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Certified Somali Birth Certificate Translation
Get your Somali birth certificate translated into English by a professional human translator, with a signed certification accepted by USCIS, courts and universities. Flat $24.95 per page and a 100% USCIS acceptance guarantee.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Why there is often no certificate at all
Somalia has had no functioning national civil registration system since 1991, and archives and public offices were destroyed in the war, leaving nothing against which a later document could be checked. A population registration department began issuing birth certificates in Mogadishu in 2014, largely for passport and visa purposes. Survey data puts the share of children under two holding a birth certificate at under one per cent.
So a Somali applicant frequently has no civil documents at all, and a document issued long after the event is the normal case rather than a suspicious one. Neither is something a translation can fix, and neither is something we would pretend about. See our Somali asylum documents page.
What usually stands in its place
What these files carry instead is documents created rather than issued: an affidavit or declaration of birth, documents from a Somali embassy or consulate abroad, UNHCR or camp registration from a country of first asylum, and letters from community elders or organisations. We translate all of them.
Somali names are given name, father's name and grandfather's name rather than a family surname, so siblings share the second and third elements and a US form asking for a surname has nowhere obvious to put them. We reproduce the name as given and make the structure explicit. Documents may be in Somali, Arabic, Italian or English — see our Somali and Arabic pages.
What USCIS requires
Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a foreign-language document must be accompanied by a complete English translation and the translator's certification that it is accurate. Every seal, stamp and marginal note is part of the document, so every one is translated.
State agencies set their own rules — see government agencies — and what our certification states is on this page.
How it works
Upload a photo or a scan of your document, pick the language pair and check out online. You never have to mail originals: a legible copy is all we need.
A professional human translator, never machine translation, translates the document word for word and mirrors the layout of the original. Every certified translation ships with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy that meets the requirements of USCIS, courts and universities.
Your translation is delivered digitally, usually within 24 hours for documents of one to three pages, and same-day delivery is available. If anything needs adjusting, we revise it.
Certified vs. standard translation
A certified translation is a word-for-word translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness. It is what official bodies require: USCIS, courts, universities and government agencies. Certified translations are $24.95 per page, where a page is up to 250 words.
A standard translation is for business or personal use where certification is not needed, such as CVs, client intake forms or marketing material, and is billed at the same $24.95 per page of up to 250 words.
Frequently asked questions
I have no birth certificate.
That is the common Somali situation and it is well understood. We translate what you do have — declarations, consular documents, camp registration, letters of support.
My certificate was issued years after I was born.
Ordinary for Somalia and not by itself a problem with the document. We translate the dates exactly as printed rather than explaining them away.
Is my document in Somali or Arabic?
Send it and we will tell you. Somali files often hold both, and sometimes Italian or English as well.
Ready to get started?
Upload your documents and receive your certified translation, typically within 24 hours.