Chinese Death Certificate Translation
Chinese death certificate translation to English for a widow or widower petition, proof that an earlier marriage ended, an estate, a life insurance claim or Social Security survivor benefits. A death in mainland China leaves several papers rather than one certificate, and we translate each of them for what it is.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
Rated "Excellent" by Trustpilot with 2,700+ reviews
Written for Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified death certificate records
Which Chinese paper proves a death
There is no single civil death certificate in mainland China. The hospital, the police and the funeral home each issue their own, and US recipients differ on which one they want.
The 居民死亡医学证明(推断)书
The medical certificate of death, issued by the hospital or the local health center, is a four-copy form used nationwide since 2014: the issuer keeps one, the police take one to cancel the 户口, the funeral home takes one for the cremation, and the family keeps one. It records the deceased's name, ID number, 民族, marital status, occupation, place of death and a chain of causes with ICD codes. The word 推断 in the title means the cause was inferred rather than observed, usually for a death at home, and the translation keeps that word instead of dropping it.
The 户口注销证明 and the 火化证明
After the 派出所 strikes the person from the household register it issues a 户口注销证明, a short stamped letter with the name, the ID number and the date of death. The 殡仪馆 issues a 火化证明 after the cremation. For a probate court or an insurer the police letter often carries the most weight, because it shows the state has recorded the death. For older deaths there may be nothing but a 户口簿 page with 死亡 written in the 注销 column, and we translate that page with the note.
The 死亡公证 for use abroad
When the death has to be shown outside China, a 公证处 produces a 死亡公证 from the medical form or the police record, stating the name, the date and the place of death. Relatives in the US use it for a Form I-360 widow or widower petition, to show that a prior marriage ended, or alongside a 继承公证 when they inherit property in China. We translate the notarial text, the 公证员 signature and the attached originals as one certified set.
Who is asking for your Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified death certificate translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
USCIS
USCIS asks for a complete English translation and a signed certification from the translator. No notarization is needed.
Insurers and Social Security
Life insurance and survivor benefit claims accept a certified translation. Add the medical certificate if the claim turns on the cause of death.
Courts and consulates abroad
A probate court or a consulate handling a repatriation or an estate usually wants the original apostilled and the translation certified or notarized.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified death certificate.
Send the civil record, not only the medical form
The registry act is the document recipients ask for. Add the doctor's certificate as a second file if an insurer or a court wants the cause of death.
Include the reverse and the stamps
Issue stamps, the registrar's signature and folio numbers often sit on the back or at the edge. Photograph both sides flat with the whole page in frame.
Give us the names as they appear elsewhere
Tell us the English spelling of the deceased and of the spouse or parents named on the record, so the translation matches the petition, policy or probate file it joins.
Details and pricing
What is included in a Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified death certificate translation
One price per page covers the translation and its certification. A page is up to 250 words, and the quote tells you the page count before you pay.
Everything on the death certificate is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. Tell us the English spelling you use for each name when you order.
Certified Translation
Word-for-word translation with a certificate of accuracy for official use.
$25
USD / page
up to 250 words per page
Included
- Signed & stamped certification of translation accuracy
- Certified by a professional translator
- Digital delivery via PDF
- Review and approve final translation
- 100% Guaranteed Acceptance
- Standard turnaround starting at 24 hours
Optional services
- Expedited turnaround
- Priority handling when your deadline is shorter than the standard turnaround.
- By deadline
- Notarization
- A notary public signs and stamps the certification statement.
- $20 per order
- Physical copy
- A wet-ink original of your translation, mailed by express courier.
- $35 per order
- Apostille
- Authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in Hague Convention countries.
- $180 per document
What the certificate of accuracy states
Your translation arrives with a Certification of Translation Accuracy issued by ImmiTranslate. It is the page the receiving organization checks first.
- The translation is complete and accurate.
- The document title and the language pair.
- The translator is competent in both languages.
- A signature and the ImmiTranslate certification stamp.
- Our American Translators Association corporate membership.
Our translation process
Our goal is to make the translation process as simple as possible for you. Our service is streamlined specifically for documents of this nature.
Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified Death Certificate FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- My father died at home in a village. What certificate exists?
- A death at home is certified by the township or community health center, which issues the 居民死亡医学证明(推断)书 from what the family and the local doctor report. For deaths some years back, or where no medical form was ever issued, the 派出所 record and the 户口注销证明 may be all there is, sometimes with a letter from the 村委会. Send what you have and we tell you which paper will read best in English for the office you are dealing with.
- Does USCIS accept this to prove a previous marriage ended?
- Yes. If a prior spouse died, the I-130 and I-485 checklists ask for proof the marriage ended, and a translated 居民死亡医学证明 or 死亡公证 does that. The translation gives the deceased's 18-digit ID number and date of birth exactly as printed, so the officer can tie the death to the spouse named on the old 结婚证. The 户口注销证明 is a good second document when the medical form is missing.
- Do you translate a US death certificate into Chinese for an inheritance in China?
- Yes. Heirs need it for a 继承公证 at a 公证处, or for a court case, over an apartment, a bank account or shares in China, together with proof of the family relationship. The US certificate gets an apostille from the issuing state first, and the notary office may insist that the translation be made in China, so ask before you order. We translate the full certificate, including the cause of death and the certifier's details, into Simplified Chinese.
- How much does a certified translation cost?
- Certified translation is $25 per page, with a page counted as up to 250 words. Notarization, a mailed physical copy and an apostille are optional and priced separately.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Standard turnaround starts at 24 hours and depends on the length and language of your documents. If you have a deadline, include it in your quote request.
Other Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified documents we translate
Death certificate translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's death certificate records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements, Inheritance claim translations, Insurance claim translations before you order.