Pothwari interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK, for families from the Rawalpindi and Jhelum districts and their neighbours on the Pothohar plateau, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Pothwari and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day.
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Pothwari interpreting services
Linguists place Pothwari among the western varieties of Punjabi, with Hindko, Saraiki and Shahpuri. It sits between Hindko to the west and the standard Punjabi of Lahore to the east, and speakers of all three can talk to one another, though not without gaps. That is why a Punjabi interpreter from Lahore will follow much of a Pothwari conversation but not all of it, and why, for a consultation or an interview, a Pothwari speaker is the safer choice.
Interpreting is consecutive. Tell us when you book if the client would prefer a man or a woman to interpret, for example at a gynaecology or continence appointment, and whether they have any hearing loss, which is easier to allow for in person or on video than on the phone.
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 Pothwari 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 Pothwari translation
Families from the Pothohar bring the same Pakistani paperwork as anyone else, and most of it is in Urdu or English rather than Pothwari. A police character certificate is often partly or wholly in Urdu; degree and school certificates are usually printed in English but carry Urdu stamps and handwritten notes, and a certified translation must include those as well. Each of our translators translates into their native language, so this work goes to native English speakers who read Urdu. Names are spelt as in the passport, and we flag any document that spells them 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 Pothwari audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Pothwari translation
Written material for Pothwari readers normally goes into Urdu, but plain Urdu, not the formal style of official letters, whose Persian and Arabic vocabulary many readers find heavy going. For someone who does not read Urdu with ease, a Pothwari interpreter can take them through the text by phone or in person. If the reader is young and British-born, check whether English would serve them better than either.
Pothwari court and police interpreters
For police, court and tribunal work we look for a Pothwari interpreter with legal experience, and where one is available we prefer registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) or the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law). The register lists Pothwari, and several registered interpreters work in it alongside Urdu and Pakistani Punjabi, which helps when a case moves between written evidence in Urdu and spoken evidence in Pothwari.
How to book a Pothwari 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 Pothwari language
Pothwari is the form of Pahari-Pothwari, an Indo-Aryan language, spoken on the Pothohar plateau of northern Punjab in Pakistan, around Rawalpindi and Jhelum.
Pothwari is mainly a spoken language; its speakers write in Urdu.
At the 2021 Census, 22,798 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Pakistani Pahari (a census category that includes Mirpuri and Potwari) as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (9,446 people), Bradford (1,429) and Rochdale (1,384). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Pothwari, Pahari and Mirpuri are overlapping names for closely related speech. If you know the family's home district, such as Jhelum, Mirpur or Kotli, tell us.
| Language family | Indo-Aryan language (Pahari-Pothwari) |
|---|---|
| Where it is spoken | The Pothohar plateau of northern Punjab, Pakistan |
| Writing system | Rarely written; Urdu is used instead |
| Language code | phr |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 22,798 people |
Related languages
Pothwari interpreters near you
We send Pothwari 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.
Pothwari interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Pothwari 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 Pothwari interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Pothwari 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 Pothwari 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 Pothwari 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 Pothwari interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Pothwari in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 22,798 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Pakistani Pahari (a census category that includes Mirpuri and Potwari) as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (9,446 people), Bradford (1,429) and Rochdale (1,384). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Pothwari at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
