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Certified Birth Certificate Translation
Your birth certificate, translated and certified properly.
A signed Certificate of Accuracy with every translation, prepared for USCIS immigration applications, universities and government agencies. Typically delivered within 1–2 business days, across 230+ language combinations.
Why this document
The most requested document, and the most often returned
A birth certificate is usually the first document anyone needs translated, and it is the one most frequently sent back for correction. Not because the language is difficult — a birth certificate contains perhaps forty words — but because completeness matters more than eloquence, and small omissions are easy to make.
The certificate is a legal record of identity and parentage. Whoever receives the translation is checking it against the original, mark by mark. A missing registration stamp or an untranslated note in the margin raises a question that costs weeks to answer.
What you receive
What a proper certified translation includes
- 1
Every element of the original
Front, reverse, marginal notes, amendments and registration numbers. Nothing is left out because it looked incidental.
- 2
Stamps and seals, described
Translated where they can be, described in brackets where they cannot. An officer must be able to account for every mark.
- 3
The original layout preserved
So the translation can be read side by side with the certificate and followed line for line.
- 4
A signed Certificate of Accuracy
Naming the translator, identifying the languages and the document, and confirming the translation is complete and accurate.
- 5
Consistent names across your documents
Translation memory keeps a surname, place name or parent's name identical across every document in your application.
Where it is needed
What people use these translations for
USCIS immigration applications
Family petitions, adjustment of status, naturalization and consular processing.
University admissions
Often required alongside diplomas and transcripts for international applicants.
Passport and citizenship applications
For dual nationality claims and passport renewals where the original record is foreign.
Inheritance, custody, name change and probate matters.
Employment and licensing
Background checks, professional registration and certain security clearances.
Social security and benefits
Where proof of birth or parentage is required by a government agency.
Timing and cost
How long, and how much
| Situation | Typical delivery |
|---|---|
| Single birth certificate Clear scan, common language pair | 1–2 business days |
| Several documents together Birth, marriage and supporting records as one set | 2–3 business days |
| Historical or handwritten records Faded script, archaic terminology, damaged originals | Depends on legibility and complexity |
Larger or more complex projects may require additional review time. We do not publish a fixed price because language, length and legibility genuinely change the work involved. Upload your certificate and you will have an accurate quotation, usually within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
Practical advice
Before you send your certificate
- Photograph the whole page. Including the edges. Cropped corners often remove a registration number or a stamp.
- Include the reverse. Many certificates carry annotations, apostilles or amendment notes on the back. If in doubt, send both sides.
- Check the light. A photograph taken at an angle in poor light can render an embossed seal invisible. Flat, well lit, straight on.
- Tell us the spelling on your passport. If your name is transliterated from another alphabet, we will match your existing documents rather than picking our own rendering.
- Say what it is for. USCIS, a university and a court have slightly different expectations. Knowing the destination lets us prepare it correctly first time.
Related services
Where to go next
Questions
Birth certificate translation, answered
It depends on the language, the length of the document and whether notarization is needed. A single-page certificate from a common language pair sits at the lower end; a handwritten historical record with faded seals takes longer and costs more. We do not publish one rate because it would be misleading. Upload your certificate and a Project Coordinator prepares an accurate quotation, usually within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
Birth certificates are typically delivered within 1–2 business days. If you need it sooner, say so when you submit — we will tell you honestly whether it is possible rather than promising and missing.
A clear photograph or scan is normally sufficient. What matters is that every element is legible — including stamps, seals, marginal notes and anything printed on the reverse. If part of the image is cut off or blurred, we will ask for a better copy rather than guess.
Yes, and this is where many translations fall short. Every mark on the document must be accounted for. Where a seal cannot be translated word for word it is described in brackets — for example [Round seal: Civil Registry Office, Bogotá]. A translation that silently omits a stamp is incomplete, regardless of how good the rest is.
Generally no. USCIS requires a certified translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which is what we provide. Notarization verifies who signed the certificate, not whether the translation is accurate. Some other organizations do ask for it, and we can arrange notarization when it is genuinely required.
You should not, even if you are fluent. Receiving organizations expect certification from someone independent of the applicant, and a self-translation cannot be treated as impartial. The same applies to a translation by a parent or spouse. It is a frequent cause of Requests for Evidence.
Usually yes. Historical and handwritten certificates are common — older European, Latin American and Asian records especially. They take more care, particularly where script has faded or an official has used an abbreviation no longer in use. Send what you have and we will tell you if anything is genuinely illegible rather than inventing a reading.
Tell your Project Coordinator. Transliteration between alphabets rarely has one right answer, and a surname can legitimately be rendered several ways. What matters is that your documents agree with one another and with your passport. We keep names consistent across every document in a set for exactly this reason.
Translate your birth certificate
Upload a clear photograph or scan and a Project Coordinator will review it and prepare an accurate quotation. Most requests are reviewed within 30–60 minutes during business hours.
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