Why and when you need a Vital Records Apostille (Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Certificates) or Divorce Decree Legalization
- If you child was born in the USA, you and your spouse are citizens of a foreign country, and your child is qualified for dual citizenship. The consulate, embassy or official authorities of the country of your citizenship will ask for a Vital Records Apostille (apostille on the Birth Certificate of your child) in order to process a dual – citizenship application.
2. If you intend to marry a foreign citizen, and the marriage will take place overseas. You have to submit your Apostilled Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, and Divorce Decree (if your previous marriage was dissolved) along with Single Status Affidavit or No Record of Marriage. In order the documents to be accepted by foreign authorities, they should be properly prepared and, of course, bear an Apostille stamp.
3. If you plan to adopt a child, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate with Apostille are required.
4. If you plan to take care of Inheritance issues, transport the diseased or funeral urn to a foreign country, the Apostilled Death Certificate with Exemplification Letter (issued by some states in the USA) is a must. Bear in mind that if you bring your fiancée, wife or children in the USA, file Relative Petition for your parents or siblings, the USCIS does not require Apostille. The only requirement is certified translation of their documents.
Obtaining a certified copy
When it comes to obtaining an Apostille on such public documents as Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate or Judgment of Divorce, the documents legalization process differs from state to state. First of all, in some states (such as New York, for example) you have to obtain a Certified Copy of the above mentioned documents, because the originals cannot be apostilled. Certified copies of Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificate or Divorce Decrees are official copies issued by the State or county government. However, you should remember, that only so called long forms of the certified copies of Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate or Death Certificate are eligible for Apostille. In spite the process of obtaining certified copy of Birth, Marriage, Death Certificate or Judgment of Divorce varies from state to state, obtaining a certified copy of your document is comparatively easy and inexpensive. Depending of a document type, though, you should chose the proper issuing department or agency to order a certified copy in. Also, keep in mind, that the Department of Health requires more time for issuing the certified copies of Birth and Death Certificates, and in some states, as in NYS, for example, you should wait from 1 to 2 months before you receive the certified copy, and there is no way to expedite the process. Therefore, we recommend ordering the certified copy Birth or Death Certificate right after the original is issued, and, of course, before you make arrangements to go overseas or scheduling an appointment in a consulate. Processing time for issuing certified copy of Marriage Certificate or Judgment of Divorce usually takes up to 1 week.
Obtaining an Apostille Stamp (Vital Records Apostille)
As soon as you received the certified copy of the document, you can move to next step – a legalization of your documents by getting an Apostille Stamp. An “Apostille” or “Authentication” is certifying the authenticity of the signature of the issuing authority, the capacity in which the signer was acting, and the identity of any stamp or seal attached to the document. If you will be submitting your vital record with a consulate or a government agency in another country, you should contact the consulate of that country to determine what the requirements are to have your record accepted. You may also be required to have the record and supporting documents translated into the language of the foreign country where you plan to present them.
Document certified translation
Most of documents intended for foreign countries also require certified translation into the language of the country where they are going to be used. Official certified translations performed by qualified linguists of Apoling Solutions are fairly priced, well-written, and formatted as close to originals as possible. What’s more, save up to $50 on Apostille translation, because we’ll do it complimentary if you order Apostille on Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate or Divorce Degree at Apoling Solutions 9visit the page Online Special to find out about our specials and packages). Last but not least, we’ll ship your documents for NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE using international DHL services if your order is more than $275. Apoling Solutions can help you to obtain certified copy of your vital record, legalize your document and provide certified translation of it. If you need an assistance or have questions regarding Vital Records Apostille services or legalization of your documents, please, contact us.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]