Apostille Service in Galveston, Texas
Apostille Request Form
Galveston sends people overseas in ways few Texas cities do. Medical graduates leave UTMB for residencies and research posts abroad, maritime cadets train for careers on foreign-flagged ships, and couples who marry on the island often live in another country. Each of those paths can end at a foreign consulate or ministry that asks for one thing: an apostille.
Apostille Authentications helps Galveston residents, graduates and employers get Texas documents authenticated without a trip to Austin. We work remotely by mail and courier, check each document before it goes in, and submit it to the Texas Secretary of State on your behalf. We do not run a storefront on the island; everything is handled through the mail.
This page covers the Galveston records we see most, where each one is issued, and what to fix before you send anything.
Island Documents That Most Often Need an Apostille
Galveston’s mix of medicine, higher education, shipping and tourism shapes the paperwork people bring us. The most common requests tied to the island include:
- UTMB diplomas and transcripts for graduates of the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Public and Population Health and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
- Texas A&M University at Galveston records, including degrees from the campus that houses the Texas A&M Maritime Academy.
- Galveston College and Galveston ISD records, such as associate degrees and Ball High School diplomas, for students heading to universities abroad.
- Marriage certificates issued by the Galveston County Clerk for couples who held their wedding on the island.
- Birth and death certificates for inheritance cases, foreign citizenship applications and residency permits.
- Business documents for companies tied to the port, ship repair or the insurance and banking firms headquartered downtown.
Which Office Issued Your Galveston Record?
An apostille can only be placed on a properly certified document, so the first job is getting the right copy from the right office. In Galveston County the answer is not always the courthouse.
| Record | Issuing office | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Birth or death certificate | Galveston County Health District, Vital Statistics | 9850-A Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Suite A-102, Texas City; Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Marriage license or certificate | Galveston County Clerk | 600 59th Street, Suite 2001, Galveston; (409) 766-2200 |
| Divorce decree or court order | Galveston County District Clerk | 600 59th Street, Room 4001, Galveston; (409) 766-2424 |
| Diploma or transcript | Your school’s registrar | Notarized copy or registrar certification |
Island residents are sometimes surprised that certified birth and death certificates come from the Galveston County Health District office in Texas City, not from the County Clerk. You can also order a birth certificate from Texas Vital Statistics at DSHS; if you do, choose “Apostille” as the reason for the request so the certificate is signed by an official whose signature the state can authenticate.
For court records, the District Clerk’s Galveston office is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A League City office also handles District Clerk business if that is closer for you.
UTMB Graduates Heading Abroad
UTMB opened in 1891 as the nation’s first public medical school and hospital under unified leadership, and Galveston remains its original home. Its graduates and staff regularly need credentials recognized overseas for licensing boards, specialist training, teaching contracts and work visas.
A university diploma is a private document, so Texas cannot apostille it as-is. The usual route is:
- Request an official transcript or a registrar’s letter from UTMB, or make a copy of your diploma.
- Have a Texas notary complete a proper notarial certificate, either on a registrar’s signed statement or on a copy you certify with the notary.
- Send the notarized document to us; we confirm the notary’s commission details are complete before submitting it to the Secretary of State.
Many health-sector destinations also want the apostilled diploma translated. If that applies, our certified translation service can handle it after the apostille is attached.
Mariners, Port Workers and Cruise-Industry Paperwork
The Port of Galveston has operated as a commercial wharf since 1825. Today it is the only cruise homeport in Texas and handles roll-on/roll-off vehicles, grain exports, refrigerated fruit and project cargo, while Pelican Island supports ship and rig repair.
That activity creates steady demand for apostilled personal and company records. On the education side, the Texas A&M Maritime Academy is one of six state maritime academies and trains cadets for a U.S. Coast Guard license. Graduates who sign on with international operators may be asked for apostilled degrees, birth certificates or marriage records.
Two points matter here:
- Federal documents follow a federal path. FBI background checks and other federal records are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, not by Texas. See our FBI apostille page for that process.
- Company documents start with the issuing agency. Certificates of formation, good-standing certificates and notarized corporate resolutions each have their own preparation steps.
Married in Galveston, Living Overseas
Galveston is a popular wedding destination, and many couples who exchange vows on the island live outside the United States. A foreign registry usually will not record the marriage until it sees a certified marriage certificate with an apostille.
Order a certified copy from the Galveston County Clerk’s office at 600 59th Street, which is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A plain photocopy or the souvenir certificate from your ceremony will not work. Once we have the certified copy, we prepare it for submission and return the apostilled original to you.
If the country you are moving to is not part of the Hague Convention, the apostille is replaced by embassy legalization. Our country list shows which route applies.
Sending Your Galveston Documents to Us
Here is what happens after you decide to use our service:
- Contact us by phone or through the request form with the document type and destination country.
- Get the correct certified copy from the Health District, County Clerk, District Clerk or your school.
- Mail or courier it to us along with the order details.
- We review and submit the document to the Texas Secretary of State Authentications Unit at 400 West 15th Street in Austin, using Form 2102.
- We ship the apostilled document back to your Galveston address or straight to the recipient.
Our charge is $195 for each document, and the state adds its own $15 fee per document. The pricing page lists both. Mailed state requests can take up to two weeks after the office receives them; the Authentications Unit also serves in-person visitors the same day, with walk-ins on Mondays and Fridays and appointments Tuesday through Thursday. We do not quote our own turnaround times because the state controls its processing.
Galveston Apostille Questions
Where do I get a certified Galveston birth certificate for an apostille?
In Galveston County, certified birth and death certificates are issued by the Galveston County Health District’s vital statistics office in Texas City, or you can order from Texas Vital Statistics at DSHS and list “Apostille” as the reason.
Can the Galveston County Clerk apostille my marriage certificate?
No. The County Clerk issues the certified copy, but only the Texas Secretary of State in Austin can place the apostille on it.
How do UTMB graduates apostille a diploma?
A diploma must first be notarized correctly, usually as a registrar’s statement or a certified copy, before the Secretary of State will authenticate the notary’s signature.
Do merchant mariners use the Texas apostille for Coast Guard documents?
Federal records such as Coast Guard credentials and FBI background checks are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, not by Texas.
Do you have an office in Galveston?
No. We serve Galveston clients by mail and courier and handle the submission to the Texas Secretary of State for you.
Get Help With Your Galveston Apostille
Whether you are a UTMB graduate starting a fellowship overseas, a cadet preparing for international service or a newlywed registering an island wedding abroad, we can help you get the paperwork right the first time.
Call (971) 514-3743, email info@apostilleauthentications.com, or send the details through our request form. Tell us the document and the country, and we will explain the next step.
State specific information
Need statewide details? See our Texas apostille service page for the Texas Secretary of State process, fees and timelines.
Location We Cover For Texas State
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Austin
- Fort Worth
- El Paso
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- Irving
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- Galveston
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- Burleson
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- Kyle