BRAZIL · CERTIFIED TRANSLATION
Certified Translation of Brazil Documents for USCIS
Brazilian civil records are issued by the country's cartórios — the privately run but state-licensed Cartórios de Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais that register every birth, marriage, and death in Portuguese. Since Brazil joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2016, these documents reach USCIS with a single apostille from a CNJ-authorized notary instead of consular legalization, but they still require a complete English translation carrying a signed Certificate of Accuracy under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). The details that trip up filers are distinctly Brazilian: long compound surnames with no concept of a "middle name," handwritten entries in older ledger-book (livro) records, and life changes such as divorce buried in marginal annotations (averbações) rather than on separate certificates. Translation HelpDesk's native Portuguese specialists render these faithfully so your certidão reads cleanly for a USCIS officer the first time.
Updated July 11, 2026 · Reviewed by Victor Luján, Founder — certified translations since 2018
DOCUMENTS FROM BRAZIL
Pick Your Document
Brazilian Birth Certificate →
Brazilian Marriage Certificate →
Brazilian Divorce Decree →
Brazilian Death Certificate →
Brazilian Diploma →
Brazilian Academic Transcript →
Brazilian Police Record →
Brazilian Single Status Certificate →
GOOD TO KNOW
Issuing Authority & Authentication
Civil records in Brazil are issued by the Cartório de Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais (Civil Registry Office / notary registry) · official language(s): Portuguese. Brazil is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, in force since August 14, 2016, so documents are authenticated with a single apostille issued by a CNJ-authorized cartório — no US embassy or consular legalization is required. USCIS then needs a certified English translation of both the document and any Portuguese wording on the apostille.
Every document above is translated by a native specialist, reviewed by a second linguist, and delivered with a signed Certificate of Accuracy that USCIS accepts under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — or we fix it free and cover your resubmission fee.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Brazilian document need an apostille or US embassy legalization for USCIS?
Brazil has been part of the Hague Apostille Convention since it entered into force on August 14, 2016. A cartório authorized by the CNJ (National Council of Justice) places a single apostille on your document, and no US consular legalization is required. USCIS still needs a certified English translation of the document, and we also translate any Portuguese wording that appears on the apostille.
How should my Brazilian name appear in the English translation?
We keep names exactly as written on the certidão. Brazilians usually carry a given name plus two or more surnames — commonly a maternal surname followed by a paternal one — and no separate 'middle name,' so we render them verbatim to match your passport and other filings. Preserving the exact order and spelling helps avoid Requests for Evidence over name discrepancies.
My birth certificate is an old handwritten record — can you still translate it for USCIS?
Yes. Many pre-1970s Brazilian records are handwritten transcriptions from bound registry books (livros) with archaic spelling and faded ink. Our native Portuguese translators are experienced with these and will mark any genuinely unreadable field as '[illegible]' rather than guess, which keeps the translation accurate and USCIS-compliant.
Do I need to translate the averbações (marginal annotations) on my certificate?
Yes — those annotations often carry the most important information, such as a divorce recorded on a marriage certificate or a name change. USCIS wants the complete content of the document in English, so our translation reproduces every averbação, seal, and control number, not just the original entry.