar interpreter who already knows legal procedure and, should any Afar interpreter hold one, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or NRPSI registration (the National Register of Public Service Interpreters). Where none can be found, a relay through Arabic or Amharic may be proposed, and that has to be agreed with the court and the client's representative in advance.
How to book an Afar interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Afar language
Afar is a Cushitic language of the Afroasiatic family, spoken mainly in Djibouti, Eritrea and the Afar Region of Ethiopia.
Afar is written in the Latin alphabet.
| Name in Afar | Qafar af |
|---|---|
| Language family | Cushitic language of the Afroasiatic family |
| Where it is spoken | Djibouti, Eritrea and the Afar Region of Ethiopia |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | aa |
Related languages
Afar interpreters near you
We send Afar interpreters to appointments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and telephone and video interpreting work wherever you are. Choose a town for its local page.
Afar interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book an Afar interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Afar interpreters work nearby.
How much does an Afar interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Can you certify Afar translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application.
Do you provide Afar interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match an Afar interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
