Arabic interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK, matched to the speaker's dialect from Morocco to Iraq and the Gulf, for immigration solicitors, the NHS, courts, police and businesses: face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Arabic and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day.
- 8,000+ linguists
- 350+ languages
- Bookings 24/7, every day of the year
- Free quotes
Arabic interpreting services
Every Arabic interpreter works in two kinds of Arabic at once: their own spoken dialect, and Modern Standard Arabic, which every educated speaker understands and nobody grows up speaking at home. The standard carries meaning between dialects at the cost of sounding stiff, and a client who left school early may follow it only in part. So the closer the interpreter's home dialect is to the client's, the more natural the conversation.
Consecutive interpreting suits almost every public-service appointment; a defendant following a whole trial needs whispered simultaneous interpreting instead. For an asylum interview, a mental health assessment or any hearing where credibility is at stake, give the interpreter and the client a minute at the start to check they understand each other, and note any difficulty on the record.
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 Arabic 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 Arabic translation
Our Arabic translators each translate into their native language: a Syrian marriage contract or an Iraqi court judgment goes into English with a native English speaker, and a hospital letter goes into Arabic with a native Arabic speaker. Dates are the usual trap. Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine use old Syriac month names, so Tishrin al-Awwal is October and Kanun al-Thani is January. Egyptian, Sudanese and Gulf documents name the months after the Latin originals instead, and Algerian and Tunisian ones after the French, while Saudi administrative papers may give Hijri dates from the Umm al-Qura calendar. We convert every date, and keep the original wording wherever a court or the Home Office may want to check it.
- 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 Arabic audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Arabic translation
For anything written, Modern Standard Arabic is almost always right: a leaflet in Egyptian or Moroccan dialect reads oddly to everyone else, while the standard reads the same from Casablanca to Baghdad. What should change with the audience is the tone. Patient information, school letters and council notices work best in short, plain sentences rather than newspaper Arabic. And because Arabic runs right to left, a translated form, poster or web page needs its whole layout mirrored, not just its words swapped.
Arabic court and police interpreters
Arabic interpreters are needed across the justice system, from police interviews under caution to family courts and the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). For legal bookings we choose Arabic interpreters with legal experience, preferring those who hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or are registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), and among them the one whose dialect is closest to the witness's. The register lists some dialects in their own right, Sudanese Arabic and Moroccan among them. If no registered interpreter shares a North African witness's dialect, a remote interpreter can join by video when the court allows it.
How to book an Arabic 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 Arabic language
Arabic is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic family, spoken mainly in the Middle East and North Africa. It is an official language of more than 20 countries and one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Arabic is written in the Arabic script, which runs from right to left. Varieties include Modern Standard Arabic, used for writing and formal speech, and spoken dialects such as Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, Gulf, Sudanese and Maghrebi (Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian).
At the 2021 Census, 203,998 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Arabic as their main language, one of the ten most common main languages in England and Wales. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (12,758 people), the London borough of Brent (10,618) and Manchester (10,425). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Written Arabic is much the same everywhere, but the spoken dialects are far apart: a Moroccan and an Iraqi speaker can struggle to follow each other. For interpreting, tell us the speaker's country so we can match the dialect.
| Name in Arabic | العربية |
|---|---|
| Language family | Semitic language of the Afroasiatic family |
| Where it is spoken | The Middle East and North Africa |
| Writing system | Arabic script, which runs from right to left |
| Language code | ar |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 203,998 people |
Related languages
Arabic interpreters near you
We send Arabic 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.
Arabic interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book an Arabic 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 Arabic interpreters work nearby.
How much does an Arabic 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.
Does the Arabic dialect matter when booking an interpreter?
It can. Arabic varieties include Modern Standard Arabic, used for writing and formal speech, and spoken dialects such as Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, Gulf, Sudanese and Maghrebi (Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian). Tell us where the speaker is from, or the dialect they use, so the interpreter is a good match for them.
Can you certify Arabic 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 Arabic is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Arabic 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 Arabic interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Arabic in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 203,998 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Arabic as their main language, one of the ten most common main languages in England and Wales. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (12,758 people), the London borough of Brent (10,618) and Manchester (10,425). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Arabic at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
