In case you need to use your marriage certificate abroad, apostille becomes an essential part of proving the authenticity of your certificate. You should usually begin the procedure with obtaining a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the relevant department of vital statistics and then submit it to the Secretary of State for validation. Though the procedure is usually quite simple, there may be some differences depending on the place of issue and usage of your marriage certificate. In this guide, we will provide you with all the information you need about the procedure.
There’s usually a specific reason someone lands on this page. A spousal visa application. Proving you’re legally married to a foreign government. Adding a spouse to a property deed overseas. Enrolling somewhere under a married name. Whatever the reason, foreign countries typically won’t accept a plain courthouse copy. They want it apostilled first.
Roughly, this is the order things go in.
This step trips up more people than you’d think. Not just any copy of your marriage certificate works here. It has to be certified, issued directly by the vital records office, county clerk, or state registrar where the marriage actually took place. A photocopy won’t cut it. Neither will that keepsake copy from your wedding album, as nice as it looks.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | Vital records office or county clerk in the state of marriage |
| What it needs | Raised seal or embossed government stamp |
| Common mistake | Sending a photocopy instead of a certified original |
| Where it goes next |
The Secretary of State's office in that same state |
| Typical cost | Usually $10 to $30, depending on the state |
Worth knowing upfront, every state runs this a little differently. Some let you mail everything in. Others want you to show up in person. A handful offer expedited service if you’re willing to pay extra for speed. And if your marriage happened in a state you no longer live in, that’s fine, but you’ll need to work with that original state’s office, not wherever you currently call home.
It all depends on what state you are doing business with. Some offices have turnaround times of 3 to 5 business days. Some take longer and can be anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, especially during the busiest periods. Need to get something done by a certain deadline? Look into expedited services or same-day processing.
Add it all up and most people spend somewhere between $50 and $150, not counting any fees if you bring in a professional service to handle it for you.
Any single one of these can knock you back to the starting line, which usually means resetting the whole timeline from scratch.
Not every one, no. This route works specifically for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, a group of over 120 countries that includes most of Europe, plus Mexico, Japan, Australia, and South Korea. If you’re sending this to China, Canada, the UAE, or another country outside that agreement, apostille won’t be enough. You’re looking at full authentication instead, which pulls in the U.S. Department of State and the destination country’s embassy.
If the certificate’s headed somewhere that doesn’t operate in English, chances are good you’ll need a certified translation alongside it. Some countries go a step further and want that translation apostilled too, not just tucked in as an extra page. People miss this part constantly, and it’s one of the more common reasons an otherwise correct apostille still gets rejected on the other end.
Yes. The apostille has to come from the state where the marriage was recorded, regardless of where you live now.
Most apostilles themselves don’t expire, but some countries only accept documents issued within the past 6 to 12 months, so it’s worth checking with the receiving country directly.
No lawyer needed. Most people either handle it themselves or use a notary and apostille service to keep things moving without delays.
It’s always useful to have a name change certificate or other supporting documents just in case the destination country asks any questions.
Varies by state. Some attach it right onto the certificate, others issue it as a linked separate page.
Then it’s full authentication instead, which involves the U.S. Department of State and the destination country’s embassy or consulate.
One wrong seal, one document sent to the wrong office, and suddenly you’re starting over. EZ Notary Services LLC works with people all over the country to get marriage certificates, and other vital documents, apostilled correctly the first time around.
