Krio interpreters and translators for Sierra Leonean clients anywhere in the UK, working with GP surgeries, hospitals, housing teams, police and solicitors. We cover face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting and certified translation between Krio and English, and bookings are taken 24/7.
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Krio interpreting services
Krio began among the freed Africans resettled in Freetown from the late eighteenth century, and it is still the first language of their descendants, the Krio people. Everyone else in Sierra Leone learns it as a shared tongue beside Temne, Mende, Limba or another home language, so provincial speakers bring accents and words from those languages with them. The Aku spoken in The Gambia is a close relative.
When talking to officials, many Sierra Leoneans shift their Krio towards English, and the speech you hear can sit anywhere between the two. An interpreter has to be at home across that whole range. Consecutive interpreting is standard, and video suits Krio well because it widens the choice of interpreter beyond London.
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 Krio 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 Krio translation
English is Sierra Leone's official language, so birth certificates, school results and court orders from Freetown arrive in English and need no translation. Krio translation work is mainly transcripts: police interview recordings, phone calls, voice notes and text messages that have become evidence. Informal messages are usually typed with English-style spellings rather than the standard Krio orthography, and the translator has to read them aloud in their head to catch the meaning. Each of our translators works into their native language, and certified translations are available for courts, the Home Office and local authorities.
- 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 Krio audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Krio translation
Most Sierra Leonean adults learned to read in English, and a page of written Krio can be slower going for them than plain English. For health or safeguarding messages, a Krio audio or video recording often reaches more people than print. Where a printed Krio text is wanted, we use the standard spelling and keep it conversational, because formal written Krio looks odd to many readers.
Krio court and police interpreters
Krio interpreting in UK courts spans criminal trials, family proceedings and immigration appeals, and the language's closeness to English makes accuracy harder to check, not easier. For this work we select Krio interpreters who have experience of legal settings. Where Krio interpreters with such qualifications exist, we prefer those holding the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), and remote interpreting by video can reach a hearing anywhere in the country if the court permits.
How to book a Krio 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 Krio language
Krio is an English-based creole, spoken mainly in Sierra Leone, where it is the common language.
Krio is written in the Latin alphabet.
At the 2021 Census, 921 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Krio as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Southwark (183 people), the London borough of Lewisham (53) and the London borough of Croydon (39). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Krio is understood across Sierra Leone, but people from the provinces may be more at ease in Temne or Mende.
| Language family | English-based creole |
|---|---|
| Where it is spoken | Sierra Leone, where it is the common language |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | kri |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 921 people |
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Krio interpreters near you
We send Krio 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.
Krio interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Krio 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 Krio interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Krio 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 Krio 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 Krio 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 Krio interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Krio in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 921 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Krio as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Southwark (183 people), the London borough of Lewisham (53) and the London borough of Croydon (39). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Krio at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
