A discharge summary from Kyiv lists "metamizole 1,0 g" three times a day. In a careless translation the comma disappears and the dose reads "10 g." And a US pharmacist may never have dispensed the drug at all: metamizole, known in the US as dipyrone, is on the FDA's list of drugs withdrawn or removed from the market for reasons of safety or effectiveness. That is medical records translation in a nutshell: the words are only half the job, and the numbers, units and drug names carry the risk.
This guide covers who asks for translated medical records, how foreign records are structured, the clinical details translators get wrong, and how to get your records out of a hospital in the first place.
Who needs translated medical records, and why?
Medical records cross borders for very different reasons, and the purpose decides how formal the translation has to be.
| Recipient | Typical documents | What they need |
|---|---|---|
| US doctor or hospital (continuing care) | Discharge summaries, lab results, imaging reports, operation notes, prescriptions | An accurate translation the clinician can act on; certification is good practice |
| USCIS (waivers, Form N-648, humanitarian cases) | Diagnoses, treatment histories, letters from treating physicians | Full certified translation under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) |
| Civil surgeon (Form I-693 medical exam) | Vaccination cards and records | Reliable English translation, provided by the applicant |
| Social Security Administration | Foreign medical evidence for disability claims | SSA translates documents it needs to decide the claim |
| Insurers | Invoices, treatment reports, hospital stays abroad | Varies by insurer; ask the claims department before ordering |
| Courts and opposing counsel | Medical evidence in injury, custody or malpractice cases | Certified translation; some courts also want a sworn declaration |
Does USCIS accept translated medical records?
Yes, when each one comes with a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, plus a certification of the translator's competence. USCIS sees medical records most often in hardship waiver applications, where a relative's illness is part of the argument, and in naturalization cases where Form N-648 supports an exception to the English and civics tests for a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment.
"Full" is the operative word. A three-page Ukrainian vypyska (discharge extract) cannot be cut down to a paragraph about the diagnosis, however tempting that is when the rest looks like boilerplate. See how to translate documents for USCIS for the general rules.
The civil surgeon and vaccination records
For the immigration medical exam, CDC's instructions to civil surgeons are explicit: "the responsibility lies with the applicant to provide reliable English translations of all records." Vaccine doses count only when the record shows the full date of receipt (month, day and year). A translated card that drops the day, or turns "03.04.2019" into the wrong month, can mean an unnecessary repeat dose. Our vaccination records guide covers this in detail.
Social Security disability claims
The Social Security Administration is the exception worth knowing about. Its operations manual, in a section effective December 23, 2025, says: "If a person submits a foreign-language document that we need to review to determine entitlement, we will have it translated." SSA works through its own translators first, then approved outside translators, and it tells staff: "Do NOT use translator websites or translator apps on your phone to translate foreign language documents." If your claim is with SSA, ask the field office before paying for a translation yourself.
Doctors and hospitals
No federal rule requires a certified translation for clinical care. Still, a certified translation by a professional who knows medical terminology protects both patient and doctor, and many practices ask for one before relying on foreign results. If the same records may later go to USCIS, an insurer or a court, order the certified version once.
How are foreign medical records structured?
Russia and Ukraine. Records follow numbered state forms. In Russia the outpatient card is form 025/u, the vaccination record 063/u, the medical certificate for university or job applicants 086/u, and the vaccination certificate 156/u-93; Ukraine uses similar numbers with an /o suffix. A discharge extract is a vypiska (Ukrainian vypyska), ending with the epikriz, the final clinical summary. Diagnoses often carry ICD-10 codes, written MKB-10 in Russian. Handwriting is common, and abbreviations such as в/м (intramuscular) and в/в (intravenous) must be expanded correctly.
Germany and Austria. The key document is the Arztbrief or Entlassungsbrief (physician's letter or discharge letter), usually typed, under headings such as Diagnosen, Anamnese, Befund (findings) and Therapie. Lab values use the decimal comma, and the units vary by lab.
Spain and Latin America. Look for the informe médico, the informe de alta (discharge report) and the epicrisis. A prescription is a receta. Mexican records usually name the public institution that issued them, such as IMSS or ISSSTE, which should stay as acronyms with the full name in brackets.
China. Records are often a booklet (bingli) with handwritten entries from different visits, plus printed lab sheets that mix Chinese with English abbreviations such as WBC or ALT. A good translation keeps those abbreviations as they appear.
In every country, the stamps matter. A round hospital seal, a department stamp and the physician's personal stamp each identify who issued and who signed the record, and a certified translation describes them in brackets, for example "[Round seal: City Clinical Hospital No. 4, Department of Cardiology]".
What do translators get wrong in medical records?
This is where medical records translation parts ways with translating a birth certificate.
Decimal commas and units
Most of continental Europe, much of South America and the former Soviet Union write decimals with a comma. "0,5 mg" is half a milligram, and the translation must render it "0.5 mg". Thousands separators are the reverse trap: "1.000" in a German lab report is one thousand, not one.
