French ID Card Translation
French ID card translation to English for USCIS, an asylum office, a bank or a school, from the French carte nationale d'identité in its old and new formats, the Belgian carte d'identité, the Haitian carte d'identification nationale and the national identity cards of Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Mali.
- 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 French id card records
A French ID card can be valid past the date printed on it
The carte nationale d'identité changed in 2021, and the two cards in circulation carry different fields and different rules.
The old laminated card and its hidden five years
The laminated card issued before 2021 is French only and lists the holder's height as taille, the sexe, the address and a signe particulier line. Cards issued to adults between 2 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 were given five more years by decree, so a card whose printed expiry has passed can still be valid in France, with nothing on the card to say so. We translate the date exactly as printed and add a translator's note explaining the extension, so a US reader does not reject the card as expired on sight.
The 2021 card with the chip
The credit-card CNI introduced in August 2021 has a chip, a ten-year validity and English under each French label, so the printed fields need little work. What remains French is the address and the issuing authority on the back, the nom d'usage line, and the place of issue. The translation covers both faces and copies the machine-readable zone character for character.
Cards from Haiti, Cameroon and the DRC
Haiti's Office National d'Identification issues the carte d'identification nationale, and the NIF card from the tax office is often shown alongside it. Cameroon's card from the DGSN prints the profession, the parents' names and signes particuliers. Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire issue ECOWAS-format biometric cards. The DRC has had no national ID card for most people since the 1990s, and the carte d'électeur from the CENI serves in its place; we translate it as a voter card and say so, because calling it an ID card would misdescribe it to USCIS.
Who is asking for your French id card 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.
State DMVs and Social Security offices
An ID card offered as proof of identity or date of birth is accepted with a certified translation. A few offices want it notarized as well, so check with your office before you order.
IRCC
IRCC accepts a certified translation with the translator's affidavit. Order the certified translation and add notarization if your application guide asks for it.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a French id card.
Scan both sides
The issuing office, the expiry date and the address are usually on the back. Upload the front and the back in one order so the translation covers the whole card.
Give us the spelling you use in English
The translation shows the name as the card prints it and notes the spelling on your passport or green card. Say which at checkout so the two documents match.
A phone photo works if every character is readable
Lay the card on a plain surface, avoid glare on the hologram and take one picture per side with the whole card in frame.
Details and pricing
What is included in a French id card 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 id card 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.
French ID Card FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Why would USCIS need my ID card if I have a passport?
- Usually it does not. The card matters when there is no passport: an asylum applicant who left in a hurry, a child on a parent's file, or a spouse abroad proving identity for a consular interview. It also matters when a name on the card differs from the passport, for example a nom d'usage. The translation shows the card exactly as printed so an officer can tie the two documents together.
- Is the Belgian or Swiss card already in English?
- The Belgian eID prints its labels in Dutch, French, German and English, and the Swiss carte d'identité in the national languages and English, so a translation is rarely required for either. A US bank or court sometimes asks for one anyway, and then we translate the card in full.
- Do you translate a US state ID into French?
- Yes. A notaire settling an estate, a French bank opening an account for a non-resident, or a mairie preparing a marriage file may ask for a US identification document in French. A state ID or driver's license is translated with the state's name, the document type and every restriction code written out. The translation can be notarized if the French office asks.
- 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 French documents we translate
ID card translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's id card records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements before you order.