Contract Translation Services for Business & Legal Agreements
Translate contracts and agreements with careful attention to legal wording, defined terms, names, dates, figures and document structure. Send your document online and tell us where the translation will be used so the appropriate translation and certification route can be reviewed before work begins.
- Professional human translators
- Secure document handling
- UK-wide online service
- Standard and express options
More Than Translating Individual Words
A contract depends on how its clauses work together. Defined terms may appear repeatedly, dates and figures can affect obligations, and schedules or annexes may contain information that is just as important as the main agreement.
That makes consistency especially important. The translation needs to be clear enough for the source and translated versions to be compared while retaining the original document's meaning, hierarchy and relevant visible information.
Certification is not automatically necessary for every contract. The appropriate route depends on why the translation is required and the instructions of the court, solicitor, company, authority, institution or overseas recipient receiving it.
If you have written submission instructions, send them with the agreement. This helps distinguish a standard translation or certified translation from a document that may also require notarisation, a sworn translator or additional legalisation.
Types of Contracts We Can Review for Translation
Contract translation can be required for commercial activity, employment, property, partnerships and private agreements. Send the complete document if your contract type is not shown below.
Business Contracts
Agreements governing commercial relationships, services, obligations, payments and other business arrangements.
Employment Agreements
Employment contracts containing responsibilities, remuneration, conditions, restrictions and termination provisions.
Lease Agreements
Residential or commercial lease documentation containing property, payment, duration and responsibility clauses.
Partnership Agreements
Documents setting out the roles, contributions, responsibilities and arrangements between business partners.
Sales & Purchase Contracts
Agreements covering the purchase or sale of goods, assets or other contractual interests.
Non-Disclosure Agreements
Confidentiality agreements where consistent treatment of defined parties, information and obligations is particularly important.
Accuracy Matters at Clause Level
Contracts often repeat terminology deliberately. A defined expression used in clause 2 may appear again in clause 17, a schedule and an annex. The translated document therefore needs consistent treatment throughout rather than isolated sentence-by-sentence wording.
Does a Contract Need a Certified Translation?
Not every translated contract needs certification. A translation used internally to understand an agreement may have different requirements from one being submitted to a court, public authority, bank, registry, solicitor or organisation overseas.
Start with the receiving organisation's written instructions. If they specifically request certified, notarised or sworn translation, or mention apostille or legalisation, include those instructions when requesting your quote.
Important: the receiving organisation makes the final decision about what form of translation or authentication it will accept. Additional certification should not be ordered simply because the contract is a legal document.
| Service | What it adds | When it may apply |
|---|---|---|
| Certified translation | A complete translation supplied with a signed accuracy statement and relevant identifying details. | When the receiving organisation requests certification for formal or official use. |
| Notarised translation | Adds a notarial authentication step to the relevant translation or certification. | When notarisation is expressly required by the recipient. |
| Sworn translation | Uses the recognised sworn-translator system applicable in certain countries. | For destinations whose legal or administrative system specifically requires a sworn translator. |
| Apostille / legalisation | Adds further authentication where eligible and required for cross-border use. | When destination-country or recipient instructions identify apostille or legalisation requirements. |
From Contract Upload to Completed Translation
Send the agreement first so its language, length, intended use and deadline can be reviewed before translation begins.
Send the Contract
Upload a readable PDF, scan or image containing every relevant page, schedule and annex.
Explain Its Purpose
State the source and target languages, recipient or destination and your required deadline.
Review Your Quote
Pricing, expected turnaround and the appropriate certification route are confirmed before work starts.
Translation & Checks
The document is translated and relevant names, dates, numbers, visible text and document structure are reviewed.
Receive the Translation
The completed translation is supplied in the format agreed in your quotation.
Confidential Contract Translation
Contracts frequently contain information about commercial relationships, pricing, employees, intellectual property, property, finances or private arrangements. The document should therefore be shared only through the appropriate submission route and only with the information required for the work.
What to Send With Your Contract
Providing the essential project information at the beginning helps the team assess the document and reduces unnecessary follow-up.
- A readable copy of every relevant page of the agreement.
- The language used in the original contract.
- The language required for the translation.
- The organisation, authority, solicitor, company or country receiving it.
- Your required completion date.
- Any written certification or authentication instructions.
- All schedules, appendices or annexes that form part of the agreement.
- Any approved terminology or reference material that is important to the project.
What Determines the Price of Contract Translation?
Contracts vary considerably in length and complexity, so the document should be reviewed before a final price is confirmed. Your quotation sets out the cost and expected turnaround before work begins.
Document Length
Longer agreements and contract packs naturally contain more text and require more translation work.
Language Pair
Availability and pricing can differ according to the source and target languages required.
Certification Route
Standard translation, certification, notarisation, sworn translation and legalisation involve different processes.
Required Deadline
Standard and express availability depends on the contract length, language combination and translator capacity.
What is contract translation?
Contract translation is the translation of a contractual agreement from one language into another. Because clauses, defined terms, obligations, figures and cross-references may depend on one another, consistency across the complete document is important.
Do I need a certified translation of my contract?
Not necessarily. Certification depends on why the translated contract is required and the instructions of the organisation receiving it. If certification is specifically requested, send those instructions with your document.
What types of contracts can be translated?
Common requests include business contracts, employment agreements, leases, partnership agreements, sales and purchase agreements and non-disclosure agreements. Other agreement types can be sent for review before work begins.
How much does contract translation cost?
The final price depends on factors such as document length, language pair, certification requirements and deadline. Send the complete contract for a clear quotation before translation begins.
How long does it take to translate a contract?
Turnaround depends on the agreement's length, language combination, complexity and translator availability. Standard and express options may be available, with the expected completion time confirmed in your quotation.
Can I send a scanned PDF or photograph?
A readable PDF, scan or clear photograph can be submitted for review. Make sure every relevant page is included and that text, names, dates, signatures, stamps and document edges are visible where applicable.
Are contract documents handled confidentially?
Legal and business documents are handled confidentially by those involved in completing the request. Use the secure document route and avoid sending personal or commercial information that is unrelated to the translation.
Do you preserve clause numbering and contract structure?
The translated document should remain easy to compare with the source. Relevant headings, clauses, numbering and document hierarchy are therefore treated carefully where the source format allows.
Do I need notarisation, a sworn translation or an apostille?
Only when the receiving organisation or destination requires the additional step. Certified, notarised, sworn and legalised translations are different services, so check the recipient's written instructions before ordering.
What should I include when requesting a quote?
Send the complete contract, source and target languages, intended recipient or destination, deadline and any written certification instructions. Include schedules and annexes when they form part of the agreement.
Send Your Contract and Get a Clear Quote Before Work Begins
Upload the agreement, confirm the required language, explain where the translation will be used and provide your deadline. The team can then review the document, pricing, expected turnaround and appropriate certification route.