Marriage Certificate Translation for USCIS

Marriage certificates come up constantly in immigration — spousal petitions (I-130), adjustment of status, and naturalization can all require proof of a marriage that took place abroad. If the certificate is in another language, USCIS needs a certified English translation.

What USCIS expects

The requirement is the same as for any foreign-language document: under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), submit a complete English translation with a signed certification that it is accurate and that the translator is competent. For a marriage certificate that means:

• Every field translated — names, dates, place of marriage, officiant, and any registrar stamps or seals.
• Consistent spelling of names across this and your other documents.
• The certificate of accuracy attached.

Do you need a notary? No.

USCIS does not require marriage-certificate translations to be notarized. A notary only verifies the identity of the person signing — it says nothing about the translation’s accuracy. What USCIS requires is a certified translation: the signed accuracy statement described above. There is also no USCIS “approved translator” list — USCIS does not pre-approve or license translators; what matters is that the certification meets the 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) standard. (If a court or consulate in your process separately requests notarization, that is their requirement, not USCIS’s — see our certified vs. notarized guide.)

Why consistency matters in spousal cases

In a marriage-based petition, USCIS cross-checks names and dates across many documents — birth certificates, passports, the marriage certificate, and more. If your name is transliterated one way on your birth certificate and another way on your marriage certificate, that inconsistency can prompt questions. A professional translator handles transliteration deliberately and consistently across a document set.

Divorce and prior marriages

If either spouse was previously married, USCIS often wants proof that prior marriages were legally ended — which means a certified translation of a divorce decree or death certificate too. See divorce decree translation for USCIS.

Avoid these pitfalls

• Don’t omit seals or handwritten annotations — completeness is part of the requirement.
• Don’t rely on machine translation for a filing (here’s why).
• Don’t leave transliteration to chance across documents.

Getting it done

Taika provides certified marriage certificate translation formatted for USCIS. Browse certified document translation, or request a quote and upload your document. For multi-document petitions, immigration & USCIS document translation handles the whole set together.