How do you translate an Argentine birth certificate (partida de nacimiento) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of an Argentine birth certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the partida (acta) de nacimiento from any provincial Registro Civil in full: a copy of the book entry with its “es copia fiel del original” stamp, or a digital partida with a digital signature and a verification code. An Argentine birth certificate is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
The acta, not the certificado
Argentina has two kinds of birth record. The acta de nacimiento is the official birth entry, and the Department of State says to use it instead of the certificado de nacimiento. It comes from the Registro Civil of the municipality or rural area where the birth took place (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). Each province runs its own civil registry (Argentina.gob.ar (opens in a new tab)), and the procedure for getting a copy depends on the province (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). People also call the copy a partida; we translate it under any name.
What a copy from the registry looks like
A paper partida is a copy taken from the registration book, so it has no security features. It must have a blue or black stamp reading es copia fiel del original and the stamp and signature of the registry’s authority. A digital copy may have no stamp, but it comes as a PDF with a digital signature. Copies from the Province and the City of Buenos Aires carry a verification code; other provinces may use a verification code or a scannable code (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
The City of Buenos Aires locates a partida by its registry data: district or section (circunscripción or sección), volume (tomo), entry number (acta) and year (Buenos Aires City (opens in a new tab)). We translate those references, the stamp, the signature and the code as they are on your copy, and every note added to the entry later. A word that can’t be read is marked [illegible].
Older records and missing records
The archive of the City of Buenos Aires civil registry keeps part of the parish books from 1858 up to August 10, 1886, when the Civil Registry was created (Buenos Aires City (opens in a new tab)). When no birth record can be found, RENAPER, the national registry, issues a letter called certificación de datos personales that says so (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). We translate parish records and that letter as well.
A partida request doesn’t include an apostille. The apostille is issued by Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it can be requested from outside the country (Buenos Aires City (opens in a new tab)). The Province of Buenos Aires says its digital partida is valid abroad when it meets that Ministry’s requirements (gba.gob.ar (opens in a new tab)).
Names
Every name is spelled as in the passport, and if the partida gives more than one surname, all of them stay in its order. Send us the spelling with your order, and it will match across your documents.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: the translation and certification filed with a copy of the partida (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). What USCIS accepts
- NVC and US consulates: the Department of State doesn’t ask for a translation of a certificate in Spanish if you are applying for your visa in Argentina or another country where Spanish is an official language. What NVC accepts
- Immigration court: a typed certification with the translator’s address and phone. What the court accepts
Our Spanish documents are translated and certified by a native Spanish speaker. What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Questions
I downloaded a digital partida. Will you translate it?
Yes. A digital partida is a PDF with a digital signature, often with a verification code instead of a stamp. The translation states the signature and keeps the code as printed.
How much does it cost?
An Argentine birth certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so three partidas are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
USCIS needs neither; it asks for the translator’s signed certification, included with your translation. An apostille from Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if your partida has one, is translated too.
How long does it take?
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
How we do it
- Full translation
every stamp, signature and handwritten line
- Signed certificate
with the translator’s name, address and phone
- A PDF, ready to file
original, translation and certificate, translation pages numbered
- Price
$25 for the first page up to 250 words, $20 for each additional page, in the same document or another one.
- Turnaround
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
This is a summary of what the agency publishes, not legal advice.