Birth certificate apostille NYC: know – how

Why legalize a Birth Certificate

In order to understand what Apostille on birth certificate is, we need to focus on one word and that is “Apostille” or more precisely, the Apostille convention or Apostille Treaty. It was organized to resolve the issues of document exchange between the countries who are parties of the Hague Convention. The Apostille convention is in force in the European Union, in the United States, Australia and many other countries the list of which you can find here.

Each of us has official documents and papers which sooner or later we should present to foreign authorities. Although such legal instruments as powers of attorney, legal and business agreements, wills or trusts and such personal documents as birth certificate, marriage certificate or judgment of divorce are legally recognized in the country where they were issued, they will not be accepted in a foreign country without an Apostille stamp.

The certificate of a birth is most likely the key document that you will have to obtain an Apostille on if you intend to use it overseas. It is an official record that’s used to identify the act of your birth. You will need your certificate of a birth to marry overseas, adopt a child in a foreign country or inherit a property abroad. A birth certificate is also considered to be a form of identification in most of the countries. But if you leave your birth country you’ll have to apostille certificate of birth if the country you are taking it to is a signatory of the Hague Convention.

So, how do you apostille a birth certificate in NYC?

1. Order a Certified Copy of your Birth Certificate (so called, extended copy or long form for international use only) from a local Department of Health. If you make a mistake and order a standard copy of your document, you’ll be able to authenticate it, but unable to obtain and Apostille on it.

Make sure to order also an Exemplification Letter while ordering a birth certificate (in particular states such as NYS, for example, an extended form of birth certificate always must be accompanied by an exemplification letter). The Department of State will not be able to issue an Apostille on your birth certificate if an exemplification letter is missing.

2. Once you’ve obtained a proper certified copy of birth certificate and exemplification letter, it is ready for authentication which should be done in the county where your documents were issued. Remember, if you received a birth certificate in NYC, you must authenticate it in Manhattan’s County Clerk’s Office.
3. After you obtained an authentication slip, you are about to finish the procedure by going for an Birth Certificate Apostille to a local Department of State division.
4. The final step is getting your documents translated into the language of the country where you are taking them to. There are many translation agencies in NYC offering certified translation services. Look around and find the best offer. Bear in mind that Apostille and authentication slips are written in legal language and contain heavy legal terminology. Thus, make sure the agency which you are about to chose offers not just translation services, but also legal translation services.

As you see, obtaining a birth certificate apostille NYC can be done in 4 easy steps. However, you should find time to complete the task. The official departments are closed on weekends, thus, the only option you have is going there during the week – days. Complicated, is not it? Not at all, because you can hire an Apostille agency in NYC who’ll take the problem off your hands.

If you have any questions regarding Apostille on birth certificate ot need a birth certificate translation, give the Apoling Solutions a call. We’ll be glad to answer any of your questions.