Sena interpreters and translators for the NHS, solicitors, immigration advisers, councils and schools anywhere in the UK, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Sena and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day. Tell us whether the speaker comes from Mozambique or Malawi, and we will match the interpreter to them.
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Sena interpreting services
Sena sits in a crowded neighbourhood. Chichewa and Nyanja share a good deal with it, enough that many Malawian Sena speakers switch between them without thinking, while Shona and Lomwe are further off and should not be used as substitutes. For a booking that matters, match the dialect: a speaker from the Zambezi valley in Mozambique and one from the far south of Malawi will understand each other, but the words that fill the gaps differ, and a nervous client will relax much sooner with an interpreter who sounds like home.
Consecutive interpreting suits nearly all Sena work. Because the pool of interpreters is small, video is often how we fill the booking, and it works well for GP calls, solicitor meetings and school conversations alike.
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 Sena 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 Sena translation
Official records from Mozambique are in Portuguese and those from Malawi in English, so a birth certificate or identity card seldom needs a Sena translator at all. Where Sena does appear in writing is closer to home: letters and voice notes between family members, church books and hymns, statements written by the person themselves. Those can be translated into English and certified for a solicitor, a court or the Home Office.
Each of our translators translates into their native language, so Sena to English goes to a translator whose first language is English and who reads Sena well. Names carry across as they appear in the passport; where a Portuguese clerk and a Malawian registrar have spelled the same family name differently, we point it out.
- 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 Sena audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Sena translation
Translating into Sena for readers in the UK means choosing between Mozambican and Malawian habits of spelling and vocabulary, so tell us where your readers come from. For a Malawian family, a Chichewa version may be easier to read, since that is the language most Malawians learned to read in; for Mozambicans, Portuguese may be. A plain, spoken style of Sena works best for health and council information.
Sena court and police interpreters
Sena is seldom heard in UK courts, but a family hearing, a criminal case or an immigration appeal can still turn on it, and the person at the centre is often someone with little English or Portuguese. When a solicitor or court books us for Sena, we first look for interpreters who have legal experience and, if any interpreters with these credentials exist for the language, for the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or entry on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). We tell the court plainly what the interpreter we offer holds, and a video link can bring them into the hearing where the court allows it.
How to book a Sena 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 Sena language
Sena is a Bantu language, spoken mainly in central Mozambique and southern Malawi.
Sena is written in the Latin alphabet.
| Language family | Bantu language |
|---|---|
| Where it is spoken | Central Mozambique and southern Malawi |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | seh |
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Sena interpreters near you
We send Sena 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.
Sena interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Sena 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 Sena interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Sena 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 Sena 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 Sena 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 Sena interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
