How do you translate a Salvadoran birth certificate (partida de nacimiento) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a birth certificate from El Salvador with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the partida de nacimiento in full: a copy from the family registry of a city hall, typed or handwritten, or a certification from the national registry RNPN with its QR code, together with the seals, the registrar’s signature and every marginal note. A partida is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
Who issues a partida
A Salvadoran birth is recorded by the family registry (Registro del Estado Familiar) of the city hall where it took place. The copy carries the city hall’s round seal with the coat of arms of El Salvador and is usually signed by the head of the registry (Jefe del Registro del Estado Familiar) or a delegate. City halls may issue it handwritten, and it costs $3 to $5 depending on the city hall (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
The national registry of natural persons, RNPN, also certifies the partidas it finds in its system for a name, date and place of birth and the parents’ names. Its certification is signed digitally and checked by a QR code, and RNPN sets no expiry date: that depends on the office you file it with (RNPN (opens in a new tab)).
We translate either kind: the city hall’s text and seal, or RNPN’s form with its QR code and signature line.
Marginal notes and canceled partidas
Changes such as parental authority, a new name or a correction are written in the margin of the partida. If a parent is added, removed or changed, the original partida is canceled and a new one is issued. For an immigrant visa, the Department of State asks for the original partida too: the modified one doesn’t replace it (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)).
So the margin is often where the story of the record is. We translate each note in full, with its date, the authority it cites and the signature beside it, and if the copy says the partida was canceled, the translation says so too.
Ordering a partida from the US
You can ask the head of the family registry of the city verbally or in writing, or order online at simple.sv (opens in a new tab) (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). An RNPN certification of a partida requested from abroad (certificación de partida en el exterior) costs $35 and is ready about two hours after you request it (RNPN (opens in a new tab)). A clear photo or scan of the whole page, margins included, is all we need.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: the translation and certification filed with a copy of the partida (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 partida in Spanish if you are applying for your visa in El Salvador 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
I have two partidas, the original and a new one issued after a change of parent. Which one do you translate?
Both, if you send both: each gets its own full translation. For an immigrant visa the Department of State asks for the original partida as well, because the new one doesn’t replace it.
My partida is handwritten. Can you read it?
City halls may issue handwritten partidas, and we translate them line by line. If a word can’t be read, the translation marks it [illegible] instead of guessing.
How much does it cost?
A partida is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so the original partida, the new one and a parent’s partida are $65.
Do I need a notary?
Not for USCIS, immigration court or NVC: they ask for the translator’s signed certification, and it’s included.
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.