Guides · Colombia · Birth certificate
USCIS asks for a photocopy of your birth certificate, issued by the civil authority in your country and naming at least one of your parents, plus a complete English translation with the translator's certification. In Colombia that document is the registro civil de nacimiento, as a complete copy (the "copia del folio"), not a notary's summary certificate.
Updated October 26, 2026 · Sources · General information, not legal advice
The State Department's country-by-country document list (the Reciprocity Schedule) says summarized birth certificates issued by notaries are not acceptable. It asks for the "copia del folio," which lists the parents' names and ID numbers, place of birth, registration date, witnesses and marginal notes.
The Form I-485 instructions point to that same list to find out how to get each country's birth certificate, and say USCIS only accepts a birth certificate that lists at least one parent.
Note: under Colombian law, a copy can be limited to name, sex, and place and date of birth; parents' names appear only if you state the purpose is proving kinship. Ask for the complete copy.
The Registraduría's digital copy has a QR code and the National Director of Civil Registry's signature, but no notes section. The State Department says it's generally accepted, though a paper certified copy may be requested in some cases.
On paper: at the registry office or notary where the birth was registered. Old volume-and-folio records can only be looked up at that office. From outside Colombia, the request goes through a consulate.
Digital: through the Registraduría's copy service, with an account. Since March 2026 it costs 18,750 pesos (US$18.85 from abroad); a paper copy costs 10,800 pesos.
The Registraduría says the digital copy serves the same purposes as the paper one, except where the law requires the record with its annotations.
Digital-copy labels come from the Registraduría's official sample (Circular 0065 of 2023). Paper-copy labels come from official Registraduría texts and Decree 1260 of 1970; we didn't see a printed paper sample. Copy names, numbers and dates exactly as they appear.
| On the document | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Registro del Estado Civil Digital — Nacimiento | Digital Civil Status Record — Birth | Heading of the digital copy. |
| Indicativo serial | Serial Number | Number of the folio where the birth was registered. |
| NUIP | NUIP (Unique Personal Identification Number) | Keep the acronym. Older records may show NIP. |
| Datos de la Oficina de Registro | Registry Office Information | |
| País / Departamento / Municipio | Country / Department / Municipality | A department is a territorial division, like a state. |
| Fecha de inscripción | Date of Registration | |
| Datos del inscrito | Registrant's Information | The person whose birth was registered. |
| Nombres / Apellidos | Given Name(s) / Surname(s) | Keep both surnames and their order. |
| Fecha de nacimiento | Date of Birth | |
| Sexo | Sex | |
| Lugar de nacimiento | Place of Birth | |
| Datos de Madre o Padre | Mother's or Father's Information | |
| Tipo de documento / Número de documento | ID Document Type / ID Document Number | |
| Nacionalidad | Nationality | |
| Fecha de expedición | Date of Issue | |
| Director Nacional de Registro Civil (firma digital) | National Director of Civil Registry (digital signature) | |
| Código QR | [QR code] | Used to verify the digital copy. |
| Tomo / Folio | Volume / Folio (page) | Location of older records, before serial numbers. |
| Espacio para notas / Notas marginales | Notes / Marginal Notes | Paper copy only: marriages, divorces and corrections. |
| Documento antecedente | Supporting Document | What proved the birth, for example the certificate of live birth. |
| Certificado de nacido vivo | Certificate of Live Birth | |
| Declarante | Declarant | Who declared the birth. |
| Testigos | Witnesses | |
| Firma del funcionario | Signature of the Registering Official |
Also translate everything that isn't on this list: seals, signatures, codes, handwritten notes and margin notes. Describe anything without words in brackets, for example [seal] or [signature].
Generally, yes. The State Department says electronically issued records are usually accepted, though a paper certified copy may be requested in some cases. The digital version has no notes section and is valid for three months from issue.
If it's a summary certificate, no. The State Department asks for the copia del folio: the complete copy of the record with the parents' details, witnesses and marginal notes.
The Form I-130 and I-485 instructions ask for legible photocopies and a complete English translation certified by the translator, and don't mention an apostille. USCIS can ask for the original at any time, so keep it.
Yes. USCIS only accepts a birth certificate that lists at least one parent. If a father petitions for a child on Form I-130, the certificate must show both parents.
Only as secondary evidence. You first need to show the registro civil doesn't exist or can't be obtained, usually with a statement from the civil authority. Then you can submit church or school records, and if those don't exist either, sworn statements from people with direct knowledge.