FILIPINO DOCUMENT TRANSLATION
Filipino Death Certificate Translation for USCIS
A certified translation of a Filipino death certificate (Certificate of Death (PSA)) for USCIS costs about $15–25 and is delivered in 24–48 hours, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy that meets 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). Translation HelpDesk uses native Filipino and English-speaking specialists, and if USCIS rejects our translation we fix it free and cover your resubmission fee.
Updated July 11, 2026 · Reviewed by Victor Luján, Founder — certified translations since 2018
WHAT WE TRANSLATE
The Filipino Death Certificate (Certificate of Death (PSA))
Issued as a 'Certificate of Death' (Municipal Form No. 103), the record is first lodged with the Local Civil Registrar of the place of death within 30 days, then endorsed to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Two versions circulate: the LCR copy printed on plain white paper, and the PSA copy printed on yellow-orange SECPA security paper, which appears roughly two to three months later once the record is encoded nationally. The form is English/bilingual, but the cause of death is handwritten by the attending physician or municipal health officer and frequently uses medical abbreviations and Latin terms, while the informant's entries may be in Filipino. USCIS commonly needs this for an I-130 widow(er) petition or to prove a prior spouse's death for remarriage eligibility, so the certified translation must decode the handwritten cause-of-death lines and the physician's certification, plus reproduce the LCR seal and PSA barcode. Ensure the decedent's name matches the surviving petitioner's marriage certificate exactly, including the maternal-surname middle name.
WHO ISSUES IT
Where Your Filipino Death Certificate Comes From
In Philippines, civil-status records come from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); local records held by the Local Civil Registrar / Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO). The Philippines has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 14 May 2019, so PSA certificates and court records are authenticated with a single apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) — and since March 2026 PSA eCertificates can even receive a fully digital eApostille online, while printed SECPA copies and court records still use the standard hard-copy apostille — and accepted for use in the U.S. with no further consular legalization. Full Philippines apostille & authentication guidance →
USCIS REQUIREMENTS
How USCIS Wants Your Filipino Death Certificate Translated
For your Filipino death certificate, USCIS requires a complete English translation of everything on the page — the issuing office’s details, seals, and any marginal notes included — plus a signed certification of accuracy under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). Machine translation cannot sign that certification. We reproduce the document's exact layout so an officer can compare it line by line against your Filipino original.
WATCH OUT FOR
Common Filipino Death Certificate Pitfalls
Filipino death certificates use medical and cause-of-death terminology that must be rendered precisely, and the decedent has to be clearly identifiable to support a widow(er) or prior-marriage claim.
Native Filipino Specialist
A native speaker of your document's language handles it — not a generalist or a machine.
Format-Matched to the Original
The original layout, seals, and stamps reproduced in position.
USCIS Acceptance Guaranteed
If USCIS rejects it citing the translation, we fix it free and cover your resubmission fee.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Filipino death certificate translation cost?
A standard Filipino death certificate is typically $15-25 total, certified and formatted, delivered in 24-48 hours. Pricing is $0.05 per word; longer or multi-page documents are quoted exactly before you pay.
Is your Filipino death certificate translation accepted by USCIS?
Yes. Every translation includes a signed Certificate of Accuracy meeting 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). If USCIS rejects it citing the translation, we correct it free and reimburse your resubmission fee.
My marriage ended in the Philippines, but there's no divorce there — what do I translate?
Because the Philippines has no general divorce law, you will usually have a Regional Trial Court Decision or Decree of Annulment or Declaration of Nullity of Marriage (or, for Muslim Filipinos, a Shari'a court divorce). We translate the full court decree, including the dispositive portion, and any PSA-annotated marriage certificate that reflects the judgment.
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