Somali interpreters and translators for the NHS, local authorities, schools, solicitors and the police anywhere in the UK. We arrange face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, produce certified translation between Somali and English, and take bookings 24/7, including for evenings and weekends.
- 8,000+ linguists
- 350+ languages
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Somali interpreting services
Somali spoken in Hargeisa, Mogadishu, Djibouti and the Ogaden is mutually intelligible, but it isn't uniform. Northern speech is close to the written standard. The coastal Benaadir variety of Mogadishu sounds noticeably different. Loanwords also give away where someone grew up: English words in the former British north, Italian in the south, French in Djibouti. A seasoned interpreter handles all of these, yet for a long mental health assessment or a police interview it helps to tell us the speaker's home region.
Consecutive interpreting suits almost everything, and Somali has a strong oral tradition in which proverbs and indirect phrasing carry real meaning. A good interpreter renders what the proverb is saying rather than the literal words, and will say so if a point is ambiguous.
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 Somali 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 Somali translation
Documents come from several governments. Somalia, the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, Ethiopia and Kenya all issue papers to Somali families, and many older records were lost in the war, so the birth certificate you receive may have been issued decades after the birth. Each of our translators works into their native language, so Somali documents are translated into English by native English speakers, and we certify each translation for use in the UK.
The Somali alphabet uses letters in unfamiliar ways: C stands for a throat sound close to Arabic ayn, X for a breathy h, and doubled vowels mark length. That is why Maxamed is Mohamed and Cabdi is Abdi. We follow the spelling in the passport or Home Office papers and point out when two documents disagree.
- 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 Somali audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Somali translation
For English into Somali we use the standard written language in its official spelling, the form Somali schools have taught since 1972. Keep sentences plain and avoid idiom. Some older readers, especially women whose schooling was cut short by the war, read little or not at all, so for health campaigns and council notices it is worth pairing the leaflet with a spoken version, read aloud at a clinic or community session.
Somali court and police interpreters
Somali comes up regularly in UK courts and tribunals, from immigration appeals to Crown Court trials. For these bookings we look for Somali interpreters with legal experience, and we prefer those holding the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or listed on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), both of which include Somali interpreters. Check early that the defendant or witness speaks Standard Somali and not Maay; a mismatch discovered on the day can adjourn a hearing.
How to book a Somali 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 Somali language
Somali is a Cushitic language of the Afroasiatic family, spoken mainly in Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, the Somali Region of Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya. It is an official language of Somalia, with Arabic.
Somali is written in the Latin alphabet, official since 1972. Varieties include Standard Somali (Maxaa tiri) and, in the south, Maay.
At the 2021 Census, 62,240 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Somali as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (7,374 people), the London borough of Brent (4,201) and the London borough of Ealing (3,391). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Somalis from the south may speak Maay, which Standard Somali speakers do not easily follow. Cardiff has one of the oldest Somali communities in the UK, and there are large communities in London, Bristol, Leicester and Birmingham.
| Name in Somali | Af-Soomaali |
|---|---|
| Language family | Cushitic language of the Afroasiatic family |
| Where it is spoken | Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, the Somali Region of Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet, official since 1972 |
| Language code | so |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 62,240 people |
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Somali interpreters near you
We send Somali 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.
Somali interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Somali 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 Somali interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Somali 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 Somali dialect matter when booking an interpreter?
It can. Somali varieties include Standard Somali (Maxaa tiri) and, in the south, Maay. Tell us where the speaker is from, or the dialect they use, so the interpreter is a good match for them.
Can you certify Somali 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 Somali 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 Somali interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Somali in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 62,240 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Somali as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (7,374 people), the London borough of Brent (4,201) and the London borough of Ealing (3,391). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Somali at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
