Quick Answer: For a marriage-based green card, USCIS requires a complete certified English translation of your Spanish marriage certificate — an acta de matrimonio or partida de matrimonio — with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. This is the document that proves the marriage your petition is based on. It applies to certificates from any Spanish-speaking country, in handwritten, typed, or digital form, and the entire document must be translated, including any marginal notes. Most are one page — typical cost is $25, delivered in 24-48 hours.
If you're applying for a green card through marriage and your marriage certificate is in Spanish, you'll need a certified English translation submitted with it. In a marriage-based case this document carries more weight than most — it's the evidence that your marriage is real and valid. This guide explains why it matters, what USCIS requires, how marginal notes are handled, and how the translation works, written from experience translating Spanish marriage certificates from across the Spanish-speaking world.
Why the Marriage Certificate Matters for a Green Card
A marriage-based green card rests on one central fact: that you and your spouse are genuinely married. The marriage certificate is the primary document that establishes it. When a U.S. citizen or permanent resident petitions for a spouse — filing Form I-130, and Form I-485 for adjustment of status — the marriage certificate is the evidentiary heart of the petition, not just a supporting record.
Because it's so central, an incomplete or improperly certified translation of it can hold up the whole application. If the certificate is in Spanish, USCIS requires a complete certified English translation submitted alongside the original.
What Is an Acta de Matrimonio?
A Spanish marriage certificate is most commonly called an acta de matrimonio, the term used in Mexico and much of Latin America. In some countries you'll see partida de matrimonio or certificado de matrimonio instead — different names for the same document. Whatever it's called, if it's in Spanish and headed to USCIS, it needs a certified English translation.
Spanish Marriage Certificates Come From Many Countries
We have translated Spanish marriage certificates issued across the Spanish-speaking world, including:
- 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 by country, registrar, and era. We have translated handwritten, typed, and newer digital Spanish marriage certificates. Older records are often handwritten on a printed template; newer ones are standardized printed or electronic documents. All are fully translatable — a certified translation renders everything into English exactly as it appears.
Marginal Notes on the Marriage Certificate (Menciones Marginales)
Here's a detail specific to Spanish marriage certificates that often surprises applicants: in many Spanish-speaking countries, later life events are recorded as marginal notes — menciones marginales — written or stamped directly onto the original marriage certificate. The most common is a divorce, but marginal notes can also record annulments, corrections, or other changes.
Two things follow from this. First, these notes are part of the document and must be translated — a certified translation covers the entire certificate, margins included, not just the main entry. Leaving a marginal note untranslated makes the translation incomplete. Second, if your marriage certificate carries a marginal note recording a prior marriage's divorce, that annotation may itself be the proof USCIS needs that the earlier marriage legally ended — which can matter in a marriage-based case where a spouse was previously married.
If your situation involves a prior marriage that ended in divorce, see our related guide: Divorce Decree Translation for USCIS — which also explains how, in some countries, a divorce appears as an amendment on the marriage certificate rather than as a separate decree.
Need your Spanish marriage certificate translated for a green card? Exacta Translation Services translates Spanish to English — from any Spanish-speaking country, including all marginal notes — 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 marriage certificate, that means:
- A complete English translation of the entire document — every field, stamp, seal, signature, and all marginal notes (menciones 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?
How Much It Costs and How Long It Takes
Certified translation is $25 per page. Most marriage certificates — including a Spanish acta de matrimonio — 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, and rush delivery within 24 hours is available for a flat $35 if you have a deadline. For a full cost overview, see: How Much Does a Certified Translation Cost in 2026?
Can You Translate It Yourself?
No. USCIS requires the translation to come from a competent third party — not the applicant or the petitioning spouse — who certifies its accuracy. Even fluent Spanish speakers cannot certify their own translation, and AI tools such as Google Translate are not accepted because they cannot provide the signed Certificate of Accuracy. For the language service itself, see our Spanish certified translation page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It requires a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. In a marriage-based green card case, the marriage certificate is the key document proving the marriage the petition is based on.
It's a Spanish-language marriage certificate. In some countries it's called a partida de matrimonio or certificado de matrimonio. Whatever the name, USCIS requires a complete certified English translation, including any marginal notes.
Yes. In many Spanish-speaking countries, later events such as a divorce are recorded as marginal notes (menciones marginales) on the marriage certificate. These are part of the document and must be translated. If yours records a divorce, that note may itself serve as proof a prior marriage ended.
$25 per page. Most are a single page, so the typical cost is $25 with the hand-signed Certificate of Accuracy included.