Quick summary: USCIS accepts a Guatemalan certificate in Spanish only with a full English translation and the translator’s signed certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that he or she is competent to translate Spanish into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). A RENAP certificate has a front and a back page; the State Department’s reciprocity schedule says both pages are required. This page gives you a Word template for the translation plus the certification wording, for birth, marriage and death certificates.
Download the Translation Template (Word)
One template covers the three RENAP certificates. It has a two-column layout (Spanish text as it appears / English translation), rows for the security features and annotations, a translator’s notes section, and the certification block:
RENAP Certificate Translation for USCIS — 2026
⬇ Download Word template (.docx)Editable · Works in Microsoft Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice
What the Regulation Actually Requires
The whole rule is one sentence in 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). Broken into its parts:
| Requirement | What it means for your packet |
|---|---|
| A full English translation | Translate everything on the document, not a summary of the key fields |
| Certified by the translator as complete and accurate | A signed statement from the translator |
| The translator’s certification of competence to translate from the foreign language into English | The same statement says the translator is competent in Spanish and English |
| Accompanies the document | Submit the translation together with the copy of the Spanish certificate |
What the sentence does not say: it does not mention notarization, sworn translators or translation associations. If the specific form you file asks for something extra, follow the form.
What a RENAP Certificate Contains (and What Must Be Translated)
The State Department’s reciprocity schedule for Guatemala describes the current RENAP birth, marriage and death certificates:
| Element | Where it sits | Translate it as |
|---|---|---|
| RENAP logo and the correlativo number | Top left, under the logo | [RENAP logo] Correlative No. ___ |
| Barcode and verificador number | Top right | [Barcode] Verification No. ___ |
| QR code | Center bottom | [QR code] plus any text printed around it |
| Registrar’s digital signature | Bottom right | [Digital signature] Registrar ___ |
| Blue circular seal | May or may not appear (not required) | [Seal: ___] if present |
| Back page | Second page | Translate in full (the reciprocity schedule says both pages are required) |
The certificates are issued by RENAP (Registro Nacional de las Personas), not by the municipality, and the issuing officer’s title on death and marriage certificates is Registrador Civil de las Personas. The document names are Certificado de Nacimiento, Certificado de Matrimonio and Certificado de Defunción.
Common Terms on a RENAP Certificate
These equivalents come from the State Department’s own description of the documents (it does not give an English rendering of the registrar’s title, so translate it literally):
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP) | National Registry of Persons |
| Certificado de Nacimiento | Birth Certificate |
| Certificado de Matrimonio | Marriage Certificate |
| Certificado de Defunción | Death Certificate |
| Libro / Folio / Partida | Book / Page / Registration (number) |
| Certificado de nacimiento extemporáneo | Delayed birth certificate |
For every other word, translate what is printed. Where something is illegible, write [illegible]; where there is a handwritten note, write [handwritten:] followed by its translation. Do not correct, complete or explain the original inside the translation; put any explanation in the translator’s notes.
The Certification Wording
The template’s certification block tracks the regulation’s two elements:
I, [full name], certify that I am competent to translate from Spanish into English, and that the attached English translation of the [birth / marriage / death] certificate of [name on the document], issued by the Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP) of Guatemala, is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability.
Signature: ________ Date: ________ Address: ________ Phone / email: ________
Common Mistakes
- Translating only the front page. The State Department’s reciprocity schedule says both pages are required.
- Leaving out the security features (verificador, correlativo, QR, digital signature). A full translation covers them.
- Sending an annotated birth certificate instead of a marriage certificate. The State Department says it is not accepted as a substitute.
- Using an old certificate when the QR no longer validates. The State Department says the QR code works for six months or three validations, whichever comes first.
- Summarizing instead of translating, or “fixing” misspelled names. Translate what is printed and explain discrepancies in a note.
Getting the Certificate Itself
- Birth certificate from RENAP — how to order it, including from the US
- Marriage certificate from RENAP
- Death certificate from RENAP
- Birth certificate and apostille from the USA — when another US institution also asks for an apostille
- Sworn translator cost in Guatemala — translations in the other direction, for use inside Guatemala
General information, not legal advice. USCIS form instructions change; for your specific case, check the current instructions of the form you are filing or consult an immigration attorney. For documents going to Guatemalan authorities, the rules are different: consult an abogado y notario in Guatemala.