Guides · Guatemala · 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 Guatemala that document is the RENAP Certificado de Nacimiento, both pages.
Updated October 26, 2026 · Sources · General information, not legal advice
The State Department's country-by-country document list (the Reciprocity Schedule) says to request the birth certificate from RENAP, the National Registry of Persons, not from your city or town.
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.
The RENAP certificate has two pages, and the State Department requires the front and back. Translate both.
If your birth was registered late (inscripción extemporánea), the State Department warns this can raise questions and is best supported with additional evidence.
Online: request it through RENAP's E-Portal Ciudadano or the RENAP SE app. It arrives by email and you can print it on letter-size bond paper. According to RENAP, it has the same validity as one issued at an office.
From the United States: authorized Guatemalan consulates issue the certificate from RENAP records for US$6.00. In Guatemala: at any RENAP office.
To check it's authentic: RENAP has a verification page that uses the serial number and the verification code. The State Department notes the QR code works for six months or three validations, whichever comes first, so a recent certificate is best.
This is how the information appears on RENAP's official sample. In this format each value is printed above its label, and dates are written out in words. Copy names, numbers and dates exactly as they appear.
| On the document | In English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Registro Civil de las Personas | Civil Registry of Persons | Certificate title. |
| Certificado de Nacimiento | Birth Certificate | |
| Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP) | National Registry of Persons (RENAP) | Issuing institution. Keep the acronym RENAP. |
| Correlativo | Serial No. | Number at the top left. Used to verify the certificate. |
| VERIFICADOR | Verification Code | Code at the top right, next to the barcode. |
| ID | ID | Identifier number at the top right. |
| El Infrascrito Registrador Civil de las Personas … CERTIFICA | The undersigned Civil Registrar of Persons … CERTIFIES | Paragraph in which the registrar certifies the registration. |
| partida / folio / libro | entry no. / folio (page) / book | Where the birth was recorded in the municipal Civil Registry book. |
| quedó inscrito el Nacimiento de: | the birth of the following person was registered: | |
| Datos del Inscrito | Registrant's Information | Details of the registered person. |
| Nombres y Apellidos del Inscrito | Registrant's Given Names and Surnames | Copy the names with accents and in the same order. |
| Documento de Identificación | Identification Document No. | On RENAP's sample, the 13-digit number printed above this label is the CUI. |
| Código Único de Identificación (CUI) | Unique Identification Code (CUI) | Personal 13-digit number that never changes. |
| Fecha de Nacimiento | Date of Birth | Written out in words. |
| Lugar de Nacimiento | Place of Birth | |
| Género | Gender | Some translators use "Sex," the term on USCIS forms. |
| Datos de la Madre / Datos del Padre | Mother's Information / Father's Information | |
| Nombres y Apellidos de la Madre / del Padre | Mother's / Father's Given Names and Surnames | |
| Lugar de Origen | Place of Origin | Appears under each parent's details. |
| Fotografía no disponible | Photograph not available | |
| Página 1 de 2 | Page 1 of 2 | Remember to translate page 2 as well. |
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].
Yes, according to RENAP. The one you request through the E-Portal Ciudadano or the RENAP SE app arrives by email and can be printed on bond paper. It has the same validity as one from an office and carries a serial number, verification code and QR code.
Authorized consulates issue the birth certificate from RENAP records for US$6.00. It is a RENAP certificate, which is where the State Department says to request it.
The Form I-130 and I-485 instructions ask for a legible photocopy and a complete English translation certified by the translator, and don't mention an apostille. USCIS can ask for the original at any time.
Yes. The State Department requires the front and back, and USCIS requires a complete translation of the document.
You still request it from RENAP, not the municipality. On the certificate, old records appear with the book, folio and entry number of the municipal Civil Registry. If you don't have a RENAP certificate, the State Department says you must register your birth with RENAP.