The 5 best translation services in Glasgow leave no room for misinterpretation
When my colleague’s immigration forms started piling up, his Duolingo knowledge couldn’t keep up. He needed certified translation help.
He looked for a translation service in Glasgow that sounds human and gets it right the first time.
It’s not just about speaking good English, either. It’s about the paperwork that actually gets accepted by lawyers, universities, and official bodies.
So I helped him find the right candidates with proper certification, fast turnarounds, and reasonable pricing, which I list below!
How much does a translation service cost in Glasgow?
In Glasgow, standard certified translations for single-page documents like birth certificates typically cost £30 to £45. For business projects, agencies usually quote per 1,000 words.
The rate shifts up or down, depending on the language pair, how technical the content is and any specialist formatting needs.
1. 001 Translations – Glasgow Certified Translation Services
Address: 113 W Regent Street
Contact: +441412550754
Business Hours: Daily, 8 AM–10 PM
I was drawn to 001 Translations because of its 5-second instant quote tool, which is pure Glasgow practicality. Also, I needed a proper business email translated for an international client, preferably yesterday.
For my short email, they were quick enough to keep the thread alive without me sounding like a robot. For the heavier stuff like financial docs, it helped that they openly handle business-heavy work across legal, technical, scientific, medical, marketing, and more.
If you need certified translations that are meant to be accepted by the powers-that-be, this company explicitly positions theirs for council, the UK Home Office, courts, and universities. They also offer apostille/FCDO legalisation support.
As for turnaround, delivery between 1 and 3 days is standard, but if it’s an emergency, it can be done in a matter of hours! That’s exactly what I needed at a time when my clientele calendar was aggressively international.
That said, super-urgent turnaround is pretty useful, but expect the price to jump (starting at +25% of the average rate of £40 per page) for the kind of speed and effort exerted.
Customer Reviews
Clear communication throughout the process
In a world of plenty of translators, 001 Translations were fast and efficient from the onboarding to dealing with an uploading issue. Clear email communication throughout the process led to a fast translation required for an important transaction. Highly recommend.
- Katrina Moreau, Google Review
Cheaper compared to other places
Great service, fast and efficient. Also cheaper compared to other places. Very satisfied. Thank you.
- Depmodex, Google Review
2. Global Language Services Ltd
Address: 60-64 Darnley St
Contact: +441414293429
Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM–5 PM
My cousin booked Global Language Services once she realised that her clinical research write-ups were starting to read like they’d been stitched together on the train to Central. Good thing they’re properly set up for consistency work, with ISO-backed processes that are checked at least twice.
For medical-heavy content like her work, she was reassured that they already operate in healthcare settings and understand the importance of sensitive, high-stakes language. That domain familiarity saved her a lot of back-and-forth, especially since she was juggling comms and patient-facing bits.
They’re loud and clear about certified translations being available, and they list the Institute of Translating and Interpreting alongside ISO 17100/9001/27001 on their certified translation page. These all matter when your docs need to pass uni/admin scrutiny without drama.
She liked that, if the document is under 1,000 words and you confirm by noon, they say they can do it by 5 PM on the same day. Pricing-wise, she got a prompt, no-obligation quote flow, so she wasn’t guessing the damage before committing.
Do note that same-day depends on the linguist’s availability, and that there’s a strict 12 noon cutoff. Also, for hyper-specialist research, my cousin advised requesting a dedicated subject expert and agreeing on terminology upfront to keep style consistent across documents.
Customer Reviews
Competitive rates and very high quality of work
Professional and friendly service. All arranged very quickly and translations done promptly. Competitive rates and very high quality of work. I love that I get to approve the draft before the final translation is submitted. For so many pages of intensive legal documentation, it was really amazing to find no errors in the work. Highly recommended!
- Wendy S, Google Review
Great service and quick response
I’m very pleased with their services, great service and quick response. Staff on the phone are all very friendly, and Fraser was so helpful & made the process very quick & easy. I would use their service again & definitely recommend their services.
- Zhan Wei, Google Review
3. My Language Connection
Address: Unit G.4, The Hub, Pacific Quay
Contact: +443300580251
Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30 AM–5.30 PM
I have an overseas colleague who needed a Chinese deck that won’t fall apart the moment he copies it into PowerPoint, so he went straight to My Language Connection to remedy the situation.
It was the ideal setup: they offer multilingual typesetting/DTP (including Asian languages), so the slides stayed tidy.
