Complete, word-for-word translations with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, in 326 languages.
A certified translation is a complete, word-for-word translation of an official document, delivered with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy. Prism Linguistics provides certified translation services in 326 languages, prepared to meet USCIS requirements and commonly accepted by courts, universities, and state agencies. Short documents are usually ready in 24 to 48 hours, from around $24.95 per page.
Last reviewed August 23, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Certified translation is the part of an immigration, court, or university filing that people underestimate. USCIS issues Requests for Evidence over missing or faulty certification statements every day, and a rejected translation can push a case back by months. Our job is to make sure the translation is never the reason a filing stalls.
We certify documents for clients in all 50 states, and certified work sits inside our wider document translation services. Send a scan through the quote form or call +1 (833) 282 8883; you will have a fixed price within 60 minutes during business hours.
USCIS keeps its rule short: any document in a foreign language must be submitted with a full English translation, and the translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate. In practice, officers look for three things:
Every certified translation we deliver includes that certificate on company letterhead, signed and dated. The same format serves immigration courts (EOIR), university registrars, and credential evaluators such as WES and ECE, so one translation usually covers every office in your process.
In the United States, an official translation and a certified translation are the same thing in practice: a translation with a signed statement of accuracy from a professional translator or translation company. Unlike some European countries, the US has no government register of sworn translators, so the certificate is what carries the weight.
Our certified translations are commonly accepted by:
That list covers most of the places a certified document lands — still, acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution. Tell us where the translation is going and we will prepare it in the format that body expects.
Most certified document translation orders involve a small set of records. Here is what we certify most often, who usually asks for each one, and how long it typically takes once your quote is approved.
| Document | Commonly required by | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | USCIS family petitions and green card applications, passport offices, school enrollment | 24 to 48 hours |
| Marriage certificate | I-130 spousal petitions, name changes, insurance and benefits claims | 24 to 48 hours |
| Diplomas and degree certificates | University admissions, WES and ECE credential evaluation, employers | 24 to 48 hours |
| Academic transcripts | Graduate admissions, professional licensing boards | 2 to 3 business days |
| Passports and national ID cards | USCIS filings, DMV records, SSA applications | 24 to 48 hours |
| Court documents and decrees | Divorce decrees, custody orders, and police records for courts and USCIS | 2 to 4 business days |
Turnarounds above are typical for single documents; long or handwritten records take more time, and your quote confirms the exact date. If your document type is not listed, send it anyway. The range we certify is far wider than one table.
A certified translation is only as good as the person who signs the certificate. Our translators are native speakers of the language pair they work in, professionally qualified, and background-checked, and they hold formal certification where the setting requires it, such as court-certified translators for litigation documents.
If you are comparing providers, it helps to know the ecosystem. The American Translators Association (ATA) certifies translators in specific language pairs, NAJIT sets standards for judiciary translation and interpreting, and many state courts run their own certification programs. Ask any provider who will sign your certificate and what qualifies them to do so; a good one answers without hesitation. You can read more about how we vet linguists on our about page.
One more safeguard: every certified job is reviewed by a second linguist before the certificate is signed. Two sets of eyes, one signature, no shortcuts.
Searching for certified translation near you usually ends at the same discovery: the work is digital. There is no counter you need to visit. You upload a scan, and a signed PDF comes back by email, so a client in Houston or Phoenix gets the same 24 to 48 hour turnaround as one two blocks from our Manhattan office at 100 Church Street.
We deliver certified translations every week to clients in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, and Philadelphia. See our locations page for the metros we serve, or browse the full list of 326 languages. And if what you actually need is a spoken-language professional for a hearing or appointment, a Spanish interpreter for example, we cover that too.
As a guide, certified translation in the US market starts at around $24.95 per page for standard documents such as birth and marriage certificates. A page in this context usually means up to about 250 words. Prices rise from there for dense academic transcripts, handwritten records, and rare language pairs.
Treat those figures as market guidance rather than a price list; your quote confirms the exact price before any work begins, and the quote is free. Send a scan through the quote form and you will usually have a number back within the hour.
Four steps, most of them ours. The typical order takes under five minutes of your time.
Upload a clear scan or photo through our quote form, or email it to info@prismlinguistics.com. Tell us the language pair, your deadline, and which institution will receive the translation.
We reply within 60 minutes during business hours with a fixed price and turnaround. Nothing starts until you approve it, so there are no surprises later.
A professionally qualified translator produces a complete, word-for-word translation, a second linguist checks it, and we attach the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy.
You get a signed PDF by email, usually within 24 to 48 hours for short documents. Need paper? We mail a wet-ink hard copy by USPS or FedEx anywhere in the US.
Some institutions, notably certain state agencies, foreign consulates, and apostille offices, ask for a notarized translation rather than a plain certified one. A notarized translation is a certified translation whose signer has additionally appeared before a notary public, who confirms the identity of the person signing the certification. The notary vouches for the signature, not for the translation itself.
We do not provide or arrange notary or apostille services. What we do is prepare the certified translation in exactly the form a notary public needs, and, if your document is headed abroad, ready for your apostille application through the Secretary of State. Worth knowing: USCIS does not require notarization. A certified translation is what its own instructions ask for, and paying for a notary on top is usually money spent for nothing.
The questions we answer most often before an order is placed.
Send a scan and tell us where it is going. You will have a fixed price and turnaround within 60 minutes during business hours.
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