Email Translation
Certified translation of emails and email chains as evidence for courts, USCIS and investigations, with headers, dates and thread order kept.
Reviewed by Murat Saymaz, Global Certified Translations · Facts checked 4 November 2026
The short answer
Emails filed as evidence are translated with their headers (sender, recipients, date, subject) and in thread order, so the reader sees who said what and when. USCIS needs a full certified translation of any foreign-language email you file (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). For court, a printout of an email counts as an original under Federal Rule of Evidence 1001(d).
Emails become evidence more often than people expect: proof of a relationship for a marriage petition, proof of an agreement in a business dispute, proof of threats in an asylum or protective-order case. What makes an email persuasive is not just its words but its context: who sent it, to whom, when, and in reply to what. A good translation keeps all of that.
Rules that apply
Each rule links to its source. Checked 4 November 2026. Confirm with the office that will receive your documents.
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| Foreign-language documents filed with USCIS, including emails offered as evidence of a relationship, need a full certified English translation. | 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) |
| For electronically stored information, any printout or other output readable by sight that accurately reflects it is an "original". | Federal Rule of Evidence 1001(d) |
| Evidence must be authenticated, for example by distinctive characteristics such as contents and context. | Federal Rule of Evidence 901(b)(4) |
| Electronically stored information is produced in a form in which it is ordinarily maintained or a reasonably usable form. | Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34(b)(2)(E) |
| Foreign-language documents offered in immigration court need an English translation with the translator's signed certification. | 8 CFR 1003.33 |
Typical length and price
Typical length: about 100–600 words per email (about 1–3 pages of 250 words).
Estimated price into English at that length: $39.00–$79.60 per file, certificate of accuracy included.
These figures are our estimates for a typical document of this type, not averages of past orders. Upload yours for an exact word count and price.
How we lay out a translated email
- Headers first: From, To, Cc, Date and Subject, translated where they contain words and copied exactly where they are addresses or timestamps.
- Thread order kept: replies stay nested as in the original, so quoted text is distinguishable from new text. If the thread runs newest-first, so does the translation.
- Mixed languages: passages already in English are reproduced and marked [in English in the original], so nothing appears to have been translated that was not.
- Signatures, disclaimers and automatic footers are translated too; they sometimes identify the sender's employer or position.
Print or export, then translate
Send emails as PDFs printed from the mail program or as exported .eml or .msg files, not as photos of a screen. A printout shows the full headers and is what courts treat as the original of an electronic record. If you are collecting emails for litigation, your attorney may want a forensic export; translate from that export so the translation matches what will be produced.
Attachments
Attachments are separate documents. List the ones you need translated; each is priced on its own. An attachment referred to in an email but not translated should be noted in the translation as [attachment not translated], so the reader knows it exists.
Excerpts versus full translations
For USCIS, translate every email you file, in full. For litigation review, you can start with summaries or excerpts of a large mailbox and certify full translations only of the emails that become exhibits. An excerpt translation says on its certificate exactly which parts were translated.
Business correspondence
Not every email is evidence. Companies also translate correspondence with foreign partners or customers for everyday use; for those, a quick working translation is often enough, and you can tell us when certification is not needed.
Emails in relationship evidence
For marriage-based petitions, a selection of emails across the relationship is common evidence. Choose emails that show the relationship over time rather than hundreds of near-identical messages, put them in date order, and translate each one in full. Long newsletters, adverts and automatic notifications in the same inbox are not evidence and do not need translating. If the couple wrote in two languages, the translation marks which parts were already in English.
Names and nicknames
Personal emails use nicknames and terms of endearment. They are translated, and where a nickname refers to a named person in the case, we add the full name in brackets the first time, if you tell us who it is.
Investigations and HR
Internal investigations and HR complaints also turn on emails in other languages. The same layout applies, with each message translated in full and timestamps kept, so the investigator can build a timeline across languages.
What we need from you
- PDF printouts or exported files, with full headers visible.
- Which emails and attachments to translate, in the order you will file them.
- Where they are going: USCIS, a court, an employer or an investigator.
How it works
- Upload the document. The quote tool counts the words and prices the job before you commit to anything.
- Translation. The whole document - every page, stamp, seal and annotation - with the layout kept close enough to the original that a reviewer can read the two side by side.
- Certification. A State Court Certified Translator signs the certificate of accuracy.
- Delivery. A print-ready PDF by email, typically within 24 hours. Notarization, an apostille or mailed hard copies are added here if you need them.
Turnaround
Standard turnaround is 24 hours. Expedited service is +50% for 6-8 hours and +100% for 1-3 hours. Tell us your deadline when you order.
Pricing Information
Emails are priced by word count per file. Several short emails sent as one PDF are one file: $39 for the first 250 words into English, then $0.116 per word. Attachments are priced separately.
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