Kurdish interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK, in Sorani, Kurmanji, Behdini and, where we can find them, the Southern Kurdish dialects. We cover face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting and certified translation between Kurdish and English, and take bookings 24 hours a day.
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Kurdish interpreting services
The Kurdish varieties differ in grammar, not only in accent. Kurmanji still has masculine and feminine nouns and a case system; Sorani has lost both, and adds a suffix, -eke, where English puts "the". So a Sorani speaker listening to Kurmanji is decoding different grammar as well as unfamiliar words. Most Kurdish interpreting is consecutive, a few sentences at a time, which gives the interpreter room to check a word that the speaker's home area uses differently. If all you know is that someone speaks "Kurdish", find out which Kurdish before you book: a wrong match wastes the appointment and, in a legal setting, can cast doubt 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 Kurdish 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 Kurdish translation
Much of the paperwork a Kurdish family brings isn't in Kurdish at all. Identity cards and certificates from Turkey are in Turkish, those from Syria and Iraq mostly in Arabic, and Iranian ones in Persian, so we translate each document from the language it is written in, whatever the family speaks at home. Letters, statements, messages and recordings in Kurdish go to translators who work in that dialect. Every translator works into their native language, so Kurdish to English is done by a native English speaker and English to Kurdish by a native speaker of the right Kurdish.
Watch the spelling of names. One Kurdish name can reach us in Kurmanji's Latin letters, in Arabic script and in whatever Turkish, Arabic or Persian spelling an official chose, so we keep to the passport form and flag any document that spells it differently.
- 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 Kurdish audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Kurdish translation
There is no single written Kurdish to translate into. A leaflet for Kurds from Iraq or Iran is normally written in Sorani, though readers from Duhok are better served in Behdini, while one for Kurds from Turkey or Syria is written in Kurmanji, and the two standards differ in alphabet as well as grammar. A council or NHS trust with readers from both groups therefore needs two translations, not one, and we quote for each. Tell us who the readers are and where they come from, and we'll recommend which you need.
Kurdish court and police interpreters
At a tribunal, in a criminal court or in family proceedings, the first thing to settle is that the interpreter and the witness share a dialect: an interpreter working in a Kurdish close to, but not the same as, the witness's own can still get a date, a name or a threat wrong. Some cases also turn on nationality. Feyli Kurds, for example, lost their Iraqi citizenship under a 1980 decree and many were deported to Iran, so a family may hold no valid papers from either country. For legal bookings we look for a Kurdish interpreter in the right dialect with legal experience and, where such interpreters are available in that dialect, one holding the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI).
How to book a Kurdish 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 Kurdish language
Kurdish is a group of north-western Iranian languages of the Indo-European family, spoken mainly in Kurdistan, which spans south-eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and north-eastern Syria. It is an official language of Iraq, alongside Arabic.
Kurdish is written in the Latin alphabet for Kurmanji in Turkey and Syria, and the Arabic script for Sorani and Behdini in Iraq and Iran. Varieties include Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), Sorani (Central Kurdish), Behdini (Badini) and the Southern Kurdish dialects.
At the 2021 Census, 66,443 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Kurdish as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (3,271 people), Leeds (2,898) and Manchester (2,425). The census counts all forms of Kurdish together. Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: For interpreting, Kurdish is not one language: a Sorani speaker from Sulaymaniyah and a Kurmanji speaker from Turkey often can't follow each other well. Tell us the dialect, or the speaker's home region, when you book.
| Name in Kurdish | Kurdî / کوردی |
|---|---|
| Language family | Group of north-western Iranian languages of the Indo-European family |
| Where it is spoken | Kurdistan, which spans south-eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and north-eastern Syria |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet for Kurmanji in Turkey and Syria, and the Arabic script for Sorani and Behdini in Iraq and Iran |
| Language code | ku |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 66,443 people |
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Kurdish interpreters near you
We send Kurdish 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.
Kurdish interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Kurdish 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 Kurdish interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Kurdish 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 Kurdish dialect matter when booking an interpreter?
It can. Kurdish varieties include Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), Sorani (Central Kurdish), Behdini (Badini) and the Southern Kurdish dialects. Tell us where the speaker is from, or the dialect they use, so the interpreter is a good match for them.
Can you certify Kurdish 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 Kurdish 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 Kurdish interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Kurdish in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 66,443 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Kurdish as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (3,271 people), Leeds (2,898) and Manchester (2,425). The census counts all forms of Kurdish together. The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Kurdish at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
