How much does it cost to translate a birth certificate?

A standard birth certificate runs at a flat per-document rate for the translation. If notarization is required, the notary's fee is fixed by regulation, ₪251 plus VAT for the first 100 words of translation (2026 tariff). Use the quote form for an exact figure.

How long does a birth certificate translation take?

Certified translations are typically delivered within 1 to 2 business days. Notarized translations take 2 to 4 business days including the notary's certification, with same-day rush available when the deadline demands it.

Does Misrad HaPnim accept certified translations of birth certificates?

For foreign birth certificates, Misrad HaPnim generally requires a notarized translation into Hebrew, and the original certificate usually needs an apostille from the country that issued it. We prepare the translation to that standard and flag the apostille requirement before you submit.

What does USCIS require for birth certificate translations?

USCIS requires a full English translation with a certification that the translator is competent in both languages and that the translation is complete and accurate (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). Notarization is not required. Our USCIS certifications follow this wording exactly.

My name is spelled differently on my passport. What happens in the translation?

Name transliteration is the most common reason status files bounce. We match the spelling of every name in the translation to your passport or Teudat Zehut, and note any prior official spellings, so the receiving authority sees one consistent identity.

Do you translate old or handwritten birth certificates?

Yes. Soviet-era, Romanian, Moroccan, and other historical certificates, including handwritten entries and stamps, are translated in full, with illegible passages marked as such, which authorities accept as standard practice.

Birth Certificate

The document every status file starts with.

A birth certificate translation is required whenever the certificate is submitted to an authority that operates in another language: Misrad HaPnim for status and marriage files, USCIS for green-card petitions, embassies for citizenship applications. Israeli authorities require notarized translation; most foreign authorities accept certified translation.

Birth certificates anchor almost every civil-status process: marriage registration, citizenship by descent, aliyah, immigration petitions, and inheritance files. They are also unforgiving documents, where a transliterated name that does not match the passport, a missing apostille, or the wrong certification level sends the whole file back. We translate the certificate, match every name to your identity documents, and deliver it with the certification the receiving authority actually requires.

Notarized or certified?

When the certificate goes to an Israeli authority, plan for a notarized translation, and check whether the original needs an apostille from its issuing country first. When the certificate goes abroad, a certified translation is usually enough, with notarization plus apostille only where the receiving body says so explicitly. We confirm the requirement with you before you pay for more than you need.

Notarized translation Certified translation

Requirements by authority: Birth Certificate

Receiving authority	Typical translation requirement
Misrad HaPnim (Ministry of Interior)	Notarized translation into Hebrew. Foreign certificates usually need an apostille from the issuing country on the original before submission.
USCIS (United States)	Certified translation into English with the translator's declaration of accuracy. Notarization is not required.
Foreign embassies and consulates (citizenship by descent)	Notarized translation, usually with an apostille on the notarial certification. Some consulates require their own sworn-translator format; we confirm before translating.
Universities and credential evaluators abroad	Certified translation is almost always sufficient. WES and similar evaluators accept agency-certified translations.
Rabbinical courts	Notarized translation into Hebrew for marriage and personal-status files involving foreign-born parties.

Requirements vary between authorities and change over time. We verify the current requirement with the receiving authority before work begins.

Certified or notarized birth certificate translation, matched to the receiving authority, since 1999.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to translate a birth certificate?: A standard birth certificate runs at a flat per-document rate for the translation. If notarization is required, the notary's fee is fixed by regulation, ₪251 plus VAT for the first 100 words of translation (2026 tariff). Use the quote form for an exact figure.
How long does a birth certificate translation take?: Certified translations are typically delivered within 1 to 2 business days. Notarized translations take 2 to 4 business days including the notary's certification, with same-day rush available when the deadline demands it.
Does Misrad HaPnim accept certified translations of birth certificates?: For foreign birth certificates, Misrad HaPnim generally requires a notarized translation into Hebrew, and the original certificate usually needs an apostille from the country that issued it. We prepare the translation to that standard and flag the apostille requirement before you submit.
What does USCIS require for birth certificate translations?: USCIS requires a full English translation with a certification that the translator is competent in both languages and that the translation is complete and accurate (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). Notarization is not required. Our USCIS certifications follow this wording exactly.
My name is spelled differently on my passport. What happens in the translation?: Name transliteration is the most common reason status files bounce. We match the spelling of every name in the translation to your passport or Teudat Zehut, and note any prior official spellings, so the receiving authority sees one consistent identity.
Do you translate old or handwritten birth certificates?: Yes. Soviet-era, Romanian, Moroccan, and other historical certificates, including handwritten entries and stamps, are translated in full, with illegible passages marked as such, which authorities accept as standard practice.

Birth Certificate Translation for Official and Legal Use Hebrew → English English → Hebrew Russian → Hebrew

Receiving authority

Typical translation requirement

Misrad HaPnim (Ministry of Interior)

Notarized translation into Hebrew. Foreign certificates usually need an apostille from the issuing country on the original before submission.

USCIS (United States)

Certified translation into English with the translator's declaration of accuracy. Notarization is not required.

Foreign embassies and consulates (citizenship by descent)

Notarized translation, usually with an apostille on the notarial certification. Some consulates require their own sworn-translator format; we confirm before translating.

Universities and credential evaluators abroad

Certified translation is almost always sufficient. WES and similar evaluators accept agency-certified translations.

Rabbinical courts

Notarized translation into Hebrew for marriage and personal-status files involving foreign-born parties.