Nebraska Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Nebraska, from $65 per page, with most translations ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each one comes with a signed certificate of accuracy. We work remotely from the Portland, Oregon area: you upload your document through the quote form and we return the translation electronically or by mail. This page sets out the Nebraska rules that affect translated documents, with links to the official sources.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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What federal immigration rules require
USCIS applies one rule in every state. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, together with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from the foreign language into English.
Our certificate of accuracy is written to cover both points. Nebraska has one USCIS field office, at 1717 Avenue H in Omaha. USCIS says it serves all of Nebraska and 29 counties in Iowa, and that visitors need an appointment.
Apostilles from the Nebraska Secretary of State
Apostilles and authentications for Nebraska documents are issued by the Secretary of State’s Notary Division in Lincoln. An apostille is used for countries in the Hague Convention; an authentication is used for all other countries. The office can certify only documents issued by Nebraska officials, and it asks for the original document signed by a Nebraska notary or a state or county official.
The office lists birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, adoption paperwork, school transcripts, diplomas, business documents and powers of attorney among the documents it handles. Its page does not set a separate rule for translations, so a translation reaches the office the same way as any other private document: with a statement signed before a Nebraska notary.
If a foreign authority wants your translation apostilled, the translator’s signed statement has to be notarized first. When a translation needs to be notarized for Nebraska, we hire a notary commissioned in Nebraska to notarize the translator’s statement, so the Secretary of State can certify that notary’s signature.
Two documents often travel together: the Nebraska record itself, such as a certified birth certificate signed by a state official, and the notarized translation. The fee applies to each one. We can help you work out what the receiving country expects and assemble the request. Whether the foreign authority accepts the result is its decision.
| Fee | $10 per document or notarization, regardless of the number of pages |
|---|---|
| Form | Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request, which asks for the country of destination |
| Nebraska Secretary of State, Notary Division, PO Box 95104, Lincoln, NE 68509 | |
| Walk-in and courier | 1201 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508 |
| Processing | Mail: 3 to 5 business days from receipt. Walk-in: completed the same day |
| Payment | Check or money order payable to Nebraska Secretary of State; card payment online |
| Contact | (402) 471-2558, sos.notary@nebraska.gov |
What a Nebraska notary can and cannot do
A notary confirms who signed a statement. A notary does not check or approve the translation. Nebraska Revised Statute 64-105.03 bars notaries who are not attorneys from practicing law, from helping a person draft, complete, select or understand a document that requires a notarial act, and from claiming powers they do not have, including the power to counsel on immigration matters.
The same statute says a non-attorney notary who advertises in a language other than English must display this statement: “I am not an attorney and have no authority to give advice on immigration or other legal matters.” It also prohibits use of the term “notario publico” or an equivalent in another language. The Secretary of State’s notary guidance adds that a notary may not offer advice about the legality of a document.
Vital records: where the Nebraska originals come from
Certified copies of Nebraska birth, death, marriage and divorce records come from the Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records, in Lincoln. You need the certified copy before an apostille, and it helps to send us a clear scan of it for translation.
| Walk-in | Nebraska State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, First Floor, Lincoln |
|---|---|
| Nebraska Vital Records, P.O. Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065 | |
| Fees | Birth $17; death, marriage and divorce $16 each |
| Published timing | Walk-in minimum 30 minutes; online minimum 7 days; mail minimum 15 days in-office processing |
| Phone | (402) 471-2871 |
Courts, interpreters and the DMV
The Nebraska Supreme Court runs the Court Interpreter Training and Certification Program. Its pathway has three steps: a two-day orientation, a written exam passed at 80 percent or higher, and an oral exam from the National Center for State Courts. Interpreters are classed as certified, provisionally certified, registered or non-certified. Under state statute, interpreter fees are fixed and ordered paid by the judge. That program covers spoken interpreting in court. It is separate from written translation of your exhibits and records, and the judicial branch’s 2019 Language Access Plan says certified translators should be used for complex documents. Ask the clerk or your attorney what the judge expects for a foreign-language exhibit.
The Nebraska DMV says a new resident with a valid license from another state must get a Nebraska license within 30 days. For a name change it asks for certified marriage licenses, certified divorce decrees or a court order linking the names. Its published document list does not address documents in other languages or licenses from other countries, so call the DMV at 402-471-3985 before your visit. The driver manual is published in English and Spanish.
Languages spoken in Nebraska
Census Reporter’s ACS 2024 one-year profile puts Nebraska’s population at 2,005,466, with about 14 percent of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 9 percent born outside the United States. A DHHS report based on 2018 ACS five-year data listed Spanish first, with 131,151 speakers, followed by Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese and German.
We translate 100 languages. The most requested are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. For any other language, ask us before you order.
How to order from anywhere in Nebraska
- Upload. Send a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form. A phone photo works if every stamp and margin is readable.
- Confirm. We reply with the price, starting at $65 per page, and the delivery date.
- Receive. The certified translation arrives electronically, or by mail if you need paper.
- Add notarization. Tell us at the start if the receiving office wants the translator’s statement notarized or apostilled.
- Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Our office is at 5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 400, Lake Oswego, OR 97035. We have no office in Nebraska.
Translation pages for Nebraska cities
We have a page for each of these Nebraska cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Lincoln · Omaha · Bellevue · Grand Island
- Nebraska apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Nebraska document translation questions
The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Notary Division in Lincoln issues apostilles and authentications. The fee is $10 per document or notarization.
The Secretary of State says mail requests are processed in 3 to 5 business days from receipt and walk-in requests at 1201 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln are completed the same day.
The federal rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), does not mention the translator’s location. It requires a full English translation with the translator’s certification of completeness, accuracy and competence.
A Nebraska notary who is not an attorney may not advise on immigration matters or help you complete or understand documents, and may not use the term “notario publico” (Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-105.03). A notary only notarizes a signature, such as the translator’s.
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation, and most orders are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The service is remote, with delivery electronically or by mail.
From Nebraska DHHS Vital Records in Lincoln, by walk-in at 301 Centennial Mall South, by mail or online. A birth certificate costs $17.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Nebraska Secretary of State: Apostilles and Authentications
- Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request form
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-105.03
- Nebraska Secretary of State: Notary FAQ
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
- Nebraska DHHS Vital Records
- DHHS Vital Records service options
- Nebraska Judicial Branch: Language Access
- Interpreter Certification Pathway
- Nebraska Judicial Branch 2019 Language Access Plan
- Nebraska DMV: new resident licensing
- Nebraska DMV: document requirements
- USCIS Omaha Field Office
- Census Reporter: Nebraska
- DHHS Language and LEP Report Card 2021
Get your Nebraska translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.