How do you translate a Mexican marriage certificate (acta de matrimonio) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Mexican marriage certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the acta de matrimonio in full: both spouses and their parents, the property regime, the witnesses, the signatures, seals and every note in the margin, whether it is a fresh printout or a handwritten page from an old registry book. A Mexican marriage 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)). Mexico’s Federal Civil Code lists what a marriage record states (Código Civil Federal, art. 103 (opens in a new tab)), and the translation keeps every item:
- the spouses: names and surnames, age, occupation, address, place of birth, and whether each was of legal age;
- their parents: names, surnames, occupation and address;
- the property regime the couple chose: joint property (sociedad conyugal) or separate property (separación de bienes);
- the witnesses: names, age, marital status, occupation, address, and whether they are related to the bride or groom;
- signatures: the civil registry judge, the spouses and the witnesses, plus the spouses’ fingerprints;
- registry details: the office, book and record number, the date, the seals and any notes added in the margin later.
Each state keeps its own civil records. Seals and signatures differ from state to state and by the year of issue (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Civil and church weddings
The Department of State says a Mexican church marriage certificate is not normally acceptable: a church wedding has no legal validity in Mexico without a civil ceremony, and many couples marry in church only (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). The civil acta comes from the Registro Civil. A cohabitation record (constancia de concubinato) is a different paper: it certifies a common-law union, and each state defines that union in its own way. We translate church, civil and cohabitation records alike. Same-sex marriage has been legal in all of Mexico since October 2022 (the same page (opens in a new tab)).
Older and handwritten records
Our sample is a marriage entry from 1943, written by hand in the registry book. We translate what is written, abbreviations and margins included, and mark a word that can’t be read as [illegible].
Marriage records are available from the state’s Central Civil Registry, which keeps duplicates of the records made in each town (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). In the US, the Mexican Consulate General in Houston prints certified copies of digitized marriage records and says 92% of Mexican records have been digitized (Consulado General de México en Houston (opens in a new tab)).
Spelling of names
Each spouse appears with a first and a second surname. We keep both, in the order of the acta, and use the passport spelling for every name. Send that spelling with your order, and every document in it will match.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: for Form I-130, a copy of the marriage certificate and documents showing that any earlier marriage of either spouse legally ended (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 marriage 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
My acta has a note in the margin about a divorce or a correction. Is it translated too?
Yes. A marginal note is part of the acta, so we translate it word for word, with its date, the officer’s name and the seal next to it.
How much does it cost?
A Mexican marriage certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so the marriage certificate and both spouses’ birth certificates come to $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 carries an apostille, we translate the apostille 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.