Translation of Documents for a US Visa

Plenty of folders of US visa documents pass through our office in Varna – belonging to people travelling for tourism, for study, or to settle permanently. The job is the same in every case: your documents need to be in English, translated faithfully, and free of any questions you could spare yourself before the interview.

The visas we help with

• Tourist and business visas (B1/B2) – the documents that show the purpose of your trip and that you have reasons to return to Bulgaria.
• Student and exchange visas (F1/J1) – documents for admission, for study, and for who is covering the costs.
• Immigrant visas – an application for permanent residence usually calls for translations of civil-status certificates and other personal documents. The requirements here are far more specific to each case, so it is worth checking them with the US Embassy or your lawyer before you bring them to us.

The documents usually translated

• Bank statements and certificates of account balance
• Property and ownership documents (title deeds, plot plans and the like)
• Employment and social-security documents – employment contracts, employer letters, certificates of insured income
• Invitations from a host or from relatives in the USA
• Birth and marriage certificates and other civil-status documents
• Study documents – student status certificates, academic transcripts and diplomas

What to know about legalisation

This is where people often get confused. For most documents that support a visa application, legalisation or an apostille is usually not required – what matters is an accurate English translation that reproduces the original. That is different from documents for official use before institutions, where legalisation and an apostille may genuinely be needed.

What is actually required for a particular visa and for specific documents is decided by the US Embassy. The requirements change and depend on the type of visa, so check the current ones on the Embassy's official website before you put your folder together. One thing we want to be clear about: issuing a visa is entirely the decision of the consular officer, and we cannot promise it. What we take on is making sure the documents are translated correctly and ready on time.

How we help

• English translation by sworn translators – we know how the terms in bank statements, title deeds and employment documents are written, so they read correctly in English.
• Fast when you need it – we take on urgent orders if the interview date is pressing.
• Discretion – bank details and personal documents pass through our hands, and we treat them as we would want our own to be treated.
• In Varna since 2004 – over twenty years with translations and documents.

Turnaround and price

How much it costs and how long it takes depends on the number of documents, their type, and whether the order is urgent. Tell us what there is to translate and which visa you are applying for, and we will come back to you with an accurate quote.

For a rough guide, take a look at our prices page, and for a quote on your case, get in touch.

Frequently Asked Questions