Paperwork English: The B1 Words That Appear on Every Form Abroad
Nothing makes a person feel less capable in a second language than a counter, a queue behind them and a form with a word on it they do not know. The good news is that official forms have a very small vocabulary. Banks, councils, tax offices and post offices reuse the same sixty or so words, so this is one of the rare parts of a language where finishing the list is genuinely possible.
This list is pinned at B1 because the grammar of a form is trivial and the vocabulary is not. You will meet a noun like proof of address long before any course teaches it, because a course is organised by grammar and a life abroad is organised by appointments.
The general layer sits in the free B1 vocabulary list. What follows is only the part that lives on paper.
The fields on almost every form
Start here, because these appear whether you are opening an account, registering an address or collecting a parcel. Recognising them at a glance is most of the work.
| On the form | What to write |
|---|---|
| surname / family name | your last name, not your first |
| given name / forename | your first name |
| date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY) | check the order, it changes by country |
| place of birth | the town, not the country, unless it says nationality |
| marital status | single, married, divorced, widowed |
| current address | where you live now, not where you are registered |
| previous address | usually needed if you moved in the last three years |
| occupation | your job title in two or three words |
| signature | sign, do not print your name |
Documents you will be asked for
Almost every appointment turns on whether you brought the right paper. These are the names of those papers, and the phrase to check in advance is at the end of the list.
- proof of identity: passport or national ID card
- proof of address: a utility bill or a tenancy agreement
- proof of income: payslips, usually the last three
- residence permit or visa
- birth certificate, sometimes with an official translation
- certified copy: a copy stamped by someone official
- original: they want the real one, not a photocopy
- What exactly do I need to bring with me?
At the bank
Bank vocabulary is worth learning properly because a misunderstanding costs money rather than time. The words below are the ones that decide what you pay each month.
| Word | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| current account | the everyday account, where your salary arrives |
| savings account | money you are not spending, often with limits |
| overdraft | permission to go below zero, usually expensive |
| standing order | you send a fixed amount regularly |
| direct debit | they take a varying amount regularly |
| monthly fee | what the account itself costs |
| IBAN and sort code | the numbers people need to pay you |
| statement | the list of what went in and out |
Sentences for the counter
The hardest moment is not filling the form, it is the conversation around it, at speed, with someone who does this a hundred times a day. These sentences slow that down without being awkward, and they are all things a native speaker says too.
- Sorry, I am not from here. Could you explain what this box wants?
- Is this the original you need, or is a copy enough?
- How long does it usually take?
- Will you write to me, or should I come back?
- Could I have that in writing, please?
- What happens if I do not have that document yet?
- Am I in the right place for this, or is it a different office?
- Could you spell that for me?
At the post office and with deliveries
Parcels generate a surprising amount of language, most of it about failure: something was missed, something is being held, something needs a fee. These are the words on the card left through the door.
Several of them are phrasal verbs, which is the part learners find hardest to guess. If that group is a weak spot, phrasal verbs at B1 covers the wider set.
- recorded delivery, signed for, tracked
- we attempted delivery: nobody was in
- the parcel is being held at the depot
- customs charge, handling fee, duty
- collect in person with photo ID
- redirect, forward, return to sender
- proof of postage: keep the receipt
- next working day, not next day
Three things worth knowing before you go
First, ask what to bring before the appointment rather than at it. One phone call in imperfect English saves a second morning off work.
Second, write down the name of the person who helped you. Official processes are inconsistent, and being able to say who told you something is worth more than being able to say it fluently.
Third, take a photograph of every document you hand over. It costs nothing and it removes an entire category of stressful conversation later.
Where MindDory fits
Form vocabulary is met at exactly the wrong moment: once, under pressure, when you cannot stop to learn it. The point of MindDory is that you can capture it then and meet it again later, calmly, until it is simply known.
If a form is in front of you now, scanning the page into cards turns it into something you can study rather than something you had to survive.