How do you translate a marriage certificate from El Salvador (partida de matrimonio) for USCIS?
USCIS asks for a full English translation of a marriage certificate from El Salvador with the translator’s signed certification. We translate the partida de matrimonio in full, typed or handwritten: the entry, the marginal notes, the city hall’s seal and the registrar’s signature. 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 marriage took place. It is usually issued by the head of that registry (Jefe del Registro del Estado Familiar) or a delegate and carries the city hall’s round seal with the shield of El Salvador. City halls may issue handwritten copies. You can request a partida in person, in writing or online through simple.sv, and certified copies are available (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
What the translation includes
We translate the partida in full, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)): the city hall and registry heading, the text of the entry, every note in the margin, the seal with its text and the registrar’s signature and title. Seals and signatures are described in square brackets.
Acta matrimonial and church certificates
El Salvador issues two marriage documents with similar names. The acta matrimonial is the equivalent of a marriage license and doesn’t prove a legal marriage; the marriage certificate is the partida. A religious wedding isn’t legally valid in El Salvador, so a church marriage certificate isn’t accepted (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). Check which of them you have before you order.
Divorce in the margin
Since December 2024, some city halls may stop issuing separate divorce decrees. The divorce is then noted in the margin of the original marriage partida, saying the marriage was dissolved by a court declaration or an administrative resolution (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). The US Embassy in San Salvador gives the same note in its interview checklist (U.S. Embassy San Salvador (opens in a new tab)). A marriage noted on a birth partida doesn’t replace the marriage partida (travel.state.gov (opens in a new tab)). We translate the marginal notes word for word, since a divorce may be recorded there.
Names
We keep every surname of each spouse in the order of the partida and spell the names as in your passport. Tell us the spelling when you order, and every document in the order will use it.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: for Form I-130, the marriage certificate and proof that any earlier marriage ended, each with a full translation and the translator’s signed certification (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 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 handwritten. Can you translate it?
Yes. Salvadoran city halls may issue handwritten partidas, and we translate every line, stamps included. A word that can’t be read is marked [illegible].
How much does it cost?
A partida is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so a marriage partida and the two spouses’ birth partidas are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS: it asks for the translator’s signed certification, and the translation comes with one. If your partida has an apostille, we translate it in the same order.
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.