Does Social Security need a certified translation
Social Security (SSA) translates foreign-language documents itself. If an office needs your document to decide on your claim, it has it translated by an SSA translator or by an outside translator the office has authorized. The sections of SSA's manual we checked don't ask you to bring your own translation.
What Social Security requires
SSA’s rules are in its Program Operations Manual System (POMS). Section GN 00301.330 (opens in a new tab) says that if you submit a foreign-language document that SSA needs to review to decide on your claim, SSA has it translated. The reason is given there too: dates, terms and names are often recorded differently in foreign documents, so a translator checks the document for accuracy and authenticity.
In the sections we checked, we found no rule that asks you to bring your own translation or says how SSA treats one.
Who translates for SSA
- An SSA translator: an SSA employee authorized to translate (GN 00301.340 (opens in a new tab)).
- An outside translator authorized by the office. The translator works or has worked for a recognized translation organization, and the office manager checks this with the employer (GN 00301.350 (opens in a new tab)).
- Certain officials. SSA doesn’t need another translation if the document was translated by a foreign government official under their seal of office, or by certain US consular or military staff abroad (GN 00301.370 (opens in a new tab)).
A translation by an outside translator must be verbatim: complete and literal (GN 00301.395 (opens in a new tab)).
Which documents SSA usually translates
Most foreign documents SSA reviews prove age, relationship or death (GN 00301.330 (opens in a new tab)). These are, for example, birth and marriage certificates (GN 00301.435 (opens in a new tab)).
This is a summary of what the agency publishes, not legal advice.