Peru Civil Documents · Updated August 2026
The Civil Documents You Need From Peru for a U.S. Marriage Green Card
A plain-English guide to the birth, police, and marriage records you will gather in Peru for a U.S. marriage green card, who issues each one, and what it costs.
Quick answer
For a U.S. marriage green card, the Peruvian spouse generally needs the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, and Marriage Certificate. An apostille is generally not required by USCIS for a filing inside the U.S. 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: Required for both the consular immigrant visa path and adjustment of status inside the U.S. You submit a certified copy plus a full English translation.
How to get it: Order a certified copy from RENIEC online through its citizen portal, or in person at any RENIEC office or authorized agency. For U.S. immigration use, the certificate must be the RENIEC-certified version (older records held only at a municipal civil registry may need to be incorporated into RENIEC first).
- Issued by
- RENIEC (Registro Nacional de Identificacion y Estado Civil)
- Cost
- Approx. S/10 (about USD 3) online, or S/12 (about USD 4) at a RENIEC office
- Timing
- Often same day when ordered online; in-person requests are typically issued the same visit
Police Certificate
What USCIS needs: Consular processing (immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Lima) requires a Peruvian police certificate if you lived in Peru for more than a year after age 16, or hold Peruvian citizenship and lived there over 12 months. Adjustment of status from inside the U.S. does not use a foreign police certificate; USCIS relies on your biometrics and FBI check instead.
How to get it: Get the Certificado de Antecedentes Penales from the Poder Judicial digital portal (CAPe) for domestic use; for use abroad you generally must request it in person at an authorized court office and then have it apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Issued by
- Poder Judicial del Peru (criminal records) via the CAPe portal; Policia Nacional del Peru issues police-record certificates
- Cost
- Approx. S/40 (about USD 11) online, or S/53 (about USD 14) in person
- Timing
- Digital version can be issued within the same day; certificate is valid for 90 days
Marriage Certificate
What USCIS needs: Submit a certified copy plus a full English translation. If either spouse was previously married, include the prior marriage record annotated with the divorce or the death certificate of the former spouse.
How to get it: Order the RENIEC-certified marriage record online or in person, the same way as a birth certificate. Records originate with the district or provincial council where the marriage took place and are certified through RENIEC. If you are not yet married, note that Peru does not issue a 'single status' certificate the way some countries do; RENIEC can instead provide a negative certificate showing no marriage is registered.
- Issued by
- RENIEC (Registro Nacional de Identificacion y Estado Civil)
- Cost
- Approx. S/10 (about USD 3) online, or S/12 (about USD 4) at a RENIEC office
- Timing
- Often same day when ordered online
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At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Apostille status | Peru joined the Hague Apostille Convention (in force September 30, 2010); apostilles are issued by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. For petitions filed with USCIS an apostille is generally not required. USCIS asks for a certified copy plus a certified English translation, though an apostille can be useful for consular steps or other official uses. |
| How records are kept | Civil records (birth, marriage, death) are centralized under RENIEC, though some older records still sit with the district or provincial municipal civil registry where the event occurred until incorporated into RENIEC. |
| Typical time to gather | Most RENIEC records can be obtained the same day online; the police certificate is issued quickly but is valid for only 90 days. |
| Translation | Documents are in Spanish and need a certified English translation for USCIS. USCIS allows any person competent in both languages to translate and sign a certification of accuracy; a professional or sworn translator is not required. |
Source: U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Peru. Verified August 2026. Need to translate a document? See our certified translation guide.
Full document reference
Every civil record from Peru 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 | RENIEC | Approx. S/10 online / S/12 in person (about USD 3 to 4) | Order certified copy online at reniec.gob.pe or at any RENIEC office |
| Marriage Certificate | RENIEC | Approx. S/10 online / S/12 in person (about USD 3 to 4) | Order RENIEC-certified Partida de Matrimonio online or in person |
| Divorce Record | RENIEC | Approx. S/10 online / S/12 in person (about USD 3 to 4) | Obtain the marriage record annotated with the divorce dissolution, certified by RENIEC |
| Death Certificate | RENIEC | Approx. S/10 online / S/12 in person (about USD 3 to 4) | Order RENIEC-certified Acta de Defuncion online or in person |
| Police Certificate | Poder Judicial (CAPe portal); PNP for police records | Approx. S/40 online / S/53 in person (about USD 11 to 14) | Request Certificado de Antecedentes Penales via cape.pj.gob.pe; for abroad use apply in person and apostille |
What applicants report
“Applicants consistently report that RENIEC birth and marriage certificates are cheap and can be pulled online in minutes, so the paperwork itself is rarely the bottleneck. The recurring snag people flag is timing the police certificate to the interview because of its short validity window, and making sure translations are attached to every Spanish document before submitting.”
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- U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Peru
- U.S. Embassy Lima: Immigrant Visa Document Supplement
- HCCH: Peru joins the Hague Apostille Convention
- RENIEC: National Registry of Identification and Civil Status
- Poder Judicial del Peru: Certificado Electronico de Antecedentes Penales (CAPe)
Verified August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do my Peruvian documents need an apostille for USCIS?
Usually not. For documents filed with a USCIS petition inside the United States, USCIS asks for a certified copy of the record plus a certified English translation, not an apostille. Peru does issue apostilles through the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, which can be useful for consular processing or other official uses, but it is generally not a USCIS requirement. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where do I get my Peruvian birth and marriage certificates?
Both come from RENIEC, Peru's national civil registry. You can order certified copies online at reniec.gob.pe or in person at any RENIEC office, typically for about S/10 to S/12 (roughly 3 to 4 US dollars). Make sure you get the RENIEC-certified version rather than a plain municipal copy.
Do I need a Peruvian police certificate if I am already in the United States?
It depends on your path. If you are adjusting status from inside the U.S., USCIS relies on your biometrics and FBI background check, so a foreign police certificate is generally not needed. If you are going through consular processing at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, you will need a Peruvian police certificate if you lived in Peru for more than a year after age 16. This is general information, not legal advice.
My Peruvian documents are in Spanish. Who can translate them?
USCIS accepts a translation from anyone competent in both Spanish and English, as long as they sign a statement certifying the translation is accurate and that they are qualified to translate. You do not need a sworn or government-licensed translator. Each Spanish document should have its English translation attached.
Key takeaways
- ✓
The core documents most Peruvian applicants need are the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, Marriage Certificate.
- ✓
Peru is a Hague Apostille Convention member, but USCIS generally does not require an apostille for a marriage green card filed inside the U.S.
- ✓
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 close to when you file, since older originals and short-form copies are common causes of delay.
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