When the UK left the European Union (EU), many industries were unsure of the aftermath – including the translation market. Governmental, trade, employment, customs, and migration arrangements among the EU members had to go through a transitory period. Many of these factors are drivers for the demand for translation, so how would this impact the translation market across the UK?

Moreover, services industries such as the translation industry would lose guaranteed and unrestricted access to the EU single market. This limited their agencies’ access to top talent, disrupting professional translation projects in progress and long-term customer relationships.

It has been three years since the UK officially left the European Union in January 2020. As a leading language translation services agency in the United Kingdom, we are here to share first-hand what the sector looks like in a post-Brexit world now that all negotiations have finished.

Multilingual Communications Continue

Even after Brexit, English remains an official EU language, along with 23 other official and working languages. And no restrictive governmental policy can eliminate the need for organisations to communicate across these languages! As long as trade and migration continue with the UK, there will always be the need for a language translation services agency.

Nevertheless, the translation market has evolved substantially. The Association of Translation Companies (ATC) actively researched and prepared European language services companies for the impacts of Brexit. Moreover, they secured grant funding to help its members understand and adjust to the changes in their business models. We take a closer look at these changes below.

Post-Brexit Changes in the Translation Market

Despite the UK leaving the EU, the outlook for translation services demand is good. The changes in government policies and agreements due to Brexit themselves provided much work for almost every UK language translation services agency. LSPs were crucial in helping communicate new policies for international affairs and assessing economic relationships in a post-Brexit world.

The translation market kept busy even once all the initial agreements were communicated and executed. Trade continued, and UK language service providers will go on to help European organisations communicate effectively with each other. However, the post-Brexit translation market has changed in the following ways:

• More Immigration Translation: European citizens can travel to the UK for short trips without needing a visa, and vice versa. However, visa requirements are in place for long stays, and travellers must apply for an ETIAS from November 2023. Immigrating to other countries also requires much more paperwork than pre-Brexit, so there has been a large increase in the need for immigration translation.
• Greater Need for Non-European Languages: The ATC’s CEO believed the UK language service companies would play an even bigger role in assisting UK businesses export goods and services throughout Europe post-Brexit. And she was right – but there is also a greater demand for non-European languages like Chinese and Japanese. The UK has formed strong trade connections with many parts of Asia, facilitated by professional translations.
• Increased Demand for Online Services: Before Brexit, native-speaker professional translators from other countries often worked on a freelance basis for UK agencies. The translation market worried that the structure of these service engagements would change. However, this is still possible despite Brexit, and more companies are seeking online LSPs. This is partly due to the surge in demand for non-European languages.

Renaissance Translations’ Reliable Translation Services

Renaissance Translations is a leading UK language translation services agency. We offer professional translation services to local and global clients & brands, even in a post-Brexit world! We also employ translators from across the globe, many specialising in Asian languages and regulatory documents – two core demands in the translation market today.

Your partnership with Renaissance Translations also comes with professional memberships such as ATC, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands. If you need a reliable translation company to work with, get in touch today. Let’s discuss the best plan of action for your business translation needs.