Translation of Vital Records and Supporting Documents

Translation Services

The New York State Department of Health does not offer translation services for Vital Records or other documents. Many colleges and universities with language departments have individuals who can offer translation services. Contact the language department for recommendations. There are also commercial services that will provide translations of documents.

If you require translated documents for submission to a government agency or you are required to produce a "certified translation," you may wish to seek a translator or translation service that guarantees that the translation will meet U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) standards.

Certified Translations

A certified translation is one that bears a signed and dated statement from the translator certifying that he or she is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.

The certification statement should include the certifier's full legal name (typed), address, date of certification, a statement of the translator's competency and the accuracy of the translation and the translator's signature.

A suggested format is:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name of translator], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and [name of translated language] languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the attached document entitled [name/title of translated document].

Signature: [translator's signature]

Date: [date signed]

Address: [translator's address]