Criminal Record Certificate Translation for the UK

The ACRO police certificate and the Turkish document

The United Kingdom’s own document is the police certificate issued by ACRO; the document submitted to show a history in Türkiye, however, is the Turkish criminal record certificate. Describing the Turkish document as an “ACRO certificate” or a “police certificate” would be wrong: it is a Turkish criminal record certificate, and it is translated under that identity, with a parenthetical explanation added where one is needed. Since the document is read alongside the application form and the passport, the spelling of your name must be the same in all three; the translation carries identity details across as they are written on the official documents, without interpreting them. Inconsistent handling of Turkish special characters makes one person look like two and puts the file on hold.

The distinction between the record and the archive record

In Türkiye the document can be obtained in two forms: the criminal record certificate and the criminal record archive certificate. The two cover different ground, and some British recipients specifically ask for the archive certificate. The translation states correctly, by name, which type the document is; translating an archive certificate merely as a “criminal record” misrepresents its scope. Confirming with the applicant beforehand which type is wanted avoids having the wrong document translated and starting the whole process again. The type of document, its title and the wording inside it are translated as a whole; no section is summarised.

The “no record” statement is the substance of the document

In most cases the only substantive information a criminal record certificate carries is whether or not the person has a record. The statement that there is no criminal record is the substance of the document and is translated plainly and in full; the English rendering is something along the lines of “no criminal record”, but the translation conveys what the document says and adds no interpretation of its own. Where there is a record, every line, the nature of the offence, the decision and the date, is reproduced exactly; nothing is summarised or left out. A vague or incomplete rendering weakens the assurance the document gives and prompts needless questions at the other end.

Certified translation and the statement of accuracy

There is no sworn translator system in the United Kingdom; the official assurance behind a translation is the signed statement of accuracy attached to it, the certificate of accuracy. The statement declares that the translation is complete and accurate, and carries the name of the translator or the agency, contact details, the date and a signature; membership of the ITI or CIOL adds to the confidence it inspires. On an e-Devlet printout, the QR code, the barcode and the verification reference are indicated with [QR code] and [e-signature verification] notes; no attempt is made to decode the contents of the code, but the verification wording is never dropped, because it is what allows the document to be checked against its source.

If there is a record: getting the legal terms right

Where the document does contain a record, each entry is translated so that its legal meaning survives; concepts such as a judicial fine, imprisonment, a suspended sentence or the deferral of the announcement of the verdict are not equated one to one with an institution of English law. Turning a Turkish sentence directly into an English offence category creates a false impression of equivalence at the receiving end; the sound approach is to translate the concept faithfully and add a parenthetical explanation where necessary. The nature of the offence, the relevant statutory provision, the decision and the date are carried across as they stand. Any wording on the restoration of forfeited rights or on the deletion of the record is translated too, without omission, because such wording shows the current legal status of the record. The British authority making the assessment draws its own conclusions about the weight of the record from this raw information; the job of the translation is not to interpret, but to convey the document completely and accurately.

Currency, the apostille and the order of certification

A criminal record certificate shows a state of affairs on a given date, and many British recipients expect a recently issued copy. The translation reproduces the date of issue exactly and cannot bring an old document up to date; once the date has passed, it is the document itself that has to be renewed. Rather than working to a fixed number of days, take “recently issued” as the standard and ask the institution you are applying to for the precise period. Deciding in advance, according to what the recipient expects, whether you will obtain the document with a QR code through e-Devlet or with a wet-ink signature from the courthouse saves you the trouble of having it issued twice. Before you submit:

• Check that the “no record” statement has been translated plainly.
• Check whether the document is a record or an archive record, and that the statement of accuracy is attached.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation; have the document translated while it is fresh.

The United Kingdom is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; check the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents require on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document for a quote. Translations are handled from our single office in Ankara Kızılay. Acceptance conditions differ from one authority to another, so ask for confirmation in advance.