The N-400 Translation Rule in One Sentence
Naturalization follows the same regulation as every USCIS filing — 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): each foreign-language document goes in with a full English translation and the translator's signed certification of accuracy and competence. The details are in our USCIS certified translation guide; here is how it plays out for citizenship specifically.
Table of Contents
Which N-400 Documents Typically Need Translation
Marriage-based eligibility (3-year rule)
Your marriage certificate — and the divorce decrees or death certificates ending every prior marriage, yours and your spouse's.
Court and police records
Any arrest, court disposition or police certificate from abroad, however minor the matter — undisclosed or untranslated records are a leading cause of delays.
Name and identity documents
Foreign name-change orders, birth certificates when requested, children's documents for derived citizenship questions.
Absence documentation
For long trips abroad: foreign employment letters, leases or registrations used to document continuous residence.
The oath is the deadline that matters. An RFE for a missing translation adds two to four months to a naturalization case. Translating every foreign document BEFORE filing costs less than one government filing fee — and removes the main self-inflicted delay.
At the Interview: Bring Originals AND Translations
The officer may ask to see the original documents behind your uploads. Bring each original (or certified copy) together with its certified translation — the stamped paper version we mail you exists exactly for this moment. Digital PDFs remain valid for the online filing itself.
Preparing Your Translation Set
1. Inventory your foreign-language documents
Go through the N-400 checklist once: marriage and divorce papers, foreign records, name changes. List everything not in English.
2. Scan and order in one batch
One upload, one instant per-page quote, one delivery — from €36 per page across 50+ languages.
3. File with confidence
Certified PDFs in 24-48h for the online filing; stamped originals by mail for the interview folder.
Your N-400 documents, translated and certified in 24-48h.
Complete certification statement on every document, passport-matching name spellings, one batch order.
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