Quick Answer: If your birth certificate is in French — an extrait d'acte de naissance or a copie intégrale — USCIS requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. This applies whether your document was issued in France, Canada, Haiti, or another French-speaking country, and whether it's typed or hand-filled. Most are a single page, so the typical cost is $25, delivered in 24-48 hours.
If you're submitting a French birth certificate to USCIS, you need a certified English translation to go with it. French birth records come in a few different forms and from many different countries, which can make it unclear what exactly needs to be translated. This guide explains the document types, what USCIS requires, and how the translation works — written from real experience translating French birth certificates from France, Canada, and Haiti, among others.
What Is a French Birth Certificate?
"French birth certificate" refers to a birth record issued in the French language. The most common term you'll see is extrait d'acte de naissance — literally a birth certificate extract. In practice, French birth records appear in a few forms:
- The extract (extrait d'acte de naissance) — a summary of the birth record. It often comes in two variants: avec filiation (with parentage — including the parents' details) and sans filiation (without parentage).
- The full copy (copie intégrale) — a complete reproduction of the birth record, including all details and any marginal notes (mentions marginales) such as marriage or other life events recorded on the certificate.
USCIS requires a complete certified translation of whichever version you are submitting. If you were instructed to provide a full copy, the entire copie intégrale — including marginal notes — must be translated. We translate all versions; which one you need to submit depends on what USCIS or your attorney asked you to provide.
French Birth Certificates Come From Many Countries
French is an official language in dozens of countries, so a "French birth certificate" is far from being only a French document. We have translated French birth certificates issued by:
- France
- Canada, including Quebec
- Haiti
- and other Francophone countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe
The formatting varies widely between countries and even between local registrars. Some are cleanly typed; others are older hand-filled forms where the entries are handwritten into a printed template. Both are fully translatable — a certified translation renders all of it into English, typed or handwritten, exactly as it appears.
Need your French birth certificate translated for USCIS? Exacta Translation Services translates French to English — extract or full copy, from any Francophone country, typed or hand-filled — with a hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included. $25 for a single page, delivered in 24-48 hours. Quote within 5 minutes.
Get a Free Quote →What USCIS Requires
USCIS requires that any foreign-language document submitted with an immigration application include a complete English translation accompanied by a signed Certificate of Accuracy. For a French birth certificate, that means:
- A complete English translation of the entire document — every field, stamp, seal, signature, and any marginal notes (mentions marginales)
- A signed Certificate of Accuracy from a competent third-party translator confirming the translation is complete and accurate
- The translation submitted alongside the original-language document
For the full set of rules, see our guide: USCIS Certified Translation Requirements. To see what a Certificate of Accuracy must contain, see: What Is a Certificate of Accuracy?
Which USCIS Applications Need It
A French birth certificate translation is commonly required for family-based petitions and adjustment of status, where a birth certificate establishes identity and family relationships. It's frequently requested for the petitioner as well as the beneficiary — for example, a U.S. petitioner submitting their own French birth certificate to establish citizenship or relationship. Common contexts include Form I-130, Form I-485, and naturalization filings such as Form N-400.
For the general document requirements and mechanics that apply to any birth certificate, see our companion guide: Birth Certificate Translation for USCIS.
How Much It Costs and How Long It Takes
Certified translation is $25 per page. Most birth certificates — including a French extrait d'acte de naissance — are a single page, so the typical total is $25, with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included. A copie intégrale with extensive marginal notes may run longer, in which case it's priced per page.
Standard delivery is within 24-48 hours. If you have a filing deadline, rush delivery within 24 hours is available for a flat $35. For a full cost overview, see: How Much Does a Certified Translation Cost in 2026?
Can You Translate It Yourself?
No. USCIS requires that the translation come from a competent third party — not the applicant — who certifies its accuracy. Even fluent French speakers cannot certify their own translation. AI tools such as Google Translate are also not accepted, because they cannot provide the signed Certificate of Accuracy USCIS requires. If your document is in French, see also our French certified translation page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A French birth certificate — an extrait d'acte de naissance or copie intégrale — requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, regardless of which country issued it.
It's a French-language birth certificate extract. It commonly comes as an extract (extrait), which may be avec filiation or sans filiation, or as a full copy (copie intégrale). USCIS requires a complete certified translation of whichever version you submit.
Yes. French birth certificates are issued by many countries including Canada, Haiti, Belgium, and nations across Africa. We translate them regardless of issuing country and whether the document is typed or hand-filled.
$25 per page. Most are a single page, so the typical cost is $25 with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included. A full copy with many marginal notes may run longer and is priced per page.