How do you translate a death certificate from El Salvador (partida de defunción) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a death certificate from El Salvador with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the partida de defunción in full, whether it is typed, handwritten on stamped paper or a photocopy of the registry book, with the marginal notes, the stamp and the signature of the family registry chief. A partida is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
Who issues the partida
In El Salvador, the partida comes from the family registry (Registro del Estado Familiar) of the city where the person died or where they lived. The partida is usually signed by the head of that registry (Jefe del Registro del Estado Familiar) or a delegate. You can ask the registry in person or in writing, or order the partida online through simple.sv, and certified copies are available (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)).
Three forms of the same record
The Department of State lists the forms a civil registry extract can take (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)):
- typed;
- handwritten on stamped paper (papel sellado);
- a photocopy of the page in the registry book.
Each of them must carry the signature of the registry official and the office’s rubber stamp. We translate whichever form you have, the stamp and signature included. If your copy is a book entry written as one long paragraph, the translation keeps that layout, so the reader can follow it line by line against the original.
Marginal notes
Corrections, identity changes made after the death and other updates are written in the margins of the partida (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). A marginal note may correct the main entry, so we translate each note in full and show where it sits on the page.
Names
We keep the names as written in the partida, with every surname in its order. If the spelling in a passport or another document of your case differs, tell us when you order, and we’ll keep the names the same across every document of your order.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: for example, as proof that an earlier marriage ended: the Form I-485 instructions list a death certificate among the usual evidence (p. 9 (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 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
My partida is an old handwritten entry. Can you translate it?
Yes. Handwritten extracts are one of the forms the registries issue. We translate every line we can read, and a word that can’t be read is marked [illegible] instead of guessed.
How much does it cost?
A partida de defunción is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so three one-page partidas 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 partida has an apostille, we translate it with the rest of the document.
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.