Haiti Civil Documents · Updated August 2026
The Civil Documents You Need From Haiti for a U.S. Marriage Green Card
For a marriage green card, U.S. immigration wants your Haitian civil records validated by the Archives Nationales and translated into English, so knowing which version of each document counts saves you from costly rejections.
Quick answer
For a U.S. marriage green card, the Haitian spouse generally needs the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, and Marriage Certificate. Haiti is not an apostille country, and USCIS generally does not require legalization anyway. Non-English documents need a certified English translation, which you can self-certify.
- 3 core documents
- Birth Certificate
- Police Certificate
- Marriage Certificate
- No apostille needed
For a filing inside the U.S., USCIS accepts a certified copy plus an English translation.
- Translate it yourself
Any bilingual person can certify the English translation. No licensed translator required.
The documents you actually need
Start with these core records in order. Each one lists who issues it, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly what USCIS wants.
Birth Certificate
What USCIS needs: USCIS and the consulate want the ANH-validated extrait des archives, not just the locally issued acte de naissance. Because loose local certificates are considered unreliable, the extrait pulled from the National Archives is the version that is accepted.
How to get it: Your birth was first recorded by a local civil-status officer (Officier de l'État Civil), who issues the original acte de naissance only once. For any copy after that, and for any record more than about two years old, you request an extrait from the Archives Nationales d'Haïti in Port-au-Prince, in person or through a representative. From outside Haiti, requests go through a Haitian Embassy or Consulate, which is the only authorized channel abroad.
- Issued by
- Officier de l'État Civil, validated by Archives Nationales d'Haïti (ANH)
- Cost
- Approx. 700 HTG (roughly 5 USD) at the Archives in Haiti; approx. 100 USD when requested through a Haitian consulate abroad
- Timing
- Approx. a few days to several weeks in Haiti; several weeks to a few months when requested from abroad
Police Certificate
What USCIS needs: If you go through consular processing at a U.S. embassy, a Haitian police certificate is required for every applicant age 16 and older. If you adjust status from inside the U.S. (Form I-485), USCIS does not ask for a foreign police certificate, so most spouses already in the U.S. can skip it.
How to get it: The certificate is issued by the Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ) at Boulevard Toussaint Louverture, Clercine 6, Port-au-Prince. You or an authorized representative apply in person. The genuine document carries a blue seal and the signature of the DCPJ director; certified copies are not issued, so you receive an original.
- Issued by
- Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ)
- Cost
- Approx. 102 HTG (a nominal fee, roughly 1 USD)
- Timing
- Approx. a few weeks; longer if you apply through a representative from abroad
Marriage Certificate
What USCIS needs: This is the central document proving your marriage. Submit the ANH extrait. If you are not yet married, or need to prove you were free to marry, Haitian consular authorities issue a Certificat de Célibat (single-status certificate) instead.
How to get it: The original acte de mariage is drawn up once by the civil-status officer at the time of the wedding and states whether the ceremony was civil or religious. For any later copy, and generally once the marriage is more than a year old, you request an extrait d'acte de mariage from the Archives Nationales in Port-au-Prince, in person, through a representative, or through a Haitian consulate abroad.
- Issued by
- Officier de l'État Civil / Archives Nationales d'Haïti
- Cost
- Approx. 700 HTG (roughly 5 USD) at the Archives in Haiti; approx. 100 USD through a Haitian consulate abroad
- Timing
- Approx. a few days to several weeks in Haiti; longer from abroad. Records typically reach the Archives about one year after the marriage
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At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Apostille status | Haiti is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (confirmed against the HCCH status table, where Haiti does not appear). Haitian documents cannot be apostilled; for use in other countries they go through legalization by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministère des Affaires Étrangères) and the relevant consular chain. For a U.S. marriage green card, USCIS generally does not require an apostille or legalization on foreign civil documents, so a certified English translation of the ANH extrait is usually what you need. |
| How records are kept | Births, marriages, and deaths are recorded locally by civil-status officers (Officiers de l'État Civil), and copies of every record are sent to the Archives Nationales d'Haïti. Because loose local certificates are considered unreliable, the ANH-validated extrait is the operative document. Reliability and fraud concerns are significant, so the Archives copy is what carries weight. |
| Typical time to gather | Plan on a few days to several weeks for an ANH extrait obtained in Haiti, and several weeks to a few months when requested from abroad through a Haitian consulate. |
| Translation | Documents in French or Haitian Creole need a certified English translation. USCIS lets any competent bilingual person translate and self-certify accuracy; you do not need a licensed or sworn translator. |
Source: U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Haiti. Verified August 2026. Need to translate a document? See our certified translation guide.
