Quick Answer: If your birth certificate is in Spanish — an acta de nacimiento or partida de nacimiento — USCIS requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. This applies whether it was issued in Mexico, Central or South America, the Caribbean, or Spain, and whether it's handwritten, typed, or a newer digital format. Most are a single page, so the typical cost is $25, delivered in 24-48 hours.
If you're submitting a Spanish birth certificate to USCIS, you'll need a certified English translation to go with it. Spanish birth records go by different names and come in different formats depending on the country and how old they are, which can make it unclear what needs to happen. This guide explains the document, what USCIS requires, and how the translation works — written from experience translating Spanish birth certificates from across the Spanish-speaking world.
What Is a Spanish Birth Certificate?
A Spanish birth certificate is a birth record issued in the Spanish language. The most common name is acta de nacimiento, used in Mexico and much of Latin America. In some countries you'll see partida de nacimiento or certificado de nacimiento instead — different names for the same document. Whatever it's called, if it's in Spanish and you're submitting it to USCIS, it needs a certified English translation.
Spanish Birth Certificates Come From Many Countries
Spanish is the official language of some twenty countries, so a "Spanish birth certificate" is far from a single, uniform document. We have translated Spanish birth certificates issued by:
- Mexico (from most states)
- El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
- Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela
- The Dominican Republic
- Spain
- and others across Latin America
The formatting varies widely — not only between countries, but between different registrars and different eras within the same country. We have translated handwritten, typed, and newer digital Spanish birth certificates. Older records are often filled in by hand on a printed template; more recent ones, such as Mexico's digital acta de nacimiento, are standardized printed or electronic documents. All of them are fully translatable — a certified translation renders everything into English exactly as it appears, handwriting included.
Need your Spanish birth certificate translated for USCIS? Exacta Translation Services translates Spanish to English — from any Spanish-speaking country, handwritten, typed, or digital — 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 Spanish birth certificate, that means:
- A complete English translation of the entire document — every field, stamp, seal, signature, and any marginal or handwritten notations
- 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 Spanish 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 required for both the petitioner and the beneficiary — for example, a U.S. petitioner submitting their own Spanish birth certificate to establish a relationship, or an applicant establishing their identity. Common contexts include Form I-130, Form I-485, and naturalization filings such as Form N-400.
For the general document requirements 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 Spanish acta de nacimiento — are a single page, so the typical total is $25, with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included. 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 Spanish 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. For the language service itself, see our Spanish certified translation page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A Spanish birth certificate — an acta de nacimiento or partida de nacimiento — requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, regardless of which country issued it.
It's a Spanish-language birth certificate. In some countries it's called a partida de nacimiento or certificado de nacimiento. Whatever the name, USCIS requires a complete certified English translation of it.
Yes. We've translated Spanish birth certificates from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Spain, among others — handwritten, typed, and digital.
$25 per page. Most are a single page, so the typical cost is $25 with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included.