How do you translate a Guatemalan birth certificate from RENAP for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Guatemalan birth certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the certificado de nacimiento issued by RENAP in full, front and back: the correlativo and verificador numbers, the barcode and QR code, the registrar’s digital signature and every annotation. We charge by the page: $25 for the first and $20 for each additional one, ready within 24 hours after payment.
Which certificate you need
In Guatemala a birth certificate comes from RENAP, the National Registry of Persons, not from your city or town (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). The RENAP law, Decree 90-2005, makes issuing certifications of its entries one of the registry’s duties (RENAP (opens in a new tab)). RENAP also issues a literal certification and one with the scanned image of the book page (RENAP (opens in a new tab)). We translate whichever of them you have.
The numbers on the certificate
The Department of State describes a RENAP birth certificate this way (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)):
- the correlativo number at the top left, under the RENAP logo;
- a barcode and the verificador number at the top right;
- a QR code at the bottom center and the registrar’s digital signature at the bottom right;
- sometimes a blue round seal, which isn’t required;
- a front and a back page, and both are required.
Anyone can check a certificate on RENAP’s site with the correlativo and either the verificador or the identifier (RENAP validation (opens in a new tab)). We copy each number digit by digit, so the officer can match the translation to the original and check it online.
How long the code works
RENAP doesn’t issue certified copies; authenticity is checked by the QR code or on its validation page, and the code works for six months or three validations, whichever comes first (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)).
Delayed registrations
When a birth was never recorded, a court process ends with an order to RENAP to issue a delayed certificate (certificado de nacimiento extemporáneo); the Department of State notes that such a registration usually needs extra evidence (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). We translate a delayed certificate like any other, with every annotation on it, and if you have the court decision too, it can go in the same order.
Getting a certificate from the US
You can request one through RENAP’s website or at any RENAP office in Guatemala, with your full name, your date of birth and/or the book, page and entry number (libro, folio, partida) where the birth was recorded (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). At a RENAP office the fee is Q15 (RENAP fees (opens in a new tab)). RENAP also issues birth certificates through 11 Guatemalan consulates in the United States (RENAP, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: the translation and certification filed with a copy of both pages (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 Guatemala 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.
Sample translation
The sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
The back of my certificate is almost empty. Do you translate it?
Yes. A RENAP certificate has a front and a back, and both are required, so we translate both sides, even when the back carries only a code, a stamp or a short note.
My certificate is older than six months. Can you still translate it?
Yes. We translate the copy you send, with its codes and dates as printed. The translation doesn’t renew the code, so if the recipient wants a recent certificate, order a new one from RENAP and we translate that.
How much does it cost?
We charge by the page: $25 for the first and $20 for each additional one, so a two-sided certificate and one more page are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS: it asks for the translator’s signed certification, and it’s included. If your certificate carries an apostille, we translate it 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.