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Certified South African Marriage Certificate Translation
eVerbary translates your South African marriage certificate into English for $24.95 per page with no word cap, by a professional human translator, with a signed certification. Most orders are delivered within a few hours. Accepted by USCIS and by US universities, colleges and schools, or your money back.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, no word cap. No hidden fees.
Money-back guarantee
Accepted by USCIS and by US universities, colleges and schools, or your money back.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Three marriage laws, one unabridged certificate
South African marriages are concluded under one of three laws: the Marriage Act of 1961 for civil and religious marriages, the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act of 1998 for marriages under African customary law, and the Civil Union Act of 2006, which allows marriages and civil partnerships regardless of sex. Each is registered with the Department of Home Affairs, and the certificate names the Act it was concluded under, which the translation keeps.
The State Department accepts only the unabridged long-form marriage certificate from Home Affairs, and the paper the marriage officer hands over on the day is not accepted for an apostille either. Ask for the certificate in English; an English one needs no translation. Older certificates and the church's own marriage register are often in Afrikaans, and the oldest in Dutch. See our Afrikaans and Dutch pages.
Antenuptial contracts and the property regime
A couple who marry without an antenuptial contract are married in community of property. An antenuptial contract is signed before a notary before the wedding and registered in a deeds registry within three months; under the Matrimonial Property Act of 1984 it brings in the accrual system unless it excludes it. The marriage certificate does not show any of this, so a US court or lawyer dealing with property may ask for the contract too.
Antenuptial contracts drawn up in Afrikaans are common among older couples, and we translate them in full, including the notary's protocol number and the deeds registry endorsement. If the marriage ended, see our divorce page.
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 one sheet of your document is one page, with no word cap.
A standard translation is the same professional human translation without the certificate, for when you only need to understand the content or for internal or informal use. It is billed at the same $24.95 per page with no word cap.
Frequently asked questions
Our marriage certificate is in English.
Then it needs no translation. Check the stamps and any handwritten entries; anything in Afrikaans still has to be translated.
We married in church. Is the church certificate enough?
Usually not. The minister acts as a marriage officer and the marriage is registered with Home Affairs; US offices want the unabridged Home Affairs certificate. The church record can be added as supporting evidence.
Do we need our antenuptial contract translated?
Only if an office asks for it, which is more likely in a property or divorce matter than for USCIS. If it is in Afrikaans, we translate the whole deed.
Ready to get started?
Upload your documents and receive your certified translation, typically within 24 hours.