Do you need to apostille a birth certificate?
At International Apostille, we take the guesswork out of obtaining an apostille on your birth certificate. We can apostille birth certificates issued from all 50 States and the District of Columbia (Washington DC).
In order to apostille your certificate, you must mail in the original or a certified copy issued by the County Clerk or State to our office for processing. Birth certificates can only be authenticated from the State of issue. The Secretary of State does not have the authority to authenticate documents issued from another State. For example, if your birth certificate is from the State of California, the State of California is the only State that can issue the apostille. Another example is if your birth certificate is from New York, only the State of New York can issue the apostille.
Not every birth certificate can qualify for an apostille. Some States have set time limits on how old a certificate can be. For example, birth certificates issued from the State of Wisconsin and Virginia can not be older than 12 months. Also, some States will not authenticate certificates issued by the County Clerk or the Health Department. We recommend that you mail in the certificate you currently have for review. If the State rejects your document, we will contact you with instructions.
Here are a few frequently asked questions…
Question: What if my birth certificate is older than five years?
Answer: Most States can apostille a certificate older than five years. But, there are a few States that have set limits on how old a certificate can be. For example, birth certificates issued from the State of Virginia and Wisconsin cannot be older than 12 months. A birth certificate issued from the State of Texas cannot be older than five years. Because of the unique requirements of every State, we recommend that you mail in what you currently have before you order a new one. If the State does not accept your document, we will contact you with instructions.
Question: Why do I need to apostille my birth certificate?
Answer: There are many reasons why another country will ask for an apostille on your birth certificate. Some of the examples are: If you are planning to obtain dual-citizenship, buying property, inheritance, marriage, divorce, planning to retire in another country, etc…
Question: Can I apostille my California birth certificate in New York?
Answer: No. A birth certificate can only receive the apostille from the State of issue. A birth certificate issued from the State of California can only receive an apostille from the State of California.
Question: What if the State does not accept my birth certificate?
Answer: In situations where the certificate is not accepted, we will contact you with instructions from the State.
Obtaining an apostille can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!
What US State are your documents from?
Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-888-810-4054.
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