Marriage Certificate Translation for USCIS
Certified translations for I-130 petitions, K-1 fiance visas, and green card applications. $24.95 per page with 24-hour delivery.
When You Need a Marriage Certificate Translation
A certified English translation of your marriage certificate is required whenever you submit a foreign-language marriage document to a U.S. government agency. The most common scenarios include filing Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) to sponsor a spouse for a green card, applying for a K-1 fiance visa, adjustment of status applications (I-485), and consular processing at U.S. embassies abroad. State agencies, courts, and insurance companies may also require translated marriage certificates for name changes, benefits enrollment, or divorce proceedings. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), the translation must be complete and accompanied by a signed certification from the translator.
What Makes Our Marriage Certificate Translations Different
Marriage certificates present unique translation challenges that generic translation services often miss. Many countries issue marriage certificates with religious terminology, regional legal language, or dual-language formats that require specialized knowledge. Our translators are familiar with civil registry formats from over 100 countries, including Mexican actas de matrimonio, Chinese marriage certificates requiring both Simplified and Traditional character handling, Indian marriage certificates issued under various personal law systems (Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act, Muslim personal law), and Islamic marriage contracts (nikah-nama) from Middle Eastern and South Asian countries. We preserve all original details including officiant names, witness information, registry numbers, and official seals.
- Accepted for I-130, I-485, K-1, and all USCIS filings
- Familiar with civil registry formats from 100+ countries
- Religious and secular marriage document expertise
- All witness names, registry numbers, and seals preserved
Simple Three-Step Process
Upload a clear scan or photo of your marriage certificate through our secure portal. You will receive an instant price quote based on page count and language pair. Once you approve, our assigned translator begins immediately. Standard delivery is 24 hours. Your completed certified translation, including the Certificate of Accuracy, is delivered as a PDF to your email. Physical copies on official letterhead are available with expedited shipping. If your attorney needs revisions to match a specific filing format, we accommodate those requests at no additional charge.
Country-Specific Marriage Certificate Considerations
Marriage certificate formats differ substantially across countries. Mexican actas de matrimonio from the Registro Civil often span multiple pages with extensive legal annotations and margin notes. Chinese marriage certificates (jie hun zheng) issued since 2004 follow a standardized national format, but older certificates vary by province. Philippine marriage certificates from the PSA include a separate Certificate of Marriage (CENOMAR) that may also need translation. Indian marriage certificates vary by religion and state, with some issued by municipal registrars and others by religious authorities. Brazilian certidoes de casamento from cartorios include detailed legal language and cross-references. Our translators handle each country's format with native-level fluency and legal document expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. When filing Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) to sponsor your spouse, USCIS requires a certified English translation of any marriage certificate not originally issued in English. The translation must include a Certificate of Accuracy signed by the translator per 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3).
USCIS does not require notarization for translated documents. A signed Certificate of Accuracy is sufficient. However, some state agencies, courts, or attorneys may request notarization, which we offer as an optional add-on service for a small additional fee.
Our certified marriage certificate translations are $24.95 per page with 24-hour delivery. Most marriage certificates are one to two pages. Expedited same-day delivery is available at $39.95 per page. We also offer notarization and apostille services as optional add-ons.
We translate marriage certificates from all scripts including Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Devanagari, Korean, Thai, and many others. Our translators are native speakers who handle the transliteration of names and places accurately, which is critical for matching USCIS records.
Yes. We regularly translate religious marriage documents including Islamic nikah-namas, Hindu marriage certificates, Catholic marriage records, and Jewish ketubahs. Our translators understand the religious and legal terminology in each document type and ensure accurate, respectful translations.