USA
UKSomali Translation Services
- ISO 17100
- ATA
- USCIS Accepted
- NAJIT
Somali is spoken by over 25 million people across Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia’s Somali Region, Kenya, and a significant diaspora in the US. Somali-speaking communities are among the most active users of immigration, asylum, legal aid, and social services β making accurate, certified Somali translation a critical need.
Translation AZ provides specialist Somali translation by native-speaking translators with expertise in legal, medical, and government documentation. All translations are produced and reviewed under our ISO 17100 two-linguist process, with particular attention to the distinctions between formal written Somali and the range of regional dialects.
Somali Translation for Regulated Industries
- Legal & Immigration β USCIS β USCIS petitions, asylum applications, green card documents, naturalization forms, and immigration court filings. Somali is one of the most requested languages for asylum proceedings in US immigration courts.
- Medical & Mental Health β Patient-facing materials, trauma-informed care documentation, and US healthcare institutions and hospitals communications for Somali communities.
- Government & Social Services β USCIS correspondence, housing authority communications, school and family services documentation, and refugee resettlement materials.
- Legal β Affidavits, court orders, country-of-origin evidence reports, and contracts for US federal and state courts.
Somali Script & Writing System
Somali today is written in the Somali Latin alphabet, standardised in 1972. However, older documents may use the Osmanya script (a unique indigenous alphabet created in the 1920s), the Wadaad writing (Arabic-based), or the Borama/Gadabuursi script. Our translators handle all modern Somali Latin-script documents and can assess historical documents on request. Dialectal variation (Northern, Benaadir, Maay Maay) is noted and handled appropriately β Maay Maay, spoken in southern Somalia, is distinct enough to require a specialist translator.
Credentials
- ISO 17100 certified translation process
- ATA-certified translators
- USCIS-accepted certified Somali translations
- Translators experienced in asylum and refugee documentation
- Awareness of Somali regional dialects including Maay Maay
Need Somali Translation?
Submit your documents for a free quote. We respond within 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Somali translation accepted for USCIS asylum applications?
Yes. Our certified Somali translations include all required elements for USCIS submission: signed translator declaration, translator credentials, and document certification.
Can you translate documents written in Osmanya script or Arabic-script Somali?
We can assess such documents. Modern administrative documents are in Latin-script Somali; historical or religious documents may use other scripts. Contact us with a scan for evaluation.
How do you handle documents from Somaliland or Puntland?
Our translators are familiar with documents issued by the Somaliland administration (Hargeisa) as well as federal Somali institutions. Both are commonly encountered in US immigration cases.
What is the turnaround for urgent Somali translations?
Standard turnaround is 2β3 business days. Certified urgent translations can be delivered within 24 hours for most document types β contact us to confirm availability.
Need Somali Translation?
Submit your documents for a free quote. We respond within 2 hours.