How do you translate a Mexican birth certificate (acta de nacimiento) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Mexican birth certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the acta de nacimiento in full, with the CURP, the electronic identifier and the marginal notes, in any format: the current green or online-printed one, the sepia one issued since 2000, or an older handwritten copy. A Mexican birth certificate is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
What the translation includes
We translate the acta in full, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). The current single format (formato único), the same in every Mexican state, has five parts (gob.mx (opens in a new tab)), and the translation has all of them:
- registration data: the CURP, the state and municipality, the registry office (oficialía), the book (libro) and certificate number (número de acta), the registration date;
- the registered person: given names, first and second surname, sex, date and place of birth;
- the parents: their names, nationality and CURP;
- legal basis, date of issue and marginal notes (anotaciones marginales);
- security and verification details: the electronic identifier and the QR code to check the acta online, and the registry officer’s signature.
Older formats
The acta has looked different over the years: more than 196 formats until 1999, sepia security paper from 2000, the green single format from 2016. All of them remain valid (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). Older copies are often typed or handwritten. We translate whatever is on your copy, stamps and handwriting included. If a word can’t be read, the translation marks it [illegible] instead of guessing.
A hospital certificado de nacido vivo is not a birth certificate and doesn’t replace one.
Names with two surnames
A Mexican acta lists the first and second surname in separate fields. We keep both surnames in the order of the acta and spell the names as in your passport. Tell us the spelling when you order, and it will be the same in every document of your order.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: the translation and certification filed with a copy of the acta. 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 Mexico 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 translations
5 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
I printed my acta at home from gob.mx. Will you translate it?
Yes. A copy printed from gob.mx on plain paper has the same content as one on security paper, with a QR code and an electronic identifier to check it online. We translate both, and the translation keeps the identifier.
How much does it cost?
A Mexican birth certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so three actas 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 acta already has 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.