Marriage Certificate Translation for the USA

Which procedure needs it, and who receives it

In the United States the marriage certificate is requested in spouse-based immigration (I-130, the spouse visa) and in certain administrative procedures, as proof that the marriage is genuine and as proof of identity. USCIS assesses whether the marriage really exists on the strength of a range of evidence; the marriage certificate is the official document in that chain of evidence. It has to be submitted together with the application form and the spouses’ other documents, and the names must be consistent across all of them.

Where a surname has changed after the marriage in particular, it matters that the change is plain on the document. An inconsistency in names can lead USCIS to question both the marriage and the identity, so the translation carries the names and the surname position across in full and without interpretation.

The date and place formats on a marriage certificate call for particular care in US files. Because day and month can change places, spelling the month out in the date of marriage prevents it being misread; the place of marriage is kept under its original name and is not translated. These details may look small, but they gain in importance once you consider that USCIS compares the document against the dates on the application form and in the other evidence. Carrying the date and place across consistently shows the timeline of the marriage clearly and secures the document’s place in the chain of evidence.

The ending of previous marriages

Where one of the spouses has been married before, USCIS also expects documents showing that the previous marriage has legally ended. Divorce or death annotations in the Turkish civil registry record matter in this context and are carried across in full in the translation; a separate divorce decree is submitted as a certified translation where necessary. Because that document covers different ground from the marriage certificate, it has to be planned for separately. The translation covers the whole document, annotations, dates, seals and signatures included, and empty fields are shown with a [blank] marker.

The evidence package for a genuine marriage

In spouse-based applications in the United States the marriage certificate is not assessed on its own; USCIS examines whether the marriage really exists alongside various forms of evidence such as joint accounts, tenancy agreements and photographs. The marriage certificate is the official core of that package, and a translation that is complete, consistent and backed by a declaration lends confidence to the package as a whole. The spouses’ names and the date and place of the marriage on the document must agree with the other evidence and with the application form; an inconsistency can raise a question about whether the marriage is genuine. The translation covers the whole document, annotations, seals and signatures included, and is submitted together with the original in a way that makes clear which belongs to which. That completeness allows the officer to read the document as a dependable link in the chain of evidence and cuts down needless queries.

A full certified translation and the certificate of accuracy

The United States does not accept a marriage certificate in a language other than English in its multilingual form; USCIS requires a complete English translation of the document together with a signed certificate of accuracy. The declaration states that the translation is complete and accurate and carries the translator’s name, contact details and signature. The translation must cover the whole document: the spouses’ details, the date, the place, the seal, the signature and the register numbers included. An incomplete translation leaves the integrity of the document open to question as far as USCIS is concerned.

The wording about a change of surname

The surname after the marriage is an important link in the chain of identity in US procedures; the surname in the passport, on the marriage certificate and on the application form must be consistent. However the surname position is expressed in the Turkish document, whether taking the spouse’s surname, keeping the previous one or using a combined form, the translation carries it across without interpretation. Since USCIS can read a difference in surname as an inconsistency, translating the wording on the document plainly and in full cuts down the queries that might otherwise follow.

Date format and consistency of identity

Because day and month change places in the United States, spelling the month out in the date of marriage prevents it being misread. The spouses’ names must match their passports exactly; inconsistent conversion of Turkish special characters breaks the identity match. The place of marriage is kept under its original name.

The order of certification, and common mistakes

Watch the following steps to keep the document intact:

• Do not rely on a multilingual copy and skip the full translation.
• Carry the wording about a change of surname across plainly and in full.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation; the United States is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Confirm the apostille position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification required for other document types on our document types page, upload your document for a quote, and review the cost on our pricing page. Details vary from one procedure to another; check with the institution before you apply.