District of Columbia
Certified Translation Services in District of Columbia
Certified translation for District of Columbia costs $24.95 per page, where one page is up to 250 words of the source document, delivered in 2 to 3 business days as a PDF with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy from the qualified professional translator who completed or reviewed the work. The entire service is online. Upload your document, see the exact price before paying, and order from anywhere in District of Columbia with no appointment and nothing to mail. Translations are prepared for official use, including USCIS filings, courts, universities, and licensing boards.
Pricing
Exact prices, shown before you pay
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.
Filing locally
Where District of Columbia filings are handled
Your certified translation is delivered as a PDF you file yourself, so it works with every office below. Nothing needs to be picked up and there is no local counter to visit, because the whole service is online.
USCIS field offices
- Washington Field Office, Fairfax, Virginia. There is no USCIS field office within the District itself. Every DC ZIP code is assigned to the Washington Field Office at 2675 Prosperity Avenue in Fairfax, Virginia, per the USCIS field office locator.
State rules
Apostilles and notarization in District of Columbia
Apostilles for District documents are issued by the Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, part of the DC Office of the Secretary, at 899 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 8100.
The fee is 15 dollars per document authenticated.
The office authenticates only documents notarized by a DC notary public or certified documents issued or signed by a DC government agency. Documents notarized in another jurisdiction must be authenticated where that notary was commissioned.
Walk-in service runs 9 am to 1 pm Monday through Friday with same-day processing and no appointment needed. Mail-in requests take about five business days from receipt.
The DC office does not authenticate federal documents such as FBI background checks or citizenship papers. Those must go to the US Department of State's authentication office.
For countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention, the office issues certificates that require a further US Department of State authentication before the destination country's embassy will legalize the document.
USCIS requires certification rather than notarization, so a translation filed from the District needs the translator's signed accuracy statement, not a notary seal.
DC notaries are commissioned by the Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, and the application fee is 75 dollars.
The District authorizes both in-person electronic notarization and remote online notarization through an endorsement added to an existing traditional DC notary commission.
Documents
What District of Columbia customers translate most
Spanish is the most spoken language other than English in the District, and El Salvador is the leading country of origin among immigrants in the Washington region.
The District's Language Access Act requires DC government agencies to serve residents with limited English proficiency, with Spanish and French among the covered languages.
More than 170 foreign embassies, along with institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, sustain large professional communities in Washington working in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages.
Education and licensing
Universities and licensing boards
Universities receiving international documents
- Georgetown University, Washington
- George Washington University, Washington
- American University, Washington
- Howard University, Washington
- The Catholic University of America, Washington
- University of the District of Columbia, Washington. The District's public land-grant university.
Professional licensing
The DC Board of Nursing requires nurses whose initial license was obtained in another country to request official verification from CGFNS International, with all required documentation provided in English.
How it works
Order online from anywhere in District of Columbia
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.
$24.95 per page, certified, delivered in 2 to 3 business days.
Questions
District of Columbia questions
- Which USCIS office serves Washington, DC?
- The Washington Field Office at 2675 Prosperity Avenue in Fairfax, Virginia serves every DC ZIP code. There is no USCIS field office inside the District itself, so plan for a trip into northern Virginia if you are scheduled for an interview or naturalization appointment.
- Who issues apostilles in the District of Columbia?
- The Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications at 899 North Capitol Street NE issues apostilles for 15 dollars per document. It authenticates only documents notarized by a DC notary or certified by a DC government agency. Walk-in service runs 9 am to 1 pm on weekdays with same-day processing, and mail requests take about five business days.
- Can the DC apostille office authenticate my FBI background check or naturalization certificate?
- No. Federal documents are authenticated by the US Department of State, not by the District's Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications. This comes up often in Washington because so many federal records originate here, so check which chain your document needs before you start.
- Is there an immigration court in Washington, DC?
- No. EOIR's current court list shows no immigration court within the District. The closest courts sit in Annandale and Sterling, Virginia and in Hyattsville and Baltimore, Maryland. Your hearing notice or the EOIR automated case information line confirms which court is assigned to your case.
- Does USCIS require notarized translations for applications filed from DC?
- No. USCIS requires a certified translation, meaning the translator signs a statement attesting to the accuracy of the translation and their competence in both languages. Notarization is a separate step that only matters if a specific receiving office asks for it, so confirm requirements with that office first.
- I need a translated document legalized for a country that is not in the Hague Convention. What is the chain in DC?
- For non-Hague destinations, the DC Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications issues a certificate that then requires authentication by the US Department of State before the destination country's embassy can legalize it. Since nearly every embassy is located in Washington, the final step usually happens locally. Confirm each embassy's exact requirements before ordering.
- Do DC universities require certified translations of international transcripts?
- Universities in the District, including Georgetown, George Washington, American, Howard, Catholic, and the University of the District of Columbia, generally require English translations of academic records issued in another language, and many ask that the translation be certified. Confirm the exact format with each admissions office before you order.
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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