How do you translate a Panamanian birth certificate for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a Panama birth certificate with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the certificado de nacimiento of the Registro Civil (Tribunal Electoral) in full: the current printout with a QR code, an older yellow half-sheet with a wet stamp, or the long-form copia íntegra with the statement on its back. A Panamanian birth certificate is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
Who issues it
The certificado de nacimiento is issued by the Registro Civil, a department of the Tribunal Electoral, and signed by the Director Nacional of the Registro Civil. It is an abstract of the original record kept at the Registro Civil, so certified copies of the record itself are not issued. To request it, you give the birth registration number (the ID card number) of the person, or the ID numbers of the parents (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Current and older formats
We translate the certificate in full, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). Panama has two formats in use (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)):
- newer: a printout of an electronic document, with the seal of the Tribunal Electoral at the top and a QR verification code at the bottom left;
- older: a yellow half-sheet of paper with a round wet stamp of the Tribunal Electoral at the bottom.
The translation marks the seal, the stamp and the QR code where they are on your copy, and translates the director’s signature block.
The copia íntegra
The regular certificado is acceptable in most cases. When more detail on the birth record is needed, such as amendments, you can request a copia íntegra: a long-form abstract of the original. Instead of a QR code, it has a round wet stamp of the Tribunal Electoral and an authentication statement on the back (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). The back is part of the document, and we translate it too.
Birth records exist for people born since April 15, 1914, when Panama’s Civil Registry was established. Records of earlier births are incomplete and compiled from secondary sources (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Born in the former Canal Zone
Birth certificates from the former Canal Zone cover 1904 to September 30, 1979. They are requested from the Passport Vital Records office of the US Department of State, not from the Tribunal Electoral (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: the translation and certification filed with a copy of the certificate. 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 Panama 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
What is the difference between the certificado and the copia íntegra?
The certificado is a short abstract of the birth record with a QR code. The copia íntegra is a long-form abstract with more detail, such as amendments, and carries a wet stamp and an authentication statement on the back. We translate either one in full.
How much does it cost?
A Panamanian birth certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so three certificates are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS: what it asks for is the translator’s signed certification, and that is part of every translation. An apostille on your certificate is translated along with it.
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.