Amharic interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK for hospitals, GP practices, solicitors, the Home Office, councils and businesses. We provide face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting and certified translation between Amharic and English, and our bookings desk is open 24 hours a day.
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Amharic interpreting services
The Amharic of Addis Ababa is the reference point, and speakers from Gondar, Gojjam, Wollo or northern Shewa understand it without trouble even when their own accent and some words differ. The real matching question is usually whether Amharic is the right language at all. For someone who grew up speaking Tigrinya, Oromo or Gurage at home, Amharic may be fluent for shopping and paperwork and still the wrong choice for describing pain or trauma. Ask the person, not the file.
Consecutive interpreting works best for medical and legal meetings. For a quick check on an appointment or a benefits query, a telephone interpreter is usually enough.
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 Amharic 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 Amharic translation
Ethiopian birth and marriage certificates, school and university papers and kebele identity cards are normally dated by the Ethiopian calendar. It has twelve months of thirty days and a short thirteenth month of five or six, the year begins in September, and it runs seven or eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. Our translators convert every date and note both forms, because a date of birth that looks wrong to a UK caseworker is usually a conversion problem.
Each translator works into their native language. Names follow the Ethiopian pattern of given name, father's name and often grandfather's name, and English spellings of the same name vary (Tesfaye, Tesfay), so we follow the passport.
- 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 Amharic audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Amharic translation
For UK readers, standard written Amharic as used in Addis Ababa is the right choice, and patient letters should address the reader with the respectful form of "you" that adults expect from an official. Ethiopic characters also need a proper font: check that your print shop or website can display them, or ask us for a finished PDF, because a broken font turns the text into empty boxes.
Amharic court and police interpreters
Amharic interpreters are needed across criminal, family and immigration cases, from a police interview to a care hearing or an asylum appeal. For legal bookings we look for Amharic interpreters with courtroom or tribunal experience and, where interpreters holding them exist for Amharic, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). The interpreter keeps a witness's respectful forms and hesitations as they are, rather than tidying the evidence into neat English.
How to book an Amharic 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 Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic family, spoken mainly in Ethiopia. It is the main working language of Ethiopia's federal government.
Amharic is written in the Ge'ez (Ethiopic) script, in which each character stands for a consonant and a vowel together.
At the 2021 Census, 10,834 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Amharic as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (757 people), the London borough of Lambeth (531) and Leeds (519). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Many Ethiopians speak Amharic as a second language alongside Oromo or Tigrinya. Check which language the person is most at ease in before booking, especially for a medical or legal appointment.
| Name in Amharic | አማርኛ |
|---|---|
| Language family | Semitic language of the Afroasiatic family |
| Where it is spoken | Ethiopia |
| Writing system | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) script, in which each character stands for a consonant and a vowel together |
| Language code | am |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 10,834 people |
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Amharic interpreters near you
We send Amharic 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.
Amharic interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book an Amharic 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 Amharic interpreters work nearby.
How much does an Amharic 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 Amharic 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. Because Amharic is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Amharic 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 Amharic interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Amharic in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 10,834 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Amharic as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (757 people), the London borough of Lambeth (531) and Leeds (519). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Amharic at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
