Do you need to apostille a death certificate?
At International Apostille, we take the guesswork out of obtaining an apostille on a death certificate. We can apostille death certificates issued from all 50 States and the District of Columbia (Washington DC).
In order to apostille the certificate, you must mail in the original or a certified copy issued by the County Clerk, Health Department, or State to our office for processing. Death 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 the death certificate is from the State of California, the State of California is the only State that can issue the apostille. Another example is if the death certificate is from New York, only the State of New York can issue the apostille.
Not every death certificate can qualify for an apostille. Some States have set time limits on how old a certificate can be. For example, death certificates issued from the State of Wisconsin and Virginia can not be older than 12 months. 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. Also, please note that death certificates can be issued from the Health Department in some States. Some States may accept health department death certificates and some State offices may not.
Here are a few frequently asked questions…
Question: What if the death 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, death certificates issued from the State of Virginia and Wisconsin cannot be older than 12 months. A death 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 death certificate?
Answer: There are many reasons why another country will ask for an apostille on a death certificate. A death certificate is generally requested when the family requests to settle the estate of the deceased in another country. Other reasons can be inheritance, property sale, retirement benefits, etc…
Question: Can I apostille a California death certificate in New York?
Answer: No. A death certificate can only receive the apostille from the State of issue. For example, a death 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 death 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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