ERITREA · CERTIFIED TRANSLATION
Certified Translation of Eritrea Documents for USCIS
Eritrean civil records are among the more demanding documents to prepare for USCIS: they are issued by municipal Public Registration Offices (Offices of Civil Status) under the Ministry of Local Government, are frequently handwritten in Tigrinya (with Arabic entries common in the western lowlands), and are dated on the Ge'ez calendar rather than the Gregorian one. Because Eritrea is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention these documents cannot be apostilled — but USCIS does not require one, only a complete, certified English translation. Genuine Eritrean certificates typically carry a wet seal, a circular stamp, and blue or purple ink, and Eritrean names follow a given-name-plus-father's-name (and often grandfather's-name) convention with no inherited family surname — both of which our native-speaker translators reproduce and annotate exactly. Every project ships with a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3).
Updated July 11, 2026 · Reviewed by Victor Luján, Founder — certified translations since 2018
DOCUMENTS FROM ERITREA
Pick Your Document
Eritrean Birth Certificate →
Eritrean Marriage Certificate →
Eritrean Divorce Decree →
Eritrean Death Certificate →
Eritrean Diploma →
Eritrean Academic Transcript →
Eritrean Police Record →
Eritrean Single Status Certificate →
GOOD TO KNOW
Issuing Authority & Authentication
Civil records in Eritrea are issued by the Office of Civil Status / Public Registration Office (municipal registry, e.g. Municipality of Asmara), under the Ministry of Local Government (Ministry of Local Government, Asmara) · official language(s): Tigrinya, Arabic, English. Eritrea is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so Eritrean documents cannot be apostilled; when authentication is required they follow the consular legalization chain (Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication, then embassy/consular legalization). For USCIS filings, however, no apostille or legalization is needed — USCIS requires only a complete certified English translation of each foreign civil document.
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
Do Eritrean documents need an apostille for USCIS?
No. Eritrea is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so Eritrean records cannot be apostilled — and USCIS does not require an apostille or embassy legalization on foreign civil documents anyway. What it requires is a complete, accurate English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), which is exactly what we provide.
My birth certificate is handwritten in Tigrinya with a blue circular stamp — can you translate it?
Yes. Our native Tigrinya specialists routinely handle handwritten Eritrean register entries, Ge'ez-calendar dates, and full seal and stamp text. Rendering every handwritten line and stamp — not just the printed fields — is precisely what USCIS reviewers look for, and it is included in the flat per-certificate price.
USCIS asked for a police certificate but Eritrea doesn't issue them — what should I do?
The U.S. State Department's own reciprocity schedule lists Eritrean police certificates as generally unavailable, and USCIS accepts a documented explanation of unavailability in these cases. We can certify the translation of any related correspondence or supporting documents you do have to accompany that explanation.
My Eritrean name has no surname — how is that handled on the translation?
Eritrean names follow a given-name plus father's-name (and often grandfather's-name) pattern with no inherited family surname. We translate names exactly as written and add a short translator's note explaining the convention, so the naming stays consistent across all your documents and USCIS reviewers understand why there is no family surname.