How do you translate a Ukrainian death certificate for USCIS?
When you file a Ukrainian death certificate with USCIS, for example to show that a spouse’s earlier marriage ended, it needs a full English translation and the translator’s signed certification. We translate the svidotstvo pro smert in full: the original or a re-issued copy, the seal, the signature and every stamp. A Ukrainian death certificate is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
What the certificate shows
A Ukrainian death certificate (svidotstvo pro smert) is issued by a district or regional civil registry office and bears a wet seal and the signature of the head of the office (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). The first certificate is free. It is requested the same way as a birth certificate, and close relatives, such as grandchildren, may apply for it.
The form gives the surname, given name and patronymic of the person who died, the date of death in figures and words, the age, the number and date of the death record, the place of death by country, oblast, district and town, the registry office, the date of issue and the series and number. It doesn’t give the cause of death (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)): that is on a separate medical certificate.
We translate each line, the seal with its text and the signature, as USCIS requires (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) (opens in a new tab)). If part of the seal or a word can’t be read, the translation says [illegible] rather than guessing.
Deaths in occupied areas
Ukrainian authorities don’t issue a death certificate based only on documents from Russian authorities in Crimea or from officials in other occupied areas, such as Donetsk, Luhansk and parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Families with such documents may go to a Ukrainian court for a decree, and then get a Ukrainian certificate (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). We translate both the court decree and the certificate. A document issued in an occupied area we translate as it is.
How we spell names
Names follow the passports of the family or Ukraine’s official transliteration (Resolution No. 55 of 2010 (opens in a new tab)): Volodymyr, Dmytrovych, Hryhorii. If the certificate goes with a marriage certificate, send us the spelling used there, and both translations will show the same name.
Where the translation goes
- USCIS: for Form I-130, proof that every earlier marriage legally ended, with a full English translation (Form I-130 instructions (opens in a new tab)). What USCIS accepts
- NVC and US consulates: a death certificate is one of the documents that show a prior marriage ended (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)). The Department of State doesn’t ask for a translation of a death certificate in Ukrainian if you are applying for your visa in Ukraine. What NVC accepts
- Immigration court: a typed certification with the translator’s address and phone. What the court accepts
Our Ukrainian documents are translated and certified by a native Ukrainian speaker. What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translations
6 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
Does the certificate show the cause of death?
No. The UK government’s guide notes that Ukrainian death certificates don’t include it; it is on a separate medical certificate. If you send that certificate too, we translate it in the same order.
How much does it cost?
A death certificate is usually one page: $25. Any further page in the same order is $20, so a death certificate, a marriage certificate and a medical certificate are $65.
Do I need a notary or an apostille?
Not for USCIS: it asks for a translation with the translator’s signed certification, and you get it with the translation. An apostille that is already on the 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.