Certificate of Translation Accuracy: What It Must Say (With Sample)

A certificate of translation accuracy (also called a translator's certification, certificate of translation, or translation affidavit when notarized) is the signed statement attached to a translation. It is what turns an ordinary translation into a certified translation.

Receiving offices look at this page first. If it is incomplete, the translation can be rejected no matter how good the translation itself is.

What the certificate must contain

For USCIS, the content comes from 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), which requires "the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English" and that the translation is "complete and accurate." In practice, a certificate that will be accepted by USCIS and most other US institutions includes:

1. A statement of competence: the translator is competent to translate from the source language into English.
2. A statement of accuracy and completeness: the attached translation is complete and accurate to the best of the translator's knowledge and ability.
3. Identification of the document: what was translated (for example, "Birth Certificate of Maria Ivanova, issued in Kyiv, Ukraine"), and the language pair.
4. The translator's full name and signature.
5. The date the certification was signed.
6. Contact details: an address, phone number or email for the translator or translation company.

Items 1 and 2 are required by the regulation's wording. Items 3 to 6 are what makes the certificate verifiable, and USCIS guidance and most receiving institutions expect them.

Sample certificate of translation accuracy

This is an illustrative example of the structure, not legal advice. Adapt the bracketed parts to your document.

You may have seen wording such as "I certify that the translation is identical to the original." Avoid it. A translation cannot be literally identical to a document in another language. The regulation's standard is that the translation is complete and accurate, so use those words.

Common mistakes that make a certificate incomplete

• Accuracy without competence. Many templates state only that the translation is accurate. USCIS requires both statements.
• No document identification. A generic certificate that could be attached to any translation is weaker than one that names the document.
• Missing signature or date. A typed name alone is not a signature.
• A certificate signed by the applicant. The regulation does not ban this outright, but it invites scrutiny. See translating your own documents.
• One certificate for several unrelated documents without listing them. If one certificate covers several translations, list each document it covers.

Does the certificate need to be notarized?

Not for USCIS: the regulation asks for the translator's certification and says nothing about a notary. Some institutions do ask for notarization, including certain courts, foreign authorities, and anyone who needs an apostille on the translation. In that case the certificate becomes a sworn statement, signed in front of a notary, and the notary adds their seal. The notary confirms the signer's identity, not the translation. Read certified vs. notarized translation for details.

Where the certificate goes

Put the certificate on top of, or directly after, the translation, followed by a copy of the original. Keep the three together, and submit the package in the order the receiving office asks for.

Our certificates

Every translation from Global Certified Translations includes a signed certificate of accuracy with the competence and accuracy statements, the document identification, the date and our contact details, at no extra charge. Notarization is available for $19 per document when a receiving office requires it. Get an instant quote.