N-400 Translation Checklist
For Form N-400 (naturalization), USCIS needs certified English translations of any foreign-language marriage, divorce or name-change documents; each certified document is $25 per page ($35 notarized), delivered within 24 hours. Updated September 26, 2026.
What genuinely needs translating for naturalization, what does not, and the two things that change once you move from a green card filing to N-400.
Most people filing N-400 already submitted translations years ago with their green card, and reasonably assume that is the end of it. It usually is not — but the list of what actually needs translating is shorter than the internet suggests.
The rule has not changed
8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — “Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, and by the translator’s certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English.”
It applies to N-400 exactly as it applied to your I-485. No notarization is required. No accredited or licensed translator is required. There is no USCIS-approved translator list, and any company telling you otherwise is selling a phrase with no official meaning.
What usually needs translating for N-400
| Document | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Foreign birth certificate | Where date or place of birth is at issue, or where it differs from what is on record |
| Marriage certificate | Filing on the three-year marriage basis, or where a name change needs proving |
| Divorce certificate, or spravka o rastorjenii braka | Proving that every prior marriage was properly terminated |
| Death certificate of a former spouse | Where a prior marriage ended by death |
| Foreign police or court records | Anything disclosed in the good-moral-character questions |
| Foreign name change document | Where your legal name changed abroad |
Most applicants land on one or two documents — $25 or $50 all in ($35 or $70 notarized). If someone has quoted you a package price for a stack of documents, ask them which specific question on the form each one answers.
The part where N-400 differs from your green card filing
Two things change. First, the good-moral-character questions reach back over foreign records that a family-based petition never touched — arrests, court dispositions, anything from any country you lived in. Those come in Russian or Uzbek and have to be translated in full, including the disposition, not just the charge. Second, name consistency is now being read across a longer paper trail: your certificate, your green card, your passport and whatever spelling was used in the original filing. A mismatch that nobody queried in 2019 gets looked at again here.
If you already hold translations from your earlier filing, send them with your order. We will match the spelling convention they used rather than introduce a new one.
Can a relative translate it?
The regulation permits any competent person to translate, a family member included. In practice an officer has discretion to question a translation prepared by someone with an interest in the outcome, and a naturalisation file is the wrong place to invite that. For $25 a page, use a disinterested third party.
Frequently asked
What do I need to translate for my N-400?
Usually far less than you expect. Typically a foreign birth certificate, a marriage certificate if you are filing on the three-year marriage basis or proving a name change, documents terminating any prior marriage, and any foreign police or court records that the good-moral-character questions require you to disclose. Most applicants need one or two documents.
I already submitted translations with my green card application. Do I need new ones?
Not necessarily. A translation does not expire and the standard has not changed. What is usually new is the document set — the good-moral-character questions reach into foreign police and court records that a family petition never touched. Send us your earlier translations and we will match their spelling convention.
Does the N-400 translation have to be notarized?
No. USCIS requires a signed certification of completeness, accuracy and competence — notarization is not mentioned in 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) and is not required. If another institution requires notarization, choose the $35 notarized tier and a separate commissioned New York notary notarizes the translator's signature.
Is there a USCIS-approved translator I have to use?
No. USCIS maintains no approved-translator list, requires no licence, degree or accreditation, and does not recognise any body’s certification. What gets certified is the translation, by the translator. “USCIS certified translator” is a marketing phrase with no official meaning.
Can my spouse or child translate my documents for N-400?
The rule permits any competent person, including a relative. But officers may question a translation prepared by someone with an interest in the outcome, and naturalisation is a poor place to invite scrutiny. Use a disinterested third party.
What does it cost to translate documents for naturalisation?
$25 a page certified with the Certificate of Accuracy USCIS requires, or $35 a page if you also want it notarized. One certified document is $25, two are $50 ($35 and $70 with notarization). There is no package fee and nothing is added at checkout.
Do I send the foreign-language document to USCIS as well?
Yes, a copy of it. The regulation says the foreign-language document must be accompanied by the translation, so a clear copy of the source document goes in with the certified English translation; do not mail an irreplaceable original unless the form instructions specifically ask for one. Submitting the English translation on its own is one of the most common and most preventable causes of a Request for Evidence.
My name is spelled differently across my documents. Is that a problem at N-400?
It is more visible here than at any earlier stage, because the file is being read across a longer paper trail. The fix is not to change a document but to translate it accurately and attach a note explaining the transliteration. We cover this in detail on our page about passport and birth certificate name mismatches.
Last reviewed 29 August 2026. Every rule quoted on this page links to its primary source. If a figure here is out of date, email orders@certifiedtranslationcenter.com and we will correct it.
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Two filings, two document sets, and what a full packet costs.
WES vs ECE
WES forbids self-translation. ECE permits it and sells an $85 waiver. Both rules, quoted.
Who you are trusting with your document
Every translation is prepared, checked and signed by a named person — not a marketplace, not a bot.
Otabek Obidov — owner and translator (Uzbek · Russian · English), Certified Translation Center / Fire Up LLC, Brooklyn, New York. Commissioned New York Notary Public, No. 01OB0050820.
- ✓Signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy on every job, worded to 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — the exact standard USCIS checks.
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