Lithuanian Certified Translation for UK Documents
Does your document say Gimimo liudijimas, Gimimo įrašą liudijantis išrašas or Santuokos sudarymo įrašą liudijantis išrašas? These are not interchangeable headings. A reliable Lithuanian-to-English certified translation needs the correct civil-record title, Lithuanian name spelling, asmens kodas and original registration details—not a generic certificate template.
The guidance below explains which Lithuanian record you have, what changed in 2017, why UK submissions differ from EU multilingual forms, and which supporting pages to upload.
Lietuvių → English · Birth and marriage extracts · UKVI, passports and academic submissions
Civil records & certification
Old Lithuanian certificates and new registry extracts are different records
A UK client may call either a “Lithuanian birth certificate”, but the original headings and formats matter. The Lithuanian Embassy in London confirms that traditional certificates stopped being newly issued on 1 January 2017, and civil-status extracts are issued instead. Existing older certificates remain valid. Lithuanian Embassy guidance.
Traditional liudijimas certificate
Older Lithuanian birth and marriage documents can be titled gimimo liudijimas or santuokos liudijimas. They may have older stationery, layouts and official endorsements. Their prior issue date does not automatically make them invalid.
Extract confirming a civil-status record
New evidence commonly takes the form of a civil-register extract, for example an extract confirming a birth or marriage entry. Retain the term įrašą liudijantis išrašas in the translation’s proper English meaning rather than pretending the original was an old-style certificate.
What Lithuanian document needs an English translation?
Different Lithuanian institutions issue very different records. Use the source title and the issuing authority to determine what the document means before choosing the English wording.
Gimimo liudijimas / Gimimo įrašą liudijantis išrašas
Birth certificate or birth-register extract
Lithuanian birth certificates issued before 2017 can still be valid originals. Since 1 January 2017, new civil-status evidence is usually an extract confirming the registration of a birth. The English title must reflect which actual document was issued, rather than replacing an older certificate with a newer extract in translation.
Santuokos liudijimas / Santuokos sudarymo įrašą liudijantis išrašas
Marriage certificate or marriage-register extract
A pre-2017 marriage certificate and a post-2017 extract confirming the record of marriage are related but differently named records. The translation should also preserve maiden and current surname spellings, the marriage date and the civil registration office.
Santuokos nutraukimo įrašą liudijantis išrašas / Vardo, pavardės pakeitimas
Divorce-register extract / record of change of name
A divorce extract is not a marriage certificate, and a surname-change record should not be summarised as a marital-status declaration. For UK passport or immigration purposes, the sequence of names across birth, marriage and later records may need to be evidenced.
Įtariamųjų, kaltinamųjų ir nuteistųjų registro pažyma ar išrašas
Criminal-record certificate or extract
Lithuanian criminal-record checks come from the Register of Suspects, Accused and Convicts, administered by the Information Technology and Communications Department. A certificate or extract must be translated according to its actual purpose and findings; do not substitute a generic ‘police clearance’ heading without checking the source.
Brandos atestatas / Diplomas / Diplomo priedėlis
School-leaving certificate / diploma / diploma supplement
A brandos atestatas is a school-leaving qualification, while a higher-education diplomas records an award and a diplomo priedėlis is a supplement containing programme details. They should not be conflated or automatically converted into a UK A-level or degree classification.
Juridinių asmenų registro išrašas
Register of Legal Entities extract
Company extracts from Lithuania’s Register of Legal Entities often identify the registered entity, legal form, company code and representatives. The Lithuanian Centre of Registers also makes a basic-data extract available in English; check whether that existing document satisfies the recipient before commissioning an unnecessary translation.
Lithuanian surname endings, marriage records and UK passport names
Traditional Lithuanian surnames can use different endings for men, married women and unmarried women, and some women use a neutral form ending in -ė. These differences are not translation errors to “fix”. A person’s legal name must be copied from the specific record and checked against evidence of later name changes.
Illustrative name forms from HM Passport Office guidance, not names belonging to a client. Do not infer someone’s current civil status from a surname ending alone.
How to prevent name mismatches
- Do not convert Adamkienė into Adamkus to make documents match.
- Preserve Lithuanian diacritics: ą, č, ę, ė, į, š, ų, ū, ž.
- Check vardas (given name) and pavardė (surname) separately.
- Use marriage, divorce and legal name-change records to connect different surnames where relevant.
- Supply a passport if it uses another rendering without diacritics.
See HM Passport Office’s Lithuania names and name-alignment guidance.
Common Lithuanian certificate terms and accurate English meanings
This terminology table helps identify field labels and record types. It is not a substitute for translating the full document in context, including endorsements and issuing-office details.
| Lithuanian wording | English rendering | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Civilinės būklės akto įrašą liudijantis išrašas | Extract confirming a civil-status record | Not automatically a ‘birth certificate’; identify the exact record type. |
| Gimimo įrašą liudijantis išrašas | Extract confirming the record of birth | Distinguish it from the pre-2017 gimimo liudijimas. |
| Santuokos sudarymo įrašą liudijantis išrašas | Extract confirming the record of marriage | The official title refers to the registered marriage event. |
| Santuokos nutraukimo įrašą liudijantis išrašas | Extract confirming the record of divorce | Not the same as a marriage certificate. |
| Pavardė / Vardas | Surname / Given name | Do not swap the headings or change the recorded spelling. |
| Asmens kodas | Personal identification number | A national personal identifier, distinct from a passport or certificate number. |
| Civilinės metrikacijos skyrius | Civil registration office / department | Keep the municipality and issuing office identifiable. |
| Įrašo Nr. | Record number | Not necessarily the same as the certificate issue number. |
| Pažyma apie teistumą | Certificate concerning criminal-record information | Translate the actual conclusion, not a generic ‘clearance’ label. |
| Brandos atestatas | Secondary-school leaving certificate | Do not assume UK A-level equivalence. |
| Diplomo priedėlis | Diploma supplement | Not identical to the original diploma or an English transcript. |
| Juridinio asmens kodas | Legal entity code / company registration number | Keep the complete Lithuanian identifier. |
Will a Lithuanian multilingual certificate work in the UK?
