Birth Certificate Document Authentications
Get your birth certificate authenticated for use overseas dual citizenship, marriage abroad, school enrollment, adoption, or visa applications. We handle notarization, state apostille submission, certified translation, and secure return shipping from start to finish.
What Is a Birth Certificate Apostille?
A birth certificate is the official record of a person’s name, date and place of birth, and parentage. On its own, a U.S. birth certificate isn’t automatically recognized by a foreign government it first needs an apostille, a certificate issued by the state that confirms the document is genuine and that the signature or seal on it is legitimate.
An apostille is required whenever a birth certificate is being used in a country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention: applying for dual citizenship, registering a marriage overseas, enrolling in a foreign school or university, completing an international adoption, or submitting records to a foreign consulate or employer. Without it, most foreign authorities will reject the document outright.
Who Needs an Apostilled Birth Certificate?
Dual Citizenship
Foreign consulates typically require an apostilled birth certificate to process citizenship or nationality applications.
Marriage Abroad
Many countries ask for an apostilled birth certificate as proof of identity before issuing a marriage license to a foreign national.
Study Abroad
Universities and student visa offices overseas often require an apostilled birth certificate as part of the enrollment file.
International Adoption
Adoption agencies and foreign family courts commonly require apostilled birth records for both the child and adopting parents.
Work Visas & Employment
Foreign employers and immigration offices may require an apostilled birth certificate to confirm identity for a work permit.
Legal & Court Matters
Foreign courts and government agencies rely on an apostilled birth certificate to accept it as an official legal record.
Document Details
What's Included on a Birth Certificate
Before submitting your document, make sure it includes the standard information most Secretaries of State and foreign authorities expect to see:
- Full legal name of the child
- Date and time of birth
- Place of birth (city, county, and state)
- Full names of the parents
- Name of the hospital or address where the birth took place
- Filing date and registrar or state seal
Before You Apostille
Certified Copy vs. Photocopy
Apostille offices only accept a certified copy of a birth certificate one issued directly by the state’s vital records office, bearing a raised seal, registrar signature, or security paper. A photocopy, hospital-issued souvenir certificate, or an expired short-form record will be rejected.
If you no longer have a certified copy, we can help you request a new one from the vital records office in the state where the birth was registered before starting the apostille process.
How the Apostille Process Works
Send Us Your Document
Mail your certified birth certificate or email a scan for a review and quote before you send the original.
Notarization (If Needed)
Some states require a notarized affidavit before apostille; we arrange this for you if your document needs it.
Secretary of State Submission
We submit your document to the correct state authentication office and track it through to completion.
Certified Translation & Return
We add certified translation if your destination country requires it, then ship your apostilled document back securely.
Frequently asked questions
Turnaround depends on the state that issued the birth certificate. Regular processing commonly takes one to a few weeks; rush processing is available in most states for an additional fee. We’ll give you a specific estimate once we know the issuing state.
Yes. Apostille offices require an original, certified copy issued by the state’s vital records office not a photocopy. We handle your original with tracked, insured shipping both ways.
The apostille itself doesn’t expire, but some foreign agencies only accept apostilled documents issued within the last three to six months. Check the requirement with the receiving country or institution before you apply.
Yes, as long as it’s a valid certified copy. The apostille must be issued by the Secretary of State in the state that recorded the birth, regardless of where you currently live.
Some countries require the birth certificate and apostille to be translated into the local language before they’ll accept it. We offer certified translation as an add-on if your destination requires it.