How do you translate a Guatemalan marriage certificate from RENAP for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Guatemalan marriage certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the RENAP certificado de matrimonio in full, front and back: the book, folio and entry numbers, the verification code, the registrar’s signature and seal, and any notes. With both sides, a certificate is two pages: $25 for the first and $20 for the second, ready within 24 hours after payment.
What the translation includes
We translate the certificate in full, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). In Guatemala the marriage certificate (certificado de matrimonio) comes from RENAP, the National Registry of Persons, not from the town hall where the couple married (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). The translation has all of it:
- where the marriage is recorded: the book (libro), folio and entry (partida) numbers;
- the text of the entry and any notes added to it later;
- the security details: the barcode and verification number at the top right, the serial number (correlativo) under the RENAP logo, and the QR code at the bottom;
- the back: the signature of the civil registrar (Registrador Civil de las Personas) and the seal.
The State Department asks for both the front and the back of the certificate (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). Codes and seals are described in square brackets, and every number next to them is copied as printed.
Certificates printed online
RENAP has issued certificates online since 2017, through its e-portal and the RENAP SE app. They carry a verification code, a unique number, a serial number and a QR code, and the signature and seal on the back are legally valid (RENAP (opens in a new tab)). RENAP doesn’t issue certified copies; the QR code or RENAP’s validation page confirms a certificate, and the QR works for six months or three checks, whichever comes first. A blue round seal may appear, but it isn’t required (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)).
Divorce and the birth certificate
A Guatemalan birth certificate usually carries notes about the person’s marriages and divorces. The State Department doesn’t accept such an annotated birth certificate in place of the marriage certificate or the divorce certificate. The divorce certificate also comes from RENAP (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)), and we translate it the same way.
Names
We keep every surname in the order RENAP printed it and spell the names as in your passport. Tell us the spelling when you order, and every document in the order will use it.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: for Form I-130, the marriage certificate and proof that any earlier marriage ended, each with a full translation and the translator’s signed certification (Form I-130 instructions (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
Do you translate the back of the certificate?
Yes. The registrar’s signature and the seal are on the back, so the translation covers both sides and counts them as two pages.
I downloaded my certificate from the RENAP portal. Will you translate it?
Yes. A certificate issued online carries the same verification code, serial number and QR code as one from a RENAP office, and the translation keeps the numbers as printed.
How much does it cost?
$25 for the first page and $20 for each additional page in the same order, so both sides of a marriage certificate plus one more page, such as an apostille, are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS: it asks for the translator’s signed certification, which comes with the translation. If an apostille is attached to your certificate, we translate it as well.
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.