Pashto for Afghans and Pakistanis alike: we supply interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK to families, solicitors, the NHS and councils, whether the job is face-to-face, by telephone, by video or a certified translation between Pashto and English, and the booking line is open 24 hours a day.
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Pashto interpreting services
Pashto divides roughly into southern dialects, spoken from Kandahar across to Quetta in Pakistan, and northern ones, spoken from eastern Afghanistan to Peshawar and beyond. Speakers of the two follow each other, though accent and vocabulary differ, so for most appointments any experienced Pashto interpreter will do. Matching is worth the trouble when the conversation is long, emotional or recorded: a mental health assessment, a police interview, an asylum interview. Pashto interpreting is consecutive in almost every setting, and an interpreter joining by video is a good option when nobody with the right background is nearby.
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 Pashto 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 Pashto translation
Much of the paperwork Pashto speakers bring isn't in Pashto alone. Afghanistan's electronic tazkira labels its fields in Dari, Pashto and English, while Pakistan's national identity card is printed in Urdu and English, so a single family file can need translating from three or four languages. Afghan documents are dated by the solar Hijri calendar; we convert each date and keep the original. Names of people and places are spelt many ways in English letters, Yusufzai and Yousafzai among them, so we match the passport. The person translating into Pashto is always a native Pashto speaker, ideally from the same side of the border as your readers, and translation into English is done by a native English speaker: each translator works into their native language.
- 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 Pashto audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Pashto translation
Many Pashto speakers read another language more easily than Pashto. In Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, state schools taught in Urdu until 2014 and have moved to English since, so adults from Pakistan may prefer a letter in Urdu or English, and some Afghans read Dari as readily as Pashto. When Pashto is right, we write it in a neutral standard that northern and southern readers both accept, and we'll advise whether an Urdu or Dari version, or a recording, would reach your readers better.
Pashto court and police interpreters
Pashto legal work runs from asylum appeals to criminal and family proceedings, and the interpreter has to be trusted by the client as well as accurate. We want a Pashto interpreter who knows courtroom procedure as well as the language; where one who holds the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law), or is registered with the NRPSI, is available for Pashto, we book them first. Tell us early if a client has concerns about who interprets for them, for example because of where the interpreter comes from, and we'll try to offer an alternative before the hearing rather than during it.
How to book a Pashto 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 Pashto language
Pashto is an eastern Iranian language of the Indo-European family, spoken mainly in Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan. It is an official language of Afghanistan, alongside Dari.
Pashto is written in a form of the Arabic script with extra letters. Varieties include southern dialects, such as Kandahari, and northern ones, such as Yusufzai (Peshawari).
At the 2021 Census, 48,705 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Pashto as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (6,993 people), Bradford (2,754) and the London borough of Barnet (2,173). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Pashto speakers from Afghanistan and Pakistan use different dialects and borrow from different languages (Dari in Afghanistan, Urdu in Pakistan). For an asylum interview, tell us which country the person is from.
| Name in Pashto | پښتو |
|---|---|
| Language family | Eastern Iranian language of the Indo-European family |
| Where it is spoken | Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan |
| Writing system | Form of the Arabic script with extra letters |
| Language code | ps |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 48,705 people |
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Pashto interpreters near you
We send Pashto 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.
Pashto interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Pashto 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 Pashto interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Pashto 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 Pashto dialect matter when booking an interpreter?
It can. Pashto varieties include southern dialects, such as Kandahari, and northern ones, such as Yusufzai (Peshawari). Tell us where the speaker is from, or the dialect they use, so the interpreter is a good match for them.
Can you certify Pashto 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 Pashto is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Pashto 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 Pashto interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Pashto in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 48,705 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Pashto as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (6,993 people), Bradford (2,754) and the London borough of Barnet (2,173). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Pashto at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
