Sara interpreters and translators for asylum and legal work, the NHS, councils and schools anywhere in the UK, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Sara and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day. Because Sara covers several related languages, we ask which one the speaker uses before we book.
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Sara interpreting services
Booking a Sara interpreter starts with one question: which Sara? Ngambay, Sar, Mbay, Kaba and Gulay are close relatives, and speakers of neighbouring varieties often follow one another, but that ease fades with distance, and nobody wants a witness straining to understand an accent from the far side of the region. Consecutive interpreting suits most appointments, in short turns, each one checked before moving on. Many people from southern Chad grew up with several languages at once: their own variety at home, Ngambay or Chadian Arabic for trade, French in the classroom. An interpreter who shares that mix can keep up with a speaker who switches mid-sentence, which is common and nothing to worry about. Where the pool is thin, video interpreting lets us search the whole country.
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 Sara 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 Sara translation
Most paperwork from Chad is not written in Sara. Birth and marriage certificates, school reports, identity cards and court papers are issued in French and sometimes Arabic, so those go to a French or Arabic translator, and we will tell you so rather than sell you the wrong service. Written Sara turns up in church materials, letters and messages between relatives, and occasionally in evidence, where a handwritten note or a phone conversation needs an accurate English version, certified for use by UK authorities.
Each of our translators translates into their native language, so Sara to English work goes to a native English speaker who reads the variety concerned. Spellings of personal names drift from one document to the next, as each Sara language has its own conventions, and we record any differences so nobody at the Home Office thinks two papers describe two people.
- 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 Sara audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Sara translation
For an English text going into Sara, the first decision is the variety, and the honest advice is to find out who will read it. Ngambay reaches the most people from the south-west of Chad, but a single family may be better served in Sar or Mbay. For some readers French is still the easiest language to read, because it was the language of their schooling, so it is worth asking before paying for a Sara version. For health or council messages, a recorded audio version often works better than print, since fewer people learned to read their own language than to speak it.
Sara court and police interpreters
Sara interpreters are rarely needed in UK courts and tribunals; the likeliest settings are an asylum appeal before the immigration tribunal or a family matter. When a solicitor or court books with us, we search first for Sara interpreters who have worked in legal settings before, and for anyone holding the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), if such interpreters exist for Sara. Both are scarce for a language this small, so we tell the court or solicitor exactly what our interpreter holds. Name the speaker's own Sara language in the booking, and remember that an interpreter by video can join the hearing if the court agrees.
How to book a Sara 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 Sara languages
Sara is a group of closely related Central Sudanic languages spoken in southern Chad and the north of the Central African Republic.
Sara is written in the Latin alphabet.
Before you book: Sara speakers from Chad usually also know Chadian Arabic or French.
Related languages
Sara interpreters near you
We send Sara 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.
Sara interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Sara 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 Sara interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Sara 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 Sara 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 Sara 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 Sara interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