What sold him was that they weren’t just generic translators. They lean into medical/life science work, but can also do legal, financial, technical, and business content when you’ve got mixed materials. Honestly, they felt built for Glasgow teams juggling regulated language and tight formatting in the same week.
They’re a member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) and are ISO-certified, which is the kind of credibility that helps when you need your work to look official.
They also promise a free quote within 24 hours, and say they can take requests on short notice. My colleague found this handy, especially since he is 8 time zones away and already panicking quietly.
However, if your source file is a messy PDF or an unhelpful screenshot situation, typesetting can add time and cost. Make sure you send editable files if you can.
Customer Reviews
The MLC team are very professional
The MLC team are very professional and took care of me and the translation of my legal documents from start to finish.
- Tooran Creativity, Google Review
They are great to work with
I’ve worked with MLC for a while now and have to say they are great to work with and honestly try to meet both clients’ needs and treat freelancers well. They are up and coming and growing fast, and I can thoroughly recommend working with them if you need quality translation services fast!
- Zoe Vidigal, Google Review
4. Glasgow Translation Services
Address: 198 West George Street, G2 2NR
Contact: +441412301582
Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 AM–8 PM
I had a business proposal brewing and a pile of foreign websites to digest, and I wasn’t about to risk my credibility on Google Translate doing the right thing. Glasgow Translation Services (how on the nose is that name?) felt like the sensible move.
For starters, they have human translators, no automated “close enough” shortcuts. They’re clearly geared for real-world paperwork and commercial work, with legal, medical, technical, and financial, plus website translation and software localisation when you’re expanding beyond English.
They even mention having IT support in the mix for website jobs! That’s a huge bonus for when I need the pages to stay readable, and not just translated.
I requested a free, no-commitment quotation, and I got paired with a project manager, so I wasn’t herding linguists by myself. For multiple sites and consistent terminology, that one point of contact is the difference between a clean proposal and a Frankenstein deck.
They set expectations at a 2-business-day turnaround for small texts, and they do push urgent/rush jobs when the time is tight. That said, if you want the layout to match the original site perfectly, expect extra time/cost, especially with PDFs, images, or anything that needs typesetting.
Customer Reviews
Pricing was transparent and competitive
Excellent service, I’ve decided to go with this company after reaching out to a few options that came up after searching for translators in Glasgow. Pricing was transparent and competitive, whereas other companies omitted VAT and shipping from the initial quote. Aine translated my documents from Slovak to English very accurately, and email responses were very fast. Thank you.
- Klementina Mezesova, Google Review
Went above and beyond to ensure my needs were met
I had an outstanding experience with this company from start to finish. The team was friendly, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure my needs were met. Every step of the process was smooth and stress-free, and I truly appreciate how responsive and accommodating everyone was. The quality of their work exceeded my expectations, making it easy for me to recommend their services to others. I will definitely be a repeat customer!
- Brian Elder, Google Review
5. Business Languages Services Ltd
Address: Savoy Tower, 77 Renfrew St
Contact: +441414884545
Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM–5 PM
My neighbour was juggling visa-style paperwork as a foreign national, and her marriage certificate couldn’t be a DIY job. She picked Business Languages Services Ltd because they have a proper Glasgow presence and didn’t make the experience feel iffy.
She needed a translation service that would be taken seriously by official bodies, and not something that gets rejected for a missing certification. Their Association of Translation Companies membership gave her confidence that it was the real deal.
What surprised her was how useful they were beyond personal documents. They also cover medical, legal, technical, and business work, so she didn’t feel like she was using a one-form-only service.
The timing mattered, too; she didn’t want wedding admin dragging on for weeks. The marriage certification option is typically around a couple of working days, and they’re upfront that notarisation/legalisation adds extra time if she needs it.
However, if she asked for emergency everything, the timeline still depended on what they could confirm, especially for bigger bundles.
Customer Reviews
They provided excellent translated documents
Excellent, efficient service from Ciera and team. I found their business after a quick search online. They called back the same day to discuss requirements and provided excellent translated documents. Really easy to do business with, highly recommend.
- Catherine Hurll-Jones, Google Review
I’m very happy with the quality and timeliness
Great service! Ciera was very helpful and was able to assist me throughout the process. I’m very happy with the quality and timeliness of the translation!
- Valeria Perez Muto, Google Review