English to Persian Translation

This direction is used when an English document has to be submitted in Iran. The typical applicant is someone presenting a diploma, a record or a family document issued in an English-speaking country to an institution in Iran. The source carries the Latin-script, left-to-right Anglo-Saxon order, while the target is carried into a system written in the Perso-Arabic alphabet and running from right to left.

Concrete examples make the direction clearer: taking a diploma obtained abroad through recognition in Iran, using a power of attorney drawn up abroad in a property or inheritance procedure in Iran, entering a marriage contracted abroad in the Iranian civil register. The source carries an Anglo-Saxon reality, while the target assesses it according to Iranian administrative language, the Iranian calendar and the Iranian writing system.

Family and property documents are frequent in this direction; in these documents the accurate transfer of family relationships and of the scope of authority is what allows the Iranian authority to accept the transaction. Education documents form the second large group.

Calendar conversion is decisive in this direction as well; Gregorian dates are given together with their Solar Hijri equivalents so that the Iranian authority can read them.

In this direction the document is often prepared so that a person living abroad can carry out a procedure in Iran remotely; powers of attorney, consent forms and declarations are frequently seen. In these texts, to whom the authority is granted, for what procedure and within what limits is transferred to the letter, because any ambiguity of scope can lead to the procedure being refused on the Iranian side.

So that it can place the document in its own calendar, the Iranian authority expects to see the Solar Hijri equivalent alongside the Gregorian date; this dual presentation is given consistently, particularly for dates of birth, marriage and issue. A wrong or incomplete conversion delays the processing of the document.

When English names are carried into Persian, the spelling in the person’s existing records in the country is taken as the basis; inventing a new reading creates a contradiction with the identity documents. Company forms and English abbreviations are kept in their original form and explained.

The right-to-left flow of the text reverses the orientation of the tables and lists in the English source; number columns and alignment are rebuilt. This formal arrangement matters as much as the translation itself if the document is to look legible to the Iranian authority. In multi-page documents the page order and numbering are also rearranged to follow the direction of the target, so that the reader can follow the document in the correct order. Annexes and endorsements in the source are carried across in the same order; because a displaced annex can raise doubts about the integrity of the document, this order is preserved with care.

Technical matters specific to English into Persian

The direction of the calendar is reversed here: in a Persian text Gregorian dates are usually given together with their Solar Hijri equivalents, so that the Iranian authority can place the document in its own calendar. The text is set from right to left, and page layout, table orientation and number alignment are rebuilt.

English names can either be kept in their original Latin spelling in a Persian text or given in their Persian reading; where the person has an existing spelling in their Iranian documents, that spelling is taken as the basis. English legal concepts are rendered in Persian according to their function.

Company forms are kept with their original abbreviation and explained; English abbreviations are unpacked and, where necessary, given in brackets. Currency is not converted, only adapted to the target script.

In powers of attorney the expressions that define the limits of the authority are preserved to the letter. The signature and date information in the document is preserved in its position.

Which documents call for this direction

• Diplomas, transcripts and professional documents
• Birth, marriage and family documents
• Powers of attorney and consent documents
• Company and commercial contract documents
• Property and inheritance procedure documents

Family documents and powers of attorney are frequent in this direction; the accurate transfer of the calendar conversion and of family relationships is what allows the Iranian authority to accept the document. In powers of attorney the scope of the authority is preserved explicitly.

In education documents the degree title and course information are transferred accurately. In commercial documents the company form and the registry details are given in their original form.

The chain of certification

In Iran the translation is made by an official translator authorised by the judiciary (mütercim-i resmî) and certified by the relevant authority. Since Iran is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, a document coming from the English-speaking source country follows the route of consular legalisation; this detail should be confirmed in advance.

To see these expectations and Iran’s certification regime, look at the country page and at the requirements for the document type. Tell us which institution the document will be submitted to before you send it.

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The figures here are for a typical file; the page count and the difficulty of the subject matter may affect the result. It is worth looking at the institution’s own published guidance before you decide.