Portuguese interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK for European, Brazilian and African Portuguese speakers, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Portuguese and English for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers, and bookings taken 24/7.
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Portuguese interpreting services
When the stakes are high, match the interpreter to the speaker's country. People from Portugal and Brazil understand each other well, but pace, vowels and everyday words differ enough that a long witness statement or a mental health assessment goes better with someone from the same side of the Atlantic. Angolans and Mozambicans generally follow the European norm, though with their own accents and vocabulary.
Written Spanish and Portuguese look close, yet the spoken languages are further apart than most people expect, and a Spanish interpreter is no substitute. Most of our Portuguese work is consecutive, sentence by sentence, whether the interpreter is in the room or on a video link.
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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese translation
We translate Portuguese birth, marriage and divorce certificates, Cartão de Cidadão identity cards, Brazilian CPF records, degree certificates and transcripts, court judgments and medical reports, and certify the English for UK use. Each translator translates into their native language, so the English version comes from a native English speaker.
Brazilian civil certificates deserve a close look at the margins. Later events such as a divorce or a change of name are recorded there as an averbação, and a UK caseworker needs that note translated as carefully as the main entry. We copy names exactly as the passport gives them, with accents, particles such as da and dos, and both surnames in their original order.
- 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 Portuguese audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Portuguese translation
The first decision is European or Brazilian Portuguese, and it should follow the readers rather than habit. A school letter going to families from Portugal, Angola and Mozambique suits European Portuguese, while a staff handbook for a mostly Brazilian team reads more naturally in Brazilian. Forms of address differ as well: Brazilian writing is comfortable with "você", whereas European Portuguese often avoids it in polite text and addresses the reader by title or in the third person. Tell us who will read it and we will choose accordingly.
Portuguese court and police interpreters
Portuguese is heard regularly in UK courts, tribunals and police stations, and it is one of the languages for which qualified public service interpreters do exist. For legal bookings we ask for Portuguese interpreters with courtroom experience, and look first for the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). If the defendant or witness is Brazilian, say so when you book: police and court vocabulary differs between Portugal and Brazil, and an interpreter who knows the witness's variety keeps the questions and answers precise.
How to book a Portuguese 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 Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language, spoken mainly in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola and Mozambique, among others, and an official language of the European Union.
Portuguese is written in the Latin alphabet.
At the 2021 Census, 224,719 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Portuguese as their main language, one of the ten most common main languages in England and Wales. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Lambeth (9,009 people), the London borough of Brent (7,817) and the London borough of Newham (5,629). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: European and Brazilian Portuguese differ in spelling, grammar and everyday vocabulary, so tell us whether the person or the reader is from Portugal, Brazil or Portuguese-speaking Africa.
| Name in Portuguese | português |
|---|---|
| Language family | Romance language |
| Where it is spoken | Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | pt |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 224,719 people |
Related languages
Portuguese interpreters near you
We send Portuguese 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.
Portuguese interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Portuguese 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 Portuguese interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Portuguese in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 224,719 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Portuguese as their main language, one of the ten most common main languages in England and Wales. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Lambeth (9,009 people), the London borough of Brent (7,817) and the London borough of Newham (5,629). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Portuguese at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
