Do I need a notarized translation or certified translation when applying for a United States Passport?
Yes and no. The simple answer is yes: 95% of all passport applications require the supporting documentation or supporting evidence of identity, such as birth certificates from other countries not written in English, to be translated into English by a certified translator. The translator must also sign the certification letter, or translator’s affidavit, in front of a commissioned notary public. On the other hand, when an emergency situation exists, such as terminally ill relative or a pending international funeral, the government will allow a standard, certified and scanned version of the translated material.
Evidence of Citizenship Required
What applying for a US Passport, except for in rare circumstances, Form DS-11 must be completed. For applications born in the United States, a US birth certificate must be presented, and it must contain the following details: it must be issued by the state, city or county of birth, list full name, birth date, and place of birth, list full parents names, have a signature from a state (or local) registrar, it must include the date of issue and a seal from the agency of issue. For those born outside of the US, one of the of the following must be presented: valid or expired US Passport, Consular Birth Abroad Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization.
Standard Passport Applications
If some of your documents are in a language other than English, the US Department of State requires certified, notarized translations by an official translation agency. Also, printed copies are not acceptable in this case; the translation must have an ink notary stamp and signatures from both the translator and notary.
Expedited Passport Procedures
The process for expedited services is similar to the standard request above, except the government processes the application more quickly. In this case, translated documents must be notarized and certified, and only original copies should be submitted.
Emergency Passport Requests
In rare cases, the Department of State will issue a passport for emergency travel, in order to attend a funeral or visit a family member in need, for example. In these cases, a scanned version of the notarized and certified translation is typically acceptable. This information is based on years of experience and information from the website of the Department of State. It should not be considered legal advise. All cases and applications are different. We recommend reviewing all submission details in advance.
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