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Visas: Applications

Asked by Euan StainbankLabourHome OfficeTabled Answered 2 March 2026UIN 114330

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an entry clearance manager can consider a non-English untranslated document in support of a visa.

Answered by Mike Tapp

The Immigration Rules set out that where specified documents submitted in support of a visa application are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide both the version of the document in the original language and a full translation that can be independently verified by the decision maker. See Immigration Rule 39B(f)

Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules part 1: leave to enter or stay in the UK - Guidance - GOV.UK

For all types of documents, including non-specified documents that are not translated, an ECM may write to the applicant to request a translation of the document if it is relevant to whether the requirements of the Immigration rules are met. This approach is in line with the published Evidential Flexibility policy. Evidential flexibility

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