Chinese Divorce Decree Translation
Chinese divorce decree translation to English for a new marriage, an I-130 petition, a US divorce or custody case, or a US court asked to recognize a Chinese divorce. China ends a marriage in two ways, at the 民政局 or in a 人民法院, and the papers differ, so we translate each one as what it is.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
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Written for Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified divorce decree records
Two ways to divorce in China, two sets of papers
A divorce by agreement produces a certificate from the registry. A contested divorce produces a court document that is not final until a second paper says it is.
The 离婚证 and the 离婚协议书
A couple who agree divorce at the same 民政局 registry that marries people, and each receives a 离婚证 booklet with a 离婚证字号, the registration date and the registry's seal. Since 1 January 2021 the Civil Code imposes a 30-day 离婚冷静期 between the application and the certificate, so the dates in the file sit a month apart. The booklet says nothing about children or property. Those terms are in the 离婚协议书 filed at the registry, and a US court that wants the custody or property settlement needs that agreement translated too.
The 民事判决书 or 民事调解书
A court divorce ends with a 民事判决书 judgment or, when the parties settle before the judge, a 民事调解书. Both carry a case number such as (2024)沪0105民初1234号, the court's name, the parties, the 经审理查明 findings, the 本院认为 reasoning and the 判决如下 orders on custody, 抚养费 and property. A mediation document takes effect when both sides sign for it; a first-instance judgment only after the 15-day appeal period passes. We translate the whole document, not an extract, because the orders refer back to the findings.
The 生效证明
A judgment on its own does not show that nobody appealed. The court issues a 生效证明, a one-page certificate stating that the judgment took legal effect on a given date, and that is the page a 民政局 wants before a remarriage and the page a US judge or USCIS officer needs in order to treat the divorce as final. Ask the court's 立案庭 or the judge's clerk for it if you were not given one. It is usually a single page at $25 and we certify it together with the judgment.
Who is asking for your Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified divorce decree 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.
Marriage license offices and courts
A county clerk issuing a marriage license, or a family court, needs to see the prior marriage ended. A certified translation of the decree is accepted, notarized where the office asks.
Registries abroad
To remarry or register a divorce in another country, the US decree usually needs an apostille and a translation into that country's language.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified divorce decree.
Send every page of the judgment
A decree is complete only with its reasoning, its resolutive points and the finality note or certificate. Pages missing from the middle leave the translation unable to show the divorce is final.
Add the registry act or the margin note
Where the divorce was recorded at a civil registry, the act or the note on the marriage record is often the page a clerk wants. Upload it with the judgment.
Tell us if only part was requested
If the recipient asked for the ruling alone, say so at checkout. Otherwise we translate the full document, which is what USCIS requires.
Details and pricing
What is included in a Chinese (Mandarin) Simplified divorce decree 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 divorce decree 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 Divorce Decree FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- I divorced in China. Does USCIS need the 离婚证 or the agreement?
- For an I-130 or I-485, the 离婚证 with a certified translation proves the earlier marriage ended, and that is usually all USCIS asks for. The 离婚协议书 matters when a custody or support term touches the case, such as a child immigrating with you, or when a US family court is involved. If the booklet is lost, the registry that issued it can give you a 离婚登记记录证明 or a stamped copy of the file, and we translate that instead.
- Can a US divorce decree be used to remarry in China?
- Not on its own. Before a 民政局 registers a new marriage for a Chinese citizen whose divorce was granted by a US court, the decree normally has to be recognized by an intermediate people's court under the Supreme People's Court rules of 1991, and the application must include the decree with a Chinese translation. Some courts accept only translations made in China, so ask the court first. We translate the decree into Chinese for that filing and for the Chinese lawyer reviewing it.
- My Chinese divorce was by 调解, not a judgment. Is that final?
- Yes. A 民事调解书 is as final as a judgment and takes effect when both parties sign for it, so there is no appeal period and usually no separate 生效证明. It still comes from the court, with a case number and the court seal, and it sets out the custody and property terms the parties agreed. The translation titles it a civil mediation agreement rather than a judgment, since a US reader checking the title against the Chinese needs the two to match.
- 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
Divorce decree translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's divorce decree records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements before you order.