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USPTO: Patent Applications and Filings: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: USPTO Patents accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Not restricted
- $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 21, 2026
The USPTO accepts a patent application or oath in another language if an English translation is filed with a statement that the translation is accurate; for a nonprovisional application a processing fee is also due.
The rules do not say who must translate, so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets them. eVerbary translates the documents and signs a certificate of accuracy; we do not draft claims, file in Patent Center or act as a patent practitioner.
USPTO Patents at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
37 CFR 1.52(d) asks for an English translation of a non-English application and "a statement that the translation is accurate" (37 CFR 1.52: language of application papers), and 1.55(g) and 1.69(b) use the same formula for priority documents and oaths (37 CFR 1.55: claim for foreign priority, 37 CFR 1.69: foreign language oaths and declarations); none of them restricts who translates, so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets them. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- English translation plus statement of accuracy
- Who may translate
- Not restricted
- Original or copy
- Translation of the certified copy as filed
- 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 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on USPTO Patents's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about USPTO Patents
Statement of accuracy
Every patent translation rule asks for one; none names the translator.
Priority: only on demand
Foreign priority documents are translated only in three situations.
Literal, then amend
The MPEP wants a literal translation; idiom is fixed by amendment.
USPTO Patents requirements in detail
Translation
Required for a nonprovisional application filed in another language: an English translation, a statement that it is accurate, and the processing fee of 37 CFR 1.17(i). If they are missing, the USPTO sets a period to file them, on pain of abandonment (37 CFR 1.52: language of application papers).
Who may translate
Not restricted. The rules ask for a statement that the translation is accurate and do not say who translates or signs that statement.
Wording
The MPEP asks for a "literal translation" accompanied by the statement of accuracy (MPEP 608.01).
Foreign priority documents
A translation of the certified copy is needed only in an interference or derivation proceeding, to overcome the date of a reference, or when the examiner requires it, and must come with a statement that it is accurate (37 CFR 1.55: claim for foreign priority, MPEP 213).
Oaths and declarations
A non-English oath or declaration not on a USPTO form or under PCT Rule 4.17(iv) needs an English translation and a statement of accuracy (37 CFR 1.69: foreign language oaths and declarations).
Provisional applications
No translation is required in the provisional itself; it becomes due, with the statement, when a later nonprovisional claims its benefit (37 CFR 1.52: language of application papers, 1.78(a)(5)).
PCT national stage
A translation of the international application as filed; a later translation costs a processing fee, and the USPTO may require verification of it (37 CFR 1.495: entering the national stage).
Assignments
The USPTO records a non-English assignment only with an English translation signed by the person who made it (37 CFR 3.26: English language requirement for recordation).
Which patent documents need a translation, and when
The obligation depends on the document.
A nonprovisional application filed in another language needs its translation, the statement and the fee, and the Office will notify you and set a deadline if they are missing (37 CFR 1.52: language of application papers).
A non-English provisional needs nothing until a nonprovisional claims its benefit; then the translation and statement must be filed in the provisional, or the benefit claim withdrawn (37 CFR 1.78: claiming benefit of earlier applications).
A foreign priority application needs a translation only when it matters for examination: an interference or derivation, an intervening reference, or an examiner's request (37 CFR 1.55: claim for foreign priority).
Information disclosure statements are different.
For a non-English reference, 37 CFR 1.98 asks for a concise explanation of its relevance, and for a copy of a translation only if one is already in the possession of, or readily available to, the people with the duty of disclosure (37 CFR 1.98: content of information disclosure statement). A new translation is not required by that rule.
Literal first, idiomatic by amendment
MPEP 608.01 describes filing a non-English application as an emergency practice.
The translation must be literal and carry the statement of accuracy, and it must come with a signed request from the applicant, attorney or agent to use the English translation for examination; if it does not read as idiomatic English and US practice, a preliminary amendment should fix that without adding new matter (MPEP 608.01: specification, non-English applications).
If the application is published, the translation is what is published.
For a priority document the MPEP is specific: the translation must be of the certified copy of the foreign application as filed, not of a later version (MPEP 213: right of priority of foreign application). Send us the certified copy itself so the translation matches it page for page.
Need a certified translation for USPTO Patents?
$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
- Certified copies of foreign priority applications
- Patent specifications and claims filed in another language
- Inventor oaths and declarations not on a USPTO form
- Assignments and other documents for recordation
- Foreign-language references cited during examination
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 USPTO Patents
The applicant or the patent practitioner files the translation and the statement of accuracy with the USPTO; for a non-English application the MPEP also asks for a signed request that the translation be used for examination (MPEP 608.01: specification, non-English applications).
Our certificate of translation accuracy is a statement that the translation is accurate; your practitioner decides whether to file it as is or with the firm's own statement.
For a priority claim, the translation goes with the certified copy it translates (37 CFR 1.55: claim for foreign priority); for an assignment, with the document sent for recordation (37 CFR 3.26: English language requirement for recordation).
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 the USPTO that means we translate the documents; we do not draft or amend claims, prepare the preliminary amendment, or file anything in Patent Center.
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 the USPTO require a certified translation for a patent application?
It requires an English translation and a statement that the translation is accurate, plus a processing fee for a non-English nonprovisional (37 CFR 1.52: language of application papers). The rule does not use the word "certified" or say who translates.
Do I have to translate my foreign priority document?
Usually not. Only in an interference or derivation proceeding, to overcome a reference date, or when the examiner requires it (37 CFR 1.55: claim for foreign priority).
Who signs the statement that the translation is accurate?
The rules do not say. eVerbary signs a certificate of translation accuracy with every translation; your practitioner may add the firm's own statement.
Do non-English references in an IDS need a translation?
Not a new one. 37 CFR 1.98 asks for a concise explanation of relevance and a copy of any translation already available to you (37 CFR 1.98: content of information disclosure statement).
Can the USPTO record an assignment written in another language?
Yes, if it comes with an English translation signed by the person who made the translation (37 CFR 3.26: English language requirement for recordation).
Sources
USPTO: Patent Applications and Filings's own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
- 37 CFR 1.52: language of application papers
- 37 CFR 1.55: claim for foreign priority
- 37 CFR 1.69: foreign language oaths and declarations
- 37 CFR 1.78: claiming benefit of earlier applications
- 37 CFR 1.98: content of information disclosure statement
- 37 CFR 1.495: entering the national stage
- 37 CFR 3.26: English language requirement for recordation
- MPEP 608.01: specification, non-English applications
- MPEP 213: right of priority of foreign application
Translating documents for USPTO Patents?
Upload a scan of your document and see the price and delivery time before you pay.