How do you translate a bilingual Belarusian document?
Belarusian birth and marriage certificates have their text side by side in Russian and Belarusian, and Soviet Belarusian forms label every field in both languages. We translate the whole document, show that the Belarusian text says the same thing as the Russian, and translate every stamp, including Belarusian ones. A signed certificate is included. $25 for the first page, $20 for each additional one.
Two languages on one document
The State Department’s reciprocity page for Belarus (opens in a new tab) describes Belarusian birth and marriage certificates: they are issued by the civil registry office (ZAGS), part of the Ministry of Justice, on a form folded in two with the information side by side in Russian and Belarusian.
Soviet Belarusian certificates (issued in the BSSR) are bilingual in a different way: every printed field label is in Russian and in Belarusian, and the entries are handwritten, usually in Russian. Stamps added later, for example one noting that a passport was issued, are often only in Belarusian.
How we translate both languages
USCIS asks for a full translation (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)), and a summary is not accepted (USCIS Policy Manual (opens in a new tab)). On a bilingual document that means:
- every field is translated once, with a note that the same text is given in Belarusian, so it is clear that nothing was left out;
- text that appears in only one language, such as a Belarusian stamp or a note, is translated separately, with a note on its language;
- empty fields are marked [blank], so it is clear they are empty on the form;
- seals are translated where they can be read; an unreadable one is marked [Round seal, illegible].
How this looks on a real form, and what goes wrong when a translation leaves the Belarusian text out, is in our case study of a Belarusian birth certificate after an RFE.
Names and places
Names in Belarusian documents can be spelled from Russian (Aleksandr, Tatyana) or from Belarusian (Alyaksandr, Tatsiana). We spell them the way you give them from your international passport and keep that spelling in every document. Place names follow the conventional English form (Minsk, Gomel or Homel, as you prefer and as in your other documents), and the names of offices are translated the same way across the order.
Two formats
We translate field by field, which is the standard format. On request we also make a translation laid out like the original form, for $65 a document; see a translation in the original layout. The samples below are the same Soviet Belarusian birth certificate in both formats.
Price
$25 for the first page of up to 250 words and $20 for each additional page. The second language on the form doesn’t cost extra. Send photos of both sides of the document, and we’ll give you the exact price.
Sample translations
2 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
Do you translate the Belarusian text or only the Russian?
Both. On a bilingual form the Russian and the Belarusian text say the same thing, so we translate each field once and show that the Belarusian version is there, with a note on its language. A Belarusian stamp is translated as well.
How much does a Belarusian birth certificate translation cost?
Usually one page: $25. A birth certificate and a marriage certificate are $45. A translation laid out like the original form is $65 a document.
Is a Belarusian certificate accepted for an I-730 or green card case?
We translate; the agency decides which documents it accepts. The State Department lists Belarusian birth and marriage certificates issued by the civil registry office (ZAGS) among the documents available in Belarus.
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.