Not automatically. Lithuania issues several types of multilingual civil-status forms. The Lithuanian Embassy explicitly says forms issued under the EU Public Documents Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 are intended for EU Member States, not the United Kingdom. The UK recipient may still require certified English translation.
Do you have a Lithuanian-only civil-status extract?
Upload the complete extract. Check whether the UK recipient asks for a certified English translation and whether a paper copy or document authentication is needed.
Were you given an EU multilingual standard form?
Under EU rules, it helps certain records travel between EU states; the UK is no longer an EU Member State. It does not itself guarantee UK acceptance or remove translation requirements.
Does the authority already issue an accepted English record?
Show that original to the receiving institution first. For example, Lithuania’s Centre of Registers offers a basic company-data extract in English, so a new translation may be unnecessary.
ADOC criminal-record certificates, asmens kodas and university papers
The Lithuanian Register of Suspects, Accused and Convicts issues certificates and extracts that can be requested electronically. Its official guidance describes ADOC signed files and provides a signature-checking route. When a file is electronically signed, retain the original file rather than assuming a screenshot contains all relevant evidence.
The asmens kodas on civil records is a national personal identification number, not the printed certificate number. For education, distinguish the brandos atestatas from a university diploma and its diplomo priedėlis. A UK equivalency determination belongs to the receiving body, not the translation.
What to include for a certified translation
- Both sides of an old liudijimas, or every page of a newer išrašas
- Legible ą, ė, š, ž and all other name characters
- Issuing municipality, event dates and record number
- Original ADOC file if the source is digitally signed
- Name-change documentation when surnames differ
- Recipient’s certified-translation or legalisation instructions
Order Lithuanian to English translation without losing official details
Send the exact Lithuanian source so the type of record, names, certification and quote can be assessed correctly.
Identify the document
Old birth certificate, current birth-register extract, marriage or divorce extract, criminal-record certificate, diploma or company extract.
Upload complete files
Include reverse sides, stamps, names, reference numbers, electronic source signatures and any linked name-change records.
Tell us where it goes
Specify the UK institution or overseas recipient, exact language direction, format, certification and deadline requirements.
Upload complete files and provide the recipient’s instructions for a project-specific order.
Lithuanian certified translation FAQs
Answers about Lithuanian record formats, official names, electronic documents and UK submissions.
Are Lithuanian birth certificates issued before 2017 still valid?
Yes. Lithuania stopped issuing traditional civil-status certificates on 1 January 2017, but older certificates remain valid. New records are normally supplied as civil-status extracts. The translation must retain the original document type and dates.
Why does my Lithuanian birth document say išrašas instead of liudijimas?
An išrašas is an extract confirming a registered civil-status event. Since 2017 these replaced newly issued traditional certificates. Do not change an extract into an older-form certificate in the certified English translation.
Can I use a multilingual Lithuanian birth or marriage form in the UK without translation?
Do not assume so. The Lithuanian Embassy in London says EU multilingual standard forms under Regulation 2016/1191 are not for use in the UK, which is not an EU Member State. The UK recipient may ask for an English translation.
Does a surname ending -ienė mean the same surname as -aitė?
Not necessarily. Traditional endings may reflect marital naming conventions and can refer to different documented surnames; a neutral ending in -ė is also possible. Preserve each surname as written and provide documents evidencing any legal change.
How do I translate Lithuanian letters in a UK passport application?
Keep source spellings with ą, č, ę, ė, į, š, ų, ū and ž traceable. Provide the passport if its Latin rendering omits marks, and follow the specific name-alignment instructions without silently altering the source.
Can you translate a Lithuanian marriage or divorce extract?
Yes. Provide full records with the civil registration reference and details of surname changes where shown. Marriage, divorce and name-change records have different titles and functions.
What is asmens kodas on a Lithuanian document?
It is the Lithuanian personal identification number. It should not be labelled as a passport number, visa number or the serial number of the certificate.
Can electronic ADOC Lithuanian criminal-record certificates be translated?
Electronic certificates can be assessed, but keep the original ADOC file and its signature-verification data where available. A screenshot alone can omit details needed for accurate translation and document verification.
Can you translate brandos atestatas and Lithuanian diploma supplements?
Yes. A school-leaving certificate, an awarded diploma and its supplement are different records. Include all relevant pages, grades and course titles without inventing UK qualification equivalences.
Does a Lithuanian company-register extract exist in English?
The Centre of Registers states that a basic-data extract from the Register of Legal Entities is available in English. Check whether the recipient will accept it; other more detailed extracts may need translation.
What is required for a certified Lithuanian translation in the UK?
GOV.UK's general guidance calls for a true-and-accurate statement, date and the translator's full name and contact details. Visa routes, courts and institutions may impose additional requirements.
How much does Lithuanian certified translation cost, and how long does it take?
Both depend on volume, document legibility, legal or academic terminology, delivery format, deadline and certification. Upload the complete original and specify the receiving authority for the correct order scope.
Translate the Lithuanian record you actually hold.
Preserve the source type, surnames, registration details and official requirements.
Questions about Lithuanian document certification?
Use the existing enquiry form for questions about official acceptance or document format, or email hello@locatetranslate.co.uk. To upload documents and begin an order, go to the direct online order page.