For asylum and immigration work, solicitors, courts, the NHS and social services, UK Linguistic Services finds Sorani Kurdish interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK. Interpreting can be face-to-face, by telephone or by video; we also provide certified translation between Sorani and English, and our bookings line is open 24/7.
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Sorani interpreting services
Sorani is spoken across most of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and in Iranian Kurdistan, and its local forms differ mainly in accent and borrowed words. The speech of Sulaymaniyah and of Mahabad in Iran did more than any other to shape written Sorani, so an interpreter from either area sounds natural to most listeners. Iraqi speakers lean on Arabic for official words and Iranian speakers on Persian, and a client will often use the borrowed term for a document, an office or an illness; the interpreter needs to recognise it rather than correct it. Consecutive interpreting suits nearly every Sorani appointment, and a video link works well for a short hearing or a GP review.
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 Sorani 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 Sorani translation
Iraqi identity papers have changed. The biometric Iraqi National Identity Card has replaced both the Civil Status ID card and the Iraqi Nationality Certificate, and Iraq's Ministry of Interior ended use of the old ID card from 1 April 2024, yet the older documents still turn up in family files and asylum bundles. Iraqi records also carry a family registration reference, a volume and page number in the civil register, which later applications depend on, so we copy it exactly as written.
Kurds from Iran bring Iranian certificates dated by the Solar Hijri calendar, which we convert, keeping the original date alongside. Our translators work only into their native language, so the English version of a Sorani document is always written by someone whose first language is English.
- 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 Sorani audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Sorani translation
Written Sorani is the language of schools and public life in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, and the natural choice for a leaflet or letter aimed at Iraqi Kurds. Readers from Iran are a slightly different case: their schooling was in Persian, and some read Persian more easily than written Kurdish. For a general UK readership, standard Sorani serves both groups well. If your readers are mainly Kurds from Iran, ask us whether a Persian version is worth adding.
Sorani court and police interpreters
The Chartered Institute of Linguists examines the law pathway of its Diploma in Public Service Interpreting in Sorani, so qualified Sorani legal interpreters do exist. For hearings, police interviews and conferences with counsel we book Sorani interpreters with legal experience, preferring those who hold the DPSI (Law) or are registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). If the tribunal is arranging the interpreter for an appeal, check that its request names Sorani rather than just Kurdish, and tell the judge at the outset if the client cannot follow.
How to book a Sorani 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 Sorani language
Sorani is Central Kurdish, one of the main forms of Kurdish. It is spoken mainly in Iraqi Kurdistan, including Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, and the Kurdish areas of western Iran. Sorani is an official language of Iraq, as Kurdish.
Sorani is written in a form of the Arabic script with extra letters for vowels.
At the 2021 Census, 66,443 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Kurdish as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (3,271 people), Leeds (2,898) and Manchester (2,425). The census counts all forms of Kurdish together. Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Most Kurds from Iraq's Sulaymaniyah and Erbil provinces, and many from Iran, speak Sorani rather than Kurmanji. Those from Iran often also speak Farsi, and those from Iraq often speak Arabic.
| Name in Sorani | سۆرانی |
|---|---|
| Language family | Central Kurdish, one of the main forms of Kurdish |
| Where it is spoken | Iraqi Kurdistan, including Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, and the Kurdish areas of western Iran |
| Writing system | Form of the Arabic script with extra letters for vowels |
| Language code | ckb |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 66,443 people |
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Sorani interpreters near you
We send Sorani 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.
Sorani interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Sorani 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 Sorani interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Sorani 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 Sorani 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. Because Sorani is not written in the Latin alphabet, send us the passport spelling of every name so the translation matches it.
Do you provide Sorani 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 Sorani interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Sorani in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 66,443 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Kurdish as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (3,271 people), Leeds (2,898) and Manchester (2,425). The census counts all forms of Kurdish together. The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Sorani at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
