The Saudi family card is one of the most useful documents a family owns. It lists the head of the household and every registered family member with their names, relationships, dates of birth and identity numbers. That is exactly why embassies, universities, immigration authorities and foreign institutions ask for it, and why they need it in English. Our family card translation service in Riyadh produces a complete, certified English translation that shows every family relationship clearly, uses your passport spellings, and is ready for visa, residency and study applications.
What Is Family Card Translation?
Family card translation is the certified translation of the Saudi family record issued by the Civil Affairs authority. The translation reproduces every field on the card: the head of the family, the national identity numbers, the names of the spouse or spouses and children, their relationships, dates and places of birth, and any notes or stamps. It is certified with our office stamp and a translator’s statement confirming that it is complete and accurate, so a receiving authority can rely on it without reading Arabic.
When Do You Need Family Card Translation?
- Family visas: Schengen, UK, US, Canadian and other applications where family members travel together or a relationship must be proved.
- Dependant visas for students and workers: when a spouse and children accompany the main applicant abroad.
- Immigration files: to support birth and marriage certificates in family-based applications.
- School and university enrolment abroad: to show guardianship or family relationship.
- Foreign banks and insurers: when adding family members to accounts or policies.
- Embassy services: for citizens and residents registering family events with foreign missions.
In each of these cases, a family card translation is often requested alongside birth certificates and the marriage contract, so we recommend translating the family’s documents together.
What Our Family Card Translation Includes
| Section of the card | How we translate it |
|---|---|
| Head of the family | Full name in passport spelling, national ID number, date and place of birth |
| Spouse(s) | Full names, ID numbers and relationship to the head of the family |
| Children | Names, relationship, sex, dates and places of birth, listed in the original order |
| Dates | Hijri dates kept as written, with the Gregorian equivalent in brackets |
| Card details | Card number, issue date, issuing office |
| Stamps and notes | Translated in full, with seals and signatures indicated in brackets |
Why Name Spelling Matters in Family Card Translation
A family card connects several people in one document. If the father’s name is spelled one way on the family card and another way on a child’s birth certificate, an officer may not be sure the documents describe the same family.
In every family card translation, we use each person’s passport as the reference spelling and keep it identical across all documents in the file. If a family member has no passport yet, we agree on one spelling with you and use it consistently. Please send the passport data pages of all family members with your order.
Hijri and Gregorian Dates
Most Saudi family cards record dates of birth in the Hijri calendar. Foreign authorities work with the Gregorian calendar, and their systems compare dates of birth with passport data. We keep every Hijri date exactly as it appears and add the Gregorian equivalent in brackets. Each conversion is checked by a second translator, because a one-day difference can create an unnecessary mismatch.
Family Card Translation for Visa Applications
When a family applies for visas together, the family card is often the simplest way to prove that everyone in the application belongs to the same household. Embassies may ask for it alongside the children’s birth certificates and the parents’ marriage contract. A consistent family card translation, matching the names on all passports and supporting documents, helps the officer see the relationships immediately.
For more on planning visa files, read our guide to travel document translation and, for American applications, our US visa translation guide.
Family Card Translation for Dependants
Students and employees moving abroad often bring their spouse and children as dependants. Universities, employers and immigration authorities then ask for evidence of the family relationship. A family card translation is useful here because it shows all dependants in one document, supported by individual birth certificates and the marriage contract.
We translate the whole family set together so that every document uses the same spellings and the same terminology. See our birth certificate translation service.
Family Card Translation for Residents
Residents of other nationalities do not hold a Saudi family card, but they often have similar family records issued in their home countries, many of them in Arabic. We translate family registers and civil status documents from any Arab country, taking into account the different official terms used in each country. Residents also frequently need Iqama translation as part of the same file.
What to Send Us
- A clear copy of both sides of the family card, or every page if it is a booklet.
- The passport data page of each family member named on the card.
