How do you translate a Bulgarian police certificate for a US immigrant visa?
Bulgaria doesn’t issue police records, so for a US immigrant visa the State Department asks for the court certificate, svidetelstvo za sadimost, instead. A regional court issues it, and it shows convictions that haven’t been expunged. We translate this Bulgarian police certificate in full: every field, the court’s seal, both signatures, the QR code mark and the apostille if there is one. It is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
Who issues it
For Bulgaria, the State Department lists police records as unavailable and asks for court records instead. The document is the svidetelstvo za sadimost, a criminal record certificate issued by the regional courts. It has the regional court’s round seal, the signatures of the clerk of the court records office and the court’s chairman, and a QR code for verification. You apply with a request, your ID card or a power of attorney, and the fee receipt. Foreign citizens in Bulgaria apply to the Ministry of Justice (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Getting one from abroad
A power of attorney lets someone in Bulgaria apply for you. Bulgarian citizens with no convictions and no administrative penalties under Article 78a of the Penal Code can also get an electronic court certificate through the Ministry of Justice website, signing the application with an electronic signature (same source). The Bulgarian Embassy in Belgium takes the request as well: it sends it to the Ministry of Justice and receives the certificate, issued in Bulgarian, electronically within 7 days (Embassy of Bulgaria in Belgium (opens in a new tab)).
What the consulate asks
For an immigrant visa, the consulate asks for police certificates if they can be obtained (22 CFR 42.65(b) (opens in a new tab)). From your country of nationality and your country of current residence, a certificate is needed if you have lived there at least six months; from any other country, if you have lived there at least a year (22 CFR 42.65(c)(1) (opens in a new tab)). The Bulgarian court certificate is valid for 6 months. It shows only convictions that haven’t been expunged, not arrests, charges or expunged records. If it shows a conviction, the consulate may ask for the court record. Bring the original to your interview and send a copy to NVC (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
What the translation includes
Every field of the certificate with its entry, the court’s name, the seal with its text, both signatures and the date of issue. The QR code is marked in the translation, so the reader knows where it is on the original. Names follow your passport.
Where the translation goes
- NVC and US consulates: the Department of State doesn’t ask for a translation of a certificate in Bulgarian if you are applying for your visa in Bulgaria, where the US Embassy in Sofia handles all visa categories (same source). What NVC accepts
- USCIS: a full translation with the translator’s signed certification. What USCIS accepts
- Immigration court: a typed certification with the translator’s address and phone. What the court accepts
Our Bulgarian documents are translated and certified by a native Bulgarian speaker. What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translations
2 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
The consulate asked for my court record too. Do you translate it?
Yes. If the certificate shows a conviction and the consulate asks for the court record itself, we translate it in full, priced by the page.
How much does it cost?
A Bulgarian court certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so a certificate with an apostille on a separate sheet and one more document is $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS, NVC or immigration court: they ask for the translator’s signed certification, and it’s included. If your certificate has an apostille, we translate it in the same order.
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.