Lab units also differ. Many countries report blood glucose and cholesterol in mmol/L, while US labs commonly use mg/dL. The translator keeps the original value and unit exactly as written. Converting values is a clinical decision, not a translation decision, and a conversion error is invisible to the reader.
Drug names
International nonproprietary names do not always match US names. Paracetamol is acetaminophen in the US, salbutamol is albuterol, and adrenaline is epinephrine. Brand names differ even more. Good practice is to keep the name as written and add the US equivalent in brackets, for example "Paracetamol [acetaminophen] 500 mg". A drug not sold in the US, such as metamizole (Analgin, Novalgin), is translated by its generic name with no substitution.
Dates
A record dated "03/04/2021" in Europe means April 3, not March 4. A careful translation writes the month out ("April 3, 2021") or keeps the original format with a translator's note. For vaccination records and medication histories, this is the most common source of error.
Negatives and uncertainty
Без патологии (no pathology), не выявлено (not detected) and sospecha de (suspected) change the meaning entirely if dropped or softened. Negation and degree of certainty must be rendered exactly, and illegible handwriting is marked "[illegible]", never guessed.
How do I get my medical records to send abroad, or from abroad?
From a US provider, use your right of access under HIPAA, 45 CFR 164.524. The provider must act on your request no later than 30 days after receiving it, with one extension of up to 30 more days if it gives you a written reason and a completion date. It may charge only "a reasonable, cost-based fee" covering copying labor, supplies and postage, and if you ask in writing it must send the copy directly to a person you designate.
For records held abroad, ask the treating hospital or clinic in writing for copies or a certified extract; many countries give patients a legal right to them. Once you hold your records, any translator you choose can work from them.
If a foreign hospital or authority wants US records authenticated as well as translated, ask whether it needs an apostille before you order anything. An apostille authenticates a public signature, such as a notary's, so the order of the steps matters.
What a certified medical translation must include
- Every page, including lab printouts, stamps and handwritten margin notes
- Diagnoses with ICD codes reproduced as written
- All values with original units and decimal places, decimal commas changed to points
- Drug names as written, with US equivalents in brackets where they differ
- Dates in an unambiguous format
- Descriptions of seals, stamps and signatures in brackets
- "[illegible]" wherever handwriting cannot be read
- A signed certification of completeness, accuracy and translator competence
Why medical translations get rejected or cause problems
Summaries instead of translations. "Patient was treated for pneumonia and discharged" is not a translation of a four-page epikriz, and USCIS and courts treat summaries as incomplete.
Silent unit conversion. The doctor sees a plausible number that is wrong.
Swapped day and month. A vaccine given on 05.06.2015 becomes May 6 instead of June 5, and the civil surgeon's interval check no longer works.
Untranslated stamps. When the issuing hospital is identified only in the seal, leaving it out makes the record look anonymous.
Checklist before you order a medical records translation
Questions people ask
Do I need a certified translation of my medical records for a US doctor?
No federal rule requires one for routine care, and some doctors will work from an informal translation. Many practices still prefer a certified translation before relying on foreign test results, because it identifies a responsible translator and confirms completeness. If the records may also go to USCIS, an insurer or a court, order the certified version once and use it everywhere.
Does USCIS accept translated medical records?
Yes, when each record comes with a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, plus a statement of the translator's competence, as 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires. A summary or partial translation does not meet that standard and invites a Request for Evidence.
Do medical record translations need to be notarized?
Not for USCIS, which requires the translator's certification, not a notary seal. Some courts, foreign authorities and insurers do ask for notarization, so check with the recipient first; a notarized translation can be added when it is required.
Who translates vaccination records for the immigration medical exam?
The applicant is responsible. CDC guidance to civil surgeons says the applicant must provide reliable English translations of all records, even though some civil surgeon offices can translate records themselves. Make sure every dose shows the full date, because doses without a month, day and year cannot be counted.
Should the translator convert lab units into US units?
No. The translation keeps every value and unit exactly as in the original, with decimal commas changed to decimal points. Converting units is a clinical task, and conversion errors are hard for the reader to spot.
Do I need to translate my records for a Social Security disability claim?
Usually not. SSA's operations manual says that when a person submits a foreign-language document SSA needs to review to determine entitlement, SSA will have it translated, using its own translators or approved outside ones. Ask your field office before ordering a translation, especially for large files.
How do I get my medical records from a US hospital to send abroad?
Submit a written request under HIPAA's right of access. The provider must act within 30 days, with one 30-day extension allowed if it explains the delay in writing, and it can charge only a reasonable, cost-based fee. You can then have the records translated and, if the foreign authority asks, apostilled.
How much does a medical records translation cost?
Official Translations charges $29.95 per page for a certified translation, delivered as a signed PDF by email. A one-page letter or lab result is usually ready within 24 hours, and longer records typically take one to three business days, so translate the pages your case actually needs first.