- The name of the embassy, university or authority that will receive the translation.
- Your deadline or appointment date.
- The number of printed certified copies you need, if any.
Our translation checklist explains how to photograph and prepare documents so your order is processed quickly.
Our Family Card Translation Process
- Review: we check that the card is complete and readable and confirm the receiving authority.
- Quote: you receive a clear price and delivery time before work starts.
- Translation: an experienced translator translates every field, stamp and note.
- Second review: another translator checks names, ID numbers, relationships and dates against the original and the passports.
- Certification: the translation is stamped and accompanied by the translator’s statement with our contact details.
- Delivery: you receive a high-resolution PDF, with printed copies available on request.
Family Card Translation for Schengen, UK and Canada
Different destinations use the family card in slightly different ways. Schengen consulates often ask for proof of relationship when parents and children apply together, and a translated family card is a convenient way to show the whole family at once. UK applications that involve dependants ask for evidence of the relationship, and translations must include the translator’s confirmation, date, name, signature and contact details.
Canadian immigration requires a translation for any document not in English or French, together with an affidavit where the translator is not certified by a Canadian provincial association. Our family card translation follows the requirements of the authority you name, so tell us the destination when you order.
Family Card Translation for Schools and Universities Abroad
When children move to a school abroad, the school may ask for proof of guardianship and family relationship before enrolment. Universities may ask the same when a student’s parent or guardian is the financial sponsor. A certified family card translation, supported by birth certificates, answers these questions in one clear document. We keep the child’s name spelled as in the passport, which the school will use for its own records.
Adding a Newborn to Your File
If a baby has joined the family recently, the family card may need updating before it is translated. Parents preparing to travel with a newborn usually need the baby’s birth certificate, passport and an updated family card. We can translate the birth certificate immediately and the updated family card as soon as it is issued, keeping all names consistent with the rest of the family’s documents.
Using Your Translation More Than Once
A family card translation can often be reused for several applications, as long as the card itself has not changed and the receiving authority accepts a translation issued on an earlier date. Keep the PDF and at least one printed certified copy in a safe place. If your family situation changes, request an updated card and a new translation so that your documents always match your current circumstances.
Translating Old Family Records
Some families still hold older paper family records, handwritten entries or cards issued many years ago. These can be translated as long as they are readable. We translate every legible entry and clearly mark any word or stamp that cannot be read, rather than guessing. If an entry is important and unreadable, it may be better to request a new copy from the Civil Affairs authority before translation.
A Practical Example
A family of five preparing for a Schengen holiday sent us their family card, the children’s birth certificates and the parents’ marriage contract. Their previous translations, made at different times, spelled the father’s name in two ways and listed the children in a different order from the family card.
We translated the whole set again using the passport spellings, kept the children in the same order on every document, and added Gregorian dates next to every Hijri date. The family organised the PDFs by person and uploaded them to the visa portal without any questions from the consulate. Consistency across the file made the relationships obvious at a glance.
Family Card Translation for Companies
Companies sponsoring employees with families abroad, or arranging family visas for staff, often need several family files translated at once. We can handle multiple families in one order, keep a consistent format across all files, and deliver them in clearly labelled folders. For corporate clients, we also offer agreed turnaround times and a single point of contact.
Related Services
- Birth certificate translation
- Salary certificate translation
- Iqama translation
- Employment contract translation
Family Card Translation and Marriage Contracts
The family card shows that a couple is registered as a family, but many authorities also ask for the marriage contract itself, especially for spouse and dependant visas. The two documents should tell the same story: the same names, the same dates and the same spelling. When we prepare a family card translation together with the marriage contract, we make sure both use identical spellings and that the marriage date on the contract is shown consistently in both Hijri and Gregorian form.
If your marriage contract was issued by a court and endorsed by several offices, we translate every endorsement and stamp so that the full history of the document is visible to the receiving authority.
