Why a Registrar may ask for an Interpreter…

One would have thought it’s really easy to register a newborn baby here in the UK. Well, yes, and - no if you are a foreigner who can’t speak much English. Registering a birth/marriage is an important procedure with its own rules, and registrars need to make sure applicants understand the process and provide true factual information. This is not an easy task if they deal with someone who can’t speak good English. That’s where professional interpreters, preferably holders of the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting, come into action. A few years ago I myself had to interpret for a Ukrainian lady and a British gentleman giving notice of marriage in Boston Register Office. Very recently my interpreting services were required there again for a Russian-speaking father registering the birth of his son. Although the procedure is fairly straightforward, the registrar had to make sure he was entering correct details in the register and to explain the difference between the full and the short birth certificates. In this situation registrars have to insist on the presence of a professional interpreter more and more often and it’s obvious why. At the end of the day, they are only doing their job…

Boston Register Office is authorised to perform international marriage ceremonies, with citizens from EU and non-EU countries.

[Tip: To book our Russian interpreter, call us on 0207 0436940 or email enquiry@talkrussian.com]