How do you translate a Colombian birth certificate (registro civil de nacimiento) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Colombian birth certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the registro civil de nacimiento in full, whether it is a copy of the folio certified by a notary or registrar, or a digital copy from the Registraduría: the serial number and NUIP, the parents and their ID numbers, the witnesses, the notes, the stickers and the apostille. A registro civil is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
The copy of the folio and the digital copy
A Colombian birth certificate is a copy of the page of the register where the birth was recorded (copia del folio). It has no security features: it is printed on plain white paper and certified by a notary or a registry office, with an original signature over a wet seal or a sticker, or with a security sticker with a barcode instead of the signature. The copy of the folio gives the parents’ names and ID numbers, the place of birth, the registration date, the witnesses and the notes about marriages and divorces. A US consulate doesn’t accept the summarized certificates notaries also issue (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
The Registraduría also issues digital copies. They carry a QR code, are valid for three months from the date of issue and have no notes section; they are generally accepted, but a consulate may ask for a certified paper copy (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)).
Where the original is kept
A birth can be registered at a hospital, a clinic, any notary, any Registraduría office or a consulate, wherever the person was born (Registraduría (opens in a new tab)). Registration gives the child a name and a personal identification number, the NUIP (Registraduría (opens in a new tab)). The original stays in the civil registry office where the birth was first registered (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). Records kept by volume and folio (tomo y folio) can be looked up only at the office where they were registered; to ask for a copy, give the volume, folio, serial number and registration date (Registraduría, copies (opens in a new tab)).
Corrections and notes
A spelling or typing error is corrected on written request, a change of name through a public deed (escritura pública), and some changes through a court decision (Registraduría (opens in a new tab)). Recognitions of children, legitimations, adoptions and changes of parental authority are recorded on the birth registro too (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). We translate every note with the deed or decision number, the notary’s office and the date.
Copies and the apostille from the US
From abroad, a copy is requested and paid for through a Colombian consulate (Registraduría, copies (opens in a new tab)). The apostille is issued online by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For a registro kept by a Registraduría office, you first ask the Registraduría online to certify the registrar’s signature, with a scan of both sides of a copy no older than 90 days; it answers within 15 business days (Cancillería guide (opens in a new tab)).
When you scan a paper registro, include the back, even if it is blank (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)).
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: the translation and certification filed with a copy of the registro civil (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 Colombia 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
My digital copy from the Registraduría has no notes section. Can you still translate it?
Yes. We translate what the copy shows, including its QR code and issue date. Keep in mind that the Department of State says digital copies leave the notes out and that a consulate may still ask for a certified copy of the folio.
Do you translate the apostille?
Yes. Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues the apostille online, and we translate it in the same order as the registro civil it belongs to.
How much does it cost?
A registro civil is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so a registro civil, its apostille and a parent’s registro civil are $65.
Do I need a notary?
Not for USCIS, immigration court or NVC: they ask for the translator’s signed certification, and it’s included.
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.