Do I need an apostille for USCIS?

Generally no. USCIS asks for a copy of the foreign document plus a complete certified English translation. Apostilles come up when you send US documents to another country.

Can you apostille my translation?

In the US, what can be notarised and then apostilled is the translator’s signed certification — not the foreign original. Tell us who is asking and for what, and we will explain what is actually needed.

Should the apostille itself be translated?

Usually yes, when it is in a foreign language and the receiving office needs to read it. We translate it as part of the document.

Apostille vs certified translation: which one do you need?

They solve different problems, and people often pay for the wrong one. An apostille proves a document is genuine. A translation makes it readable.

Updated September 13, 2026 · 4 min read

In short

An apostille certifies that a public document is genuine — it does not translate anything.
A certified translation renders the document in English with a signed accuracy statement.
Only the country that issued a document can apostille it.
When you need both, apostille first, then translate the document and the apostille together.

What an apostille actually is

An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document by the authority of the country that issued it, under the 1961 Hague Convention. It confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine, so that another member country will accept it without further legalisation.

Armenia, Russia and Ukraine are all parties to the Convention, as is the United States. An Armenian birth certificate gets its apostille in Armenia; a California marriage certificate gets one from the California Secretary of State.

What a certified translation is

A certified translation is the document rendered fully in another language, with a signed statement from the translator that the translation is complete and accurate. It says nothing about whether the original is genuine — that is the apostille’s job.

Which one you need

It depends on who is receiving the document, not on the document itself.

USCIS filings inside the United States: certified translation. USCIS does not ask for apostilles on foreign civil documents.
Sending US documents abroad (marriage in Armenia, property in Russia, a foreign court): usually an apostille, plus a translation into that country’s language.
Foreign consulates in the US: varies by consulate — ask them directly.
Universities and credential evaluators: certified translation, sometimes sent directly by the issuing institution.

The order matters

If you need both, get the apostille first. The apostille is itself a page of text, usually in the issuing country’s language, and the receiving authority generally expects it translated along with the document.

Translating first and then apostilling means you either pay twice or hand over a file where the authentication page is the one thing nobody can read.

A common trap

An apostille cannot be obtained in the US for a document issued abroad. If your Armenian diploma needs an apostille, it has to be issued in Armenia — a US notary or Secretary of State cannot authenticate a foreign authority’s seal. Plan the extra time, or ask family there to handle it.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Requirements change and vary by office — confirm with the agency receiving your documents.