How to Photograph Your Family Card
Place the card on a flat, dark surface in good daylight, photograph it straight from above, and make sure all four corners are visible. Take a separate photo of each side and zoom in on any small print or stamps. Avoid flash, which can create glare on laminated cards. Clear photos mean a faster family card translation and fewer questions.
Common Problems We Help You Avoid
- Missing family members: translating only the first side of the card, leaving out children listed on the back.
- Inconsistent names: spellings that differ from passports or from other translated documents.
- Unconverted dates: Hijri dates that the receiving authority cannot compare with passport data.
- Outdated cards: cards that do not include a recently born child or recent changes in the family.
- Self-translation: translations prepared by a family member, which many authorities do not accept.
- Unclear relationships: literal translations of relationship terms that confuse foreign readers.
Translating Relationship Terms Correctly
Arabic relationship terms do not always map neatly onto English ones, and the family card uses formal administrative wording. We translate each relationship into the clear English term an officer expects, such as wife, son or daughter, while keeping the structure of the original record.
Where the card includes more than one wife, we translate each entry separately and accurately, without adding interpretation. If a note on the card records a change in family status, such as a divorce or death, it is translated in full, because the receiving authority may need that information.
Keeping the Family Card Up to Date
Before ordering family card translation, check that your card reflects your current family situation. If a child has recently been born or a change has been recorded, request an updated card from the Civil Affairs authority first. A translation must reproduce the original exactly, so an outdated card produces an outdated translation, which may not satisfy the receiving authority.
Printed and Digital Copies
Many applications are submitted online, so every family card translation we deliver comes as a clean, high-resolution PDF ready for upload. Some embassies and institutions also ask for printed certified copies. If you are applying to several authorities, such as a visa centre and a school, order enough printed copies with your first order; it is quicker than requesting them later.
Confidentiality
A family card contains identity numbers and personal details for every member of your household. We handle every document confidentially: only the assigned translator and reviewer see it, we never upload client documents to public translation tools, and digital copies are deleted after the agreed retention period.
Family Card Translation Checklist
- Both sides of the card, clearly photographed.
- Passport data pages for every family member.
- The destination authority and your appointment date.
- Any related documents to translate together: birth certificates, marriage contract, salary certificate.
- The number of printed certified copies you need.
With these items ready, your family card translation can usually be completed within one working day, fully consistent with the rest of your family’s documents.
Price and Delivery Time
A family card translation is usually delivered the same day or the next working day. The price depends on the size of the card, the number of family members listed and whether you need printed copies or urgent delivery. We confirm the price and delivery time after reviewing your document, with no hidden fees. Translating the family card together with birth certificates and the marriage contract is usually the most efficient option for visa files.
Why Choose Al-Tarjman?
- Licensed certified translation office in Riyadh.
- Passport-based name spelling for every family member.
- Hijri dates with verified Gregorian equivalents.
- Second-translator review before every delivery.
- Experience with embassy, university and immigration requirements.
- Fast delivery and strict confidentiality.
Our translation service does not guarantee the outcome of any application; decisions are made by the receiving authority. Please review the finished translation and contact us if you notice any discrepancy, and we will correct it promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a family card translation accepted by embassies?
Most embassies accept certified translations from a licensed office, provided they are complete and include the translator’s statement. Always check the specific embassy’s requirements.
Do I need to translate both sides of the card?
Yes. Family members and notes often appear on both sides, and a complete translation is expected.
Can you use the spellings from our passports?
Yes. Send the passport data pages of all family members and we will use those spellings consistently.
How long does family card translation take?
Usually the same day or the next working day, depending on the time we receive the document.
Can you translate the whole family file together?
Yes. We recommend translating the family card, birth certificates and marriage contract together for consistency.
Request a Quote
Send a clear copy of your family card and your family’s passport pages, and tell us where the translation will be used.
Contact us on WhatsApp or email info@saudicertifiedtranslation.com. Learn more about Al-Tarjman.