When Do You Need to Translate Your Birth Certificate?

A birth certificate is more than just a document giving the details of  your birth. As you probably know, it is often used as a legal record to prove identity and obtain other documents.

But when would you need to translate your birth certificate?

It is a good idea to translate your birth certificate if you are planning to travel to another country where the language used in your birth certificate is not the country’s primary language. This is especially true if you are planning to immigrate.

When Do You Need Your Birth Certificate?

If you need to apply for licenses or benefits in a different country, it’s a good idea to translate your birth certificate before traveling. Birth certificates are often used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Enrolling in school
• Applying for a driver’s license
• Applying for a passport
• Applying for Social Security benefits in the US

In addition, birth certificates are often needed to obtain a marriage license. Many couples find it romantic to get married in another country, and having a reputable service translate birth certificates before traveling is one way to make the international ceremony go smoothly.

Birth Certificates & Immigration

Birth certificates are required for nearly every immigration filing, whether you are trying to obtain a travel visa or becoming a permanent resident or citizen of a country.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services requires that a professional translator translate your birth certificate before you submit any filing including the birth certificate. Even if you are fluent in several languages, including both English and the language of your birth certificate, a certified translation is still necessary.

USCIS also requires the long-form version of the birth certificate. Many governments keep both a long-form and short-form version of an individual’s birth certificate on file. USCIS needs the birth certificate that has the most possible information on it, including:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Both parents’ full names
• A seal verifying that it is an official record from the issuing office

Unfortunately, some governments did not keep good records of registered births, or births may have failed to be registered for other reasons. The Puerto Rican government recently invalidated all of its birth certificates. If you don’t have a birth certificate, the process gets more complicated.

What If a Birth Certificate Is Not Available?

If a birth certificate is not available from the government, a notarized affidavit with the correct information is required from one of the parents. In case they are no longer alive, then any blood relative older than you can provide the affidavit.

The affidavit must include:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Parents’ full names
• Parents’ dates of birth
• Parents’ place of birth
• Parents’ date of marriage

The sworn affidavit must be accompanied by a certificate from the government stating that no record of the birth certificate is available. If the affidavit is provided by a parent or another relative, it also must state the relationship with the applicant and how well the relative knows the applicant.

The affidavit and any accompanying information will need to be translated before filing with immigration documents.

Keep in mind that birth certificates issued by embassies and consulates are not valid for immigration purposes, as officials just extract information from your passport to make the certificate and no legal record is checked for accuracy.

Where Do You Get a Birth Certificate Translation?

Certified translations of birth certificates are available from reputable companies like Legal Language. The translations are notarized and come with a sworn statement of accuracy.

Be sure to have professionals translate your birth certificate so you can be prepared when you’re in another country!