- A death certificate from Russia or Ukraine is needed in US procedures when a prior marriage ended by death, when a widow or widower petitions on their own, and when a survivor claims benefits.
- USCIS requires a full English translation with a signed certification (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
- The Social Security Administration requires that foreign-language documents be translated by a translator who certifies the translation; SSA may also verify the document.
- The certificate has to be translated completely: registry details, cause of death if printed, all stamps, and the reverse side.
- Dates and names must match the other documents in the file; the officer checks them against the marriage certificate and the passport.
A Russian or Ukrainian death certificate is translated when a US procedure needs it: proof that a prior marriage ended for Forms I-130 and I-485, a widow or widower's petition on Form I-360, or survivor benefits at Social Security. USCIS requires a full English translation with the translator's signed certification under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3); SSA also requires a certified translation.
Where a translated death certificate is used
- USCIS, proof that a prior marriage ended. Form I-130 and I-485 instructions require evidence that earlier marriages were legally terminated. If the former spouse died, the evidence is the death certificate.
- USCIS, widow or widower of a US citizen. Form I-360 for a surviving spouse requires the citizen's death certificate; when the death occurred abroad and the certificate is in Russian or Ukrainian, a certified translation is required.
- Social Security Administration. Survivor benefits and some record corrections require proof of death. SSA states that documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by an English translation certified by the translator.
- Inheritance and banks in the United States. Probate courts and financial institutions ask for a certified translation; some also ask for notarization or an apostille on the original, which is a separate step done in the country of issue.
What a complete translation includes
A Russian or Ukrainian death certificate (свидетельство о смерти / свідоцтво про смерть) carries more than a name and a date:
- Series, number and the registry office that issued it.
- Full name of the deceased, date and place of birth, date and place of death.
- Citizenship as recorded.
- Cause of death, when the certificate prints it (many registry certificates do not; medical certificates do).
- Record number and date of registration, the registrar's name and signature.
- Every seal and stamp, in brackets, and any note on the reverse.
A translation that gives only "Name, died on date" is a summary, not a translation, and USCIS treats summaries as incomplete.
Details that cause questions
- The deceased's name on the certificate is spelled differently from the name on the marriage certificate; both should be transliterated consistently and the difference, if any, reproduced as in the originals.
- Place names: the translation uses current official English spelling with the name as written in the document in brackets, for example Kharkiv (Kharkov).
- The date format: written out as 5 March 2019, not 05.03.2019.
- A medical death certificate (медицинское свидетельство о смерти) is a different document from the registry certificate; USCIS and SSA ask for the registry one.
What we do
FAQ
Does USCIS need the original death certificate?
USCIS asks for a copy with a certified translation; originals are not sent unless specifically requested.
Can SSA accept the same translation I used for USCIS?
Yes, if it is a full translation with the translator's certification. SSA may ask to see the original document or a certified copy.
The certificate is from the Soviet period and is in Russian only. Is that a problem?
No. It is translated like any other document; the translator notes the issuing authority as printed.
Is an apostille required?
Not by USCIS. Courts, banks and some foreign-related procedures may require it on the original.
Official sources
Links open the original publications this article restates.
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), translations of foreign-language documents (eCFR)ecfr.gov
- USCIS: Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relativeuscis.gov
- USCIS: Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrantuscis.gov
- USCIS: Green Card for a Widow(er) of a U.S. Citizenuscis.gov
- SSA: Survivor benefitsssa.gov
- SSA POMS GN 00301.330: Translations of foreign-language documentssecure.ssa.gov
- U.S. Department of State: Russia, Reciprocity and Civil Documentstravel.state.gov
- U.S. Department of State: Ukraine, Reciprocity and Civil Documentstravel.state.gov
If you need your documents translated, always work with a certified translator.
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