What officers watch for
Full document reference
Every civil record from Haiti that can come up in a marriage green card case, with the issuing authority, cost, and how to obtain it.
| Document | Issuing authority | Cost | How to obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | Officier de l'État Civil, validated by Archives Nationales d'Haïti | Approx. 700 HTG in Haiti; approx. 100 USD via consulate abroad | Request the extrait d'acte de naissance from the Archives Nationales in Port-au-Prince, or through a Haitian consulate if abroad. |
| Marriage Certificate | Officier de l'État Civil / Archives Nationales d'Haïti | Approx. 700 HTG in Haiti; approx. 100 USD via consulate abroad | Request the extrait d'acte de mariage from the Archives Nationales, typically available about a year after the wedding. |
| Divorce Decree | Civil court, registered with Archives Nationales d'Haïti | Approx. 700 HTG in Haiti; approx. 100 USD via consulate abroad | Obtain the divorce judgment (jugement de divorce) and the ANH extrait confirming it was recorded. |
| Death Certificate | Officier de l'État Civil / Archives Nationales d'Haïti | Approx. 700 HTG in Haiti; approx. 100 USD via consulate abroad | Request the extrait d'acte de décès from the Archives Nationales (needed only if proving a prior spouse's death). |
| Police Certificate | Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ) | Approx. 102 HTG (nominal) | Apply in person at DCPJ in Port-au-Prince; issued in Haiti only, with a blue seal and the director's signature. |
What applicants report
“Haitian applicants consistently report that getting the ANH extrait, not the U.S. paperwork, is the slow step, and they advise ordering it as early as possible. Many also note that with regular visa services in Port-au-Prince disrupted by the security situation, some Haitian immigrant visa cases have been shifted to processing in a third country, so filers recommend confirming where your interview will actually take place and keeping every original document safe, since replacements are hard to obtain.”
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See how it worksFrequently asked questions
Do I need the Archives Nationales extrait, or is my local birth certificate enough?
For a U.S. marriage green card you should submit the extrait validated by the Archives Nationales d'Haïti. Because loose local certificates carry fraud and reliability concerns, the ANH extrait is the version U.S. immigration relies on, especially for records more than about two years old.
Does my Haitian document need an apostille?
No. Haiti is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so Haitian documents cannot be apostilled. For a U.S. marriage green card, USCIS generally does not require an apostille or legalization. You do need a certified English translation of any French or Haitian Creole document.
Do I need a Haitian police certificate?
It depends on your path. If you are going through consular processing at a U.S. embassy, a DCPJ police certificate is required for applicants age 16 and older. If you are adjusting status from inside the United States with Form I-485, USCIS does not require a foreign police certificate.
Can I get these documents from outside Haiti?
Birth and marriage extraits can be requested through a Haitian Embassy or Consulate, which is the only authorized channel abroad, though it costs more and takes longer. The DCPJ police certificate, however, is issued inside Haiti only, so you would need a trusted representative there to obtain it.
Who can translate my documents into English?
Any person competent in both French or Haitian Creole and English can translate the document and sign a certification of accuracy. USCIS does not require a licensed or sworn translator for green card documents.
Key takeaways
- ✓
The core documents most Haitian applicants need are the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, Marriage Certificate.
- ✓
Haiti is not an Apostille Convention member, and USCIS generally does not require an apostille or legalization for its filings anyway.
- ✓
You do not need a licensed translator: any competent bilingual person can translate a document and self-certify it for USCIS.
- ✓
A home-country police certificate is generally needed only for consular processing abroad, not for adjustment of status inside the U.S.
- ✓
Order fresh certified copies directly from the official issuer and keep the originals; documents from Haiti draw closer scrutiny.
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