What is a shenasnameh?
A shenasnameh (شناسنامه) is Iran’s national identity booklet. The Iranian Civil Registration Organization (سازمان ثبت احوال) issues it at birth, and it stays with the holder for life. It is not a single-page birth certificate. It is a multi-page booklet — typically 6 to 12 pages — that records every major civil event: birth, parentage, marriages, divorces, children, and death of a spouse.
USCIS treats the shenasnameh as both a birth certificate and a civil status record. When an immigration officer requests a “birth certificate” from an Iranian applicant, they expect a full translation of every page in the shenasnameh, not just the first page.
For Iranian civil documents beyond the shenasnameh — birth, marriage, and academic records — see our certified Farsi translation services for USCIS.