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National Visa Center (U.S. Department of State): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: NVC accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Any translator signing the statement
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 29, 2026
For an immigrant visa, the Department of State says every civil document not in English, or in the official language of the country where you apply, must be accompanied by a certified translation that includes a statement signed by the translator that the translation is accurate and that the translator is competent to translate.
It does not say who the translator must be, so a certified translation from a professional service meets it; the translation is uploaded to CEAC in the same file as the original, and the originals go to the interview. eVerbary translates the documents; it does not obtain them from the issuing authority, upload them to CEAC or contact NVC for you.
NVC at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
The NVC's civil documents step asks for certified translations with a statement signed by the translator that the translation is accurate and the translator is competent to translate (Step 7: Collect Civil Documents), and names no required translator, so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 29, 2026.
- Translation
- Certified translation of civil documents
- Who may translate
- Any translator signing the statement
- Original or copy
- Scanned with the original
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 29, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on NVC's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about NVC
One file per document
Original first, then the English translation.
Signed translator statement
Accurate translation; translator competent to translate.
Originals at the interview
Bring the original or certified copy you scanned.
NVC requirements in detail
Translation
Documents not in English, or in the official language of the country from which you are applying, must be accompanied by certified translations (Department of State, Immigrant Visa Process, Step 7: Collect Civil Documents).
Translator's statement
Signed by the translator, stating that the translation is accurate and that the translator is competent to translate.
Who may translate
Not restricted; the rule asks only for the signed statement.
Original or copy
Civil documents must be issued by the official issuing authority in your country; the Document Finder (Reciprocity) lists which ones (Department of State, Immigrant Visa Process, Step 7: Collect Civil Documents).
How to submit
Scan the certified translation with the original foreign-language document in a single file, native-language document first, then the translation (Step 8, Civil Documents FAQ).
Interview
Bring the original or a certified copy of every civil document submitted to NVC (Step 10).
Notarization
Not asked for.
Which documents need a translation
The rule turns on the language of the document, not the country that issued it.
A civil document needs a certified translation if it is not in English and not in the official language of the country from which you are applying (Department of State, Immigrant Visa Process, Step 7: Collect Civil Documents); the scanning instructions put it as the language of the country where your visa interview will take place (Department of State, Step 8: Scan Collected Documents).
A Spanish birth certificate for an interview in Mexico needs no translation for the consulate, but the same certificate for an interview in another country does.
The usual list is long: birth certificates for every immigrant, marriage certificates for every marriage, final divorce decrees, death certificates or annulments ending every prior marriage of both the applicant and, in spouse cases, the petitioner, adoption and custody decrees, court and prison records, military records and police certificates. Each one in another language gets its own translation.
Uploading to CEAC without a rejection
NVC wants each document and its translation as one item.
Scan the original foreign-language document and the certified translation together in a single file, with the native-language document first and the English translation after it (Department of State, Civil Documents FAQs).
Include the back of any page with stamps, seals or writing, and scan so the page reads across the screen without rotating (Department of State, Step 8: Scan Collected Documents).
NVC reviews the case only after every required document for every applicant is uploaded and submitted.
At the interview, each applicant brings the original or certified copy of every civil document submitted to NVC (Department of State, Step 10: Prepare for the Interview); bring the translations with them.
Need a certified translation for NVC?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate
- Birth certificates of the applicant, family members and, in some cases, the petitioner
- Marriage certificates for every marriage
- Divorce decrees, annulments or death certificates ending prior marriages
- Police certificates and court or prison records
- Adoption and custody decrees
- Military records
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to NVC
Upload each translation to CEAC in the same file as the original document, the original first (Civil Documents FAQ), and press Submit once every required document for every applicant is uploaded.
We deliver the translation as a PDF with a signed certificate of translation accuracy, ready to combine with your scan of the original.
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not a government agency or a filing service. We do not complete or file applications, and we do not issue or certify the original document.
For NVC we translate documents; we do not request civil documents from the issuing authority, prepare the DS-260 or affidavit of support, or upload to CEAC.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does NVC require a certified translation?
Yes, for documents not in English or the official language of the country where you apply, with a statement signed by the translator that the translation is accurate and the translator is competent to translate (Department of State, Immigrant Visa Process, Step 7: Collect Civil Documents).
Can I translate my own documents for NVC?
The page does not bar it, but it asks for a signed statement of the translator's competence. A professional translator avoids questions at the interview.
Do I upload the translation separately?
No. Put the native-language document first, followed by the English translation, in a single file (Department of State, Civil Documents FAQs).
Does the translation need to be notarized for NVC?
No. The page asks for a statement signed by the translator, not notarization.
How much does it cost?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for 1 to 3 pages.
Sources
National Visa Center (U.S. Department of State)'s own pages, read on October 29, 2026.
Translating documents for NVC?
Upload a scan of your document and see the price and delivery time before you pay.