Igbo interpreters and translators for midwives, health visitors, social workers, solicitors and family courts anywhere in the UK. We arrange face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting and certified translation between Igbo and English, with bookings taken 24 hours a day, including for a relative who is only here for a few weeks.
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Igbo interpreting services
Igbo is spoken across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states and into parts of Delta and Rivers, and the speech of Nsukka in the north is noticeably different from that of Owerri or Onitsha. Yoruba and Hausa share the country but not the language, so an interpreter of another Nigerian language cannot step in for an Igbo speaker. Educated speakers mix English into their Igbo all the time, which helps in a clinic. An older relative from a village may not, and will expect the respectful forms of address that Igbo keeps for elders; an interpreter who talks to her like a schoolfriend loses her trust in the first minute. Consecutive interpreting suits nearly every Igbo booking, from a GP consultation to a social worker's assessment.
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 Igbo 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 Igbo translation
Most Nigerian certificates, from birth registration to school exam results, are already issued in English, so a UK authority seldom needs them translated. The Igbo we are asked to translate is more personal: letters and messages from family, recorded voice notes, and statements about a customary marriage or a dispute over family land. Our translators work into their native language, with native English speakers producing the English version and native Igbo speakers the Igbo one.
Igbo is tonal, but everyday writing leaves the tones unmarked, and context usually settles the meaning; the textbook case is akwa, which can mean cloth, egg, bed or crying. Names bring their own work. Chukwuemeka becomes Emeka at home, and passports drop the dots under vowels, so we follow the passport and point out any document that uses another form before the certified translation is issued.
- 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 Igbo audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Igbo translation
We write in Standard Igbo with the dotted vowels in place, adding tone marks only where a word would otherwise be ambiguous. Before you commission a translation, ask whether the reader actually reads Igbo. Many Nigerians were taught to read in English and find it easier, and for them a plain English letter read through with an interpreter may work better. Where Igbo is right, such as for an older relative, keep the sentences short and the medical terms explained.
Igbo court and police interpreters
Igbo interpreting in UK legal settings takes in family proceedings, where a grandparent or aunt may be assessed as a carer, as well as criminal and immigration cases. When a solicitor or court asks us for Igbo, we want an interpreter who has worked in legal settings before, and ideally one with the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or a place on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), where such Igbo interpreters are available. Qualified Igbo legal interpreters are hard to find at short notice, so book as soon as a hearing is listed.
How to book an Igbo 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 Igbo language
Igbo is a Volta-Niger language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken mainly in south-eastern Nigeria.
Igbo is written in the Latin alphabet, with dotted vowels such as ị, ọ and ụ.
At the 2021 Census, 11,074 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Igbo as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the Royal Borough of Greenwich (636 people), Manchester (578) and the London borough of Barking and Dagenham (495). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Written Standard Igbo is based on central dialects, and speakers from different areas can use quite different words, so tell us where the speaker is from.
| Name in Igbo | Asụsụ Igbo |
|---|---|
| Language family | Volta-Niger language of the Niger-Congo family |
| Where it is spoken | South-eastern Nigeria |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet, with dotted vowels such as ị, ọ and ụ |
| Language code | ig |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 11,074 people |
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Igbo interpreters near you
We send Igbo 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.
Igbo interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book an Igbo 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 Igbo interpreters work nearby.
How much does an Igbo 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 Igbo 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 Igbo 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 Igbo interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Igbo in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 11,074 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Igbo as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the Royal Borough of Greenwich (636 people), Manchester (578) and the London borough of Barking and Dagenham (495). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Igbo at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
