A birth certificate shows the details of your birth. You already know that it is used as a legal record to prove your identity and as a supplement to obtain other documents. At some point in time, you will come across a “birth certificate translation” requirement.
It is important that you understand what it is and how to proceed. Here are the things you need to know about birth certificate translation:
Circumstances needing a birth certificate translation
You need a birth certificate when enrolling in school, applying for driver’s license, applying for a passport and applying for social security benefits in the US. As for a translated birth certificate, you need it if you want to marry outside the country. More importantly, a translated birth certificate is needed in immigration.
Translated birth certificate and immigration
Mostly, people consider a translation service as an immigration requirement – whatever country you decide to settle in. It can also be a requirement if you try to obtain a travel visa. For instance, USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) require a professional translator to translate birth certificate before submitting it for filing.
Even if you are fluent in many languages including English, your birth certificate should still need certified translation. The government keeps a long-form and short-form version of your birth certificate on their file. In the case of USCIS filing, the certified translation should contain information like the name, date of birth, place of birth, the names of both parents and a seal that verifies the document as an official record.
The process of certifying the translation
You need to certify the translation. A certified translation will require the original document and the document translation with a signed statement from the translator. The translator will signify that the translation is accurate and complete.
The need to notarise it will depend on the situation or the country. Keep in mind that the translations are done by qualified and experienced translators from a reputable translation agency. When you need translation, you are assured that it goes through a rigorous process to ensure that the translations are accurate.
If the birth certificate is not available
There are some governments that did not keep records of registered births. There are also some instances when parents failed to register the birth of their children. If these happen, you need to get a notarised affidavit with the correct information from your parents.
If your parents are no longer alive, any older blood relative can help. The affidavit should include full name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents’ details like full names, dates of birth, place of birth and date of marriage.
The affidavit should come with a certificate from your government stating that there is no record of such birth certificate. Finally, the affidavit, as well as the accompanying information, should be translated before filing it to the immigration. As you can see, things are a bit complicated if the birth certificate is not available.
Final words
When you need to translate your birth certificate and other important documents, you should look for a certified translation agency. The key here is finding the right agency that can satisfy your needs and criteria.
