Certified document translation
Certified Death Certificate Translation
A certified translation of a death certificate costs $24.95 per page, where one page is up to 250 words. A typical order runs 1 to 2 pages and comes to $24.95 to $49.90, delivered in 2 to 3 business days with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, prepared for official use including USCIS filings. Translation is available between English and Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Turkish.
Pricing
Exact prices, shown before you pay
Most death certificates are one page of up to 250 source words; certificates with a detailed medical cause of death section or attached registry transcriptions can reach two. Certified translation is $24.95 per page, so a typical order of 1 to 2 pages comes to $24.95 to $49.90. The exact total is measured from your real document and shown before payment.
Standard
$19.95 per page
3 to 5 business days
A professional translation with digital delivery.
Certified
$24.95 per page
2 to 3 business days
A certified translation accepted for official use.
Premium
$39.95 per page
1 to 2 business days
A certified translation, translated first.
One page is up to 250 words.
Requirements
What reviewers require for a certified death certificate translation
- A foreign language death certificate submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English language translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, with the translator's certification of competence to translate from that language into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
- For immigrant visa processing, the Department of State requires certified translations of civil documents, including death certificates, that are not in English or in the official language of the country of application, with a signed translator statement of competence.
- The translation must be complete and word for word, covering the decedent's name, the date and place of death, the registering authority and registration data, informant details, seals, stamps, signature blocks, and any medical cause of death section if the certificate contains one.
- The decedent's name must be transliterated consistently and should match the name as it appears in the related file, for example the prior marriage certificate in an immigration case or the estate documents in a probate matter.
- Older or handwritten death registers frequently contain hard to read script. Illegible portions are marked [illegible] in the translation; a qualified professional translator does not reconstruct unreadable names, dates, or causes of death.
- Seals, stamps, and signatures on the certificate are described in brackets in the translation so every element of the original is accounted for.
- USCIS requires certification of the translation, not notarization. Courts, insurers, and other recipients set their own formal requirements, which can differ.
- The translation cannot change or add anything the certificate does not state. If a recipient needs information the certificate lacks, for example a cause of death that the issuing country does not print on the public copy, that must be resolved with the issuing authority, not in the translation.
Common reasons translations get rejected
- Only the main data fields are translated and the medical section, stamps, or registry annotations are skipped, so the translation is not the full rendering the regulation requires.
- Illegible handwriting in older death registers is guessed at instead of being marked [illegible], producing a name or date that conflicts with other documents in the file.
- The decedent's name in the translation does not match the name on the related marriage certificate or estate papers because of inconsistent transliteration, so the reviewer cannot connect the death to the person in question.
- A burial permit, funeral home document, or medical certificate of death is translated and submitted in place of the civil registry death certificate that the process actually requires.
- In immigration cases, the death certificate proving a prior marriage ended is missing or untranslated, which blocks a finding that the current marriage is valid and triggers an RFE.
- The translation is submitted without a legible copy of the foreign language original, leaving the reviewer unable to compare the documents.
Good to know
Who asks for a translated death certificate
USCIS, Form I-360 widow or widower self-petition, where the citizen spouse's death certificate is required evidence
USCIS, Forms I-130, I-129F, and N-400, as proof that a prior marriage of either party ended by death
Department of State National Visa Center, the civil documents stage of consular processing, where death of a former spouse must be documented
State probate and surrogate courts, for estate administration when the death occurred abroad
Life insurance companies and pension plans, for claims based on a death documented by a foreign certificate
Social Security Administration, for survivor benefit claims involving a death abroad
How it works
From upload to certified delivery
Step 1
Upload and get an instant quote
Send us your document, choose your languages, and see your price right away.
Step 2
A professional translator translates it
A qualified professional translator translates your document.
Step 3
Reviewed for accuracy and certified
Your translation is reviewed for accuracy and certified with a signed certificate of accuracy.
Step 4
Receive your certified translation
You receive your certified translation, ready for official use.
Questions
Common questions
- Why does USCIS need a certified translation of my late spouse's death certificate?
- Two common reasons. If you are filing an I-360 widow or widower self-petition, the citizen spouse's death certificate is core evidence. If you or your current spouse were previously married, the death certificate proves that the earlier marriage ended, which filings such as the I-130, I-129F, and N-400 require. In both cases a foreign language certificate needs a full certified English translation under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3).
- The death certificate includes a cause of death section. Is that translated too?
- Yes. A certified translation must be complete, so any medical cause of death section on the certificate is rendered along with everything else. The translation never adds a cause of death the certificate does not state.
- Does the translation need to be notarized?
- Not for USCIS, which requires the translator's signed certification of completeness, accuracy, and competence rather than notarization. Probate courts, insurers, and banks set their own rules, so confirm the specific recipient's requirements if the translation is not for USCIS.
- The record is old and partly handwritten. What happens with parts no one can read?
- Unreadable words are marked [illegible] in the translation. A qualified professional translator does not guess at names, dates, or medical terms, because a wrong guess creates a conflict with the other documents in your file. If a critical field is unreadable, a clearer certified copy from the issuing registry is the fix.
- Can I use a translated burial permit or funeral home document instead of the death certificate?
- Usually not. Immigration authorities and most US institutions expect the death certificate issued by the country's civil registration authority. Translating a substitute document does not make it the required record, so confirm what your process accepts before ordering.
- I need the translation for a probate case in a US court. Is a certified translation enough?
- Certified translation is the standard starting point, and many courts accept a translation with a signed translator certification. Some courts have additional formal requirements set by state law or local rule, so check the rules of the specific court handling the estate.
- Do I send the original death certificate with the translation?
- For USCIS you generally submit a clear photocopy of the certificate with the certified translation, and originals only if requested. For NVC, the scan of the foreign language certificate and the English translation are uploaded together in a single file, original first.
A translation error is ours to fix
If your certified translation is rejected because of a translation error we made, we correct it at no charge, and if the corrected translation is rejected again for that same error we refund what you paid for it. Our Refund Policy sets out the conditions and what it does not cover. Your documents are encrypted and kept confidential from start to finish.
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