Burushaski is one of the rarest languages we are asked for, and we search for interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK. Interpreting can be face-to-face, telephone or video, certified translation between Burushaski, Urdu and English is available, and bookings are taken 24/7.
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Burushaski interpreting services
Start by pinning down where the client is from, because the valleys around Hunza are home to more than one language. People from upper Hunza, the area known as Gojal, often speak Wakhi rather than Burushaski, and around Gilgit and parts of Nagar the everyday language may be Shina. A booking marked "Hunza" is therefore not enough on its own. Within Burushaski itself, the speech of Hunza and Nagar is close, while Yasin stands further apart.
Interpreting is consecutive and usually remote. For a long appointment, allow extra time: the interpreter may need to check a word, and older speakers often prefer to tell their story in full before it is put into English.
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 Burushaski 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 Burushaski translation
Burushaski is mostly spoken rather than written, so the documents a Burushaski speaker brings from Pakistan are in English or Urdu: the NADRA identity card, a family registration certificate, birth records from the union council, and a nikah nama, the marriage contract, which is often completed in Urdu. What you need is usually Urdu to English, and each translator works into their native language, so a native English speaker writes the certified English version.
Pakistani papers seldom use a fixed family surname. A person is identified by their own name and their father's or husband's name, and the same name may be spelt differently on two documents. We follow the passport and note any variation for the reader.
- 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 Burushaski audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Burushaski translation
Before commissioning Burushaski text, consider who will actually read it. Speakers write their language, when they write it at all, in an adapted Urdu script, and spelling is not fixed, so most readers are more fluent readers of Urdu. For written material we normally suggest Urdu, or plain English, and for anyone who does not read, a recorded message or an interpreter reading the text aloud in Burushaski.
Burushaski court and police interpreters
A Burushaski speaker in court or at a solicitor's office is uncommon, and so are qualified interpreters for the language. For legal work we look for interpreters with legal experience and, where interpreters holding them exist for Burushaski, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). They almost certainly do not exist for it at present. The usual answer is a legally qualified Urdu interpreter, used only if the person understands Urdu well and agrees, with that agreement recorded before the hearing begins.
How to book a Burushaski 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 Burushaski language
Burushaski is a language isolate, spoken mainly in Hunza, Nagar and Yasin in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan.
Burushaski is written in the Urdu alphabet, and sometimes the Latin alphabet.
Before you book: Burushaski speakers usually also speak Urdu.
| Language family | Language isolate |
|---|---|
| Where it is spoken | Hunza, Nagar and Yasin in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan |
| Writing system | Urdu alphabet, and sometimes the Latin alphabet |
| Language code | bsk |
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Burushaski interpreters near you
We send Burushaski 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.
Burushaski interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Burushaski 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 Burushaski interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Burushaski 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 Burushaski 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 Burushaski is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Burushaski 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 a Burushaski interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
