HAITI · CERTIFIED TRANSLATION
Certified Translation of Haiti Documents for USCIS
Haitian civil documents are a distinctive translation challenge for USCIS because they are issued in French — Haiti's administrative language alongside Haitian Creole — and typically exist first as handwritten acts drawn up by a local Officier d'État Civil before being archived at the Archives Nationales d'Haïti in Port-au-Prince. Many records predate the country's 2014 shift to standardized, computer-printed extraits, so faded ink, marginal annotations, and variant spellings of the same name across documents are common. Because Haiti is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, these records cannot be apostilled, which makes a fully certified, accurate translation the linchpin of a clean USCIS filing. Every Translation HelpDesk translation carries a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), with names, seals, and marginal notes transcribed exactly as they appear rather than "cleaned up."
Updated July 11, 2026 · Reviewed by Victor Luján, Founder — certified translations since 2018
DOCUMENTS FROM HAITI
Pick Your Document
Haitian Birth Certificate →
Haitian Marriage Certificate →
Haitian Divorce Decree →
Haitian Death Certificate →
Haitian Diploma →
Haitian Academic Transcript →
Haitian Police Record →
Haitian Single Status Certificate →
GOOD TO KNOW
Issuing Authority & Authentication
Civil records in Haiti are issued by the Archives Nationales d'Haïti (National Archives of Haiti), which issues certified extracts (extraits) of civil records originally drawn up by a local Officier d'État Civil (Civil Status Officer) · official language(s): French, Haitian Creole (Kreyòl). Haiti is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so its documents cannot be apostilled; when authentication is needed they follow the traditional legalization chain — first legalized by Haiti's Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et des Cultes (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and then by the Haitian consular section or the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Note that for a filing itself USCIS generally requires only a complete certified English translation, not legalization or an 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 USCIS require an apostille on my Haitian documents?
No. Haiti is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so Haitian documents cannot be apostilled, and USCIS does not require one — it asks for a complete, certified English translation with a Certificate of Accuracy. If a document needs legalization for a separate purpose, that is handled through Haiti's Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, not an apostille.
My Haitian birth certificate is handwritten and hard to read. Can you still translate it?
Yes. Older actes de naissance are often handwritten in French with faded ink and marginal notes. We transcribe every legible element exactly and mark unclear portions as '[illegible]' rather than guessing, which is exactly what USCIS expects to see.
What is the difference between an 'acte' and an 'extrait' from the Archives Nationales?
The acte is the original record drawn up by the local Officier d'État Civil; the extrait is the certified copy issued later by the Archives Nationales d'Haïti. USCIS accepts either, as long as it is an official certified copy accompanied by a certified English translation.
My documents are in Haitian Creole, not French. Do you handle that?
Yes. Most Haitian civil records are in French, but our native-speaker specialists translate both French and Haitian Creole (Kreyòl), including mixed-language documents, and certify each one for USCIS.
How much does it cost to translate a Haitian birth certificate?
Translation HelpDesk charges $0.05 per word, so a typical one-page Haitian birth certificate runs about $15–25 total, delivered in 24–48 hours. You can request a free 250-word sample first, and our USCIS Rejection Pledge covers a free fix and the resubmission fee if a translation is ever rejected.