Apostille Services for Couples Marrying Abroad

Apostille services tailored to couples marrying abroad

You are getting married abroad, and the registry or town hall wants proof that you are legally free to marry. That means an apostilled birth certificate and an apostilled single status affidavit, and if either of you was married before, a divorce decree or death certificate too. A wedding date does not move, so this is paperwork you want done right and early. That is what we handle.

We are Apostille Depot, a licensed, insured apostille service that has authenticated documents for more than 2,200 clients since 2012. Because we handle every U.S. state and the federal route, and arrange translation, you deal with one team for the whole job. Meet the team behind your documents.

This page is the practical version. It lays out which documents you need, where each one is apostilled, how translation works, and how long the whole thing takes, so you can move without second-guessing the paperwork. Whether this is your first apostille or your fifth, the goal is the same: a complete, correctly ordered file the destination accepts on the first try, with no wasted filings.

Two authorities: where each document is apostilled

The most common reason a document is rejected is being filed at the wrong office. U.S. documents split into two groups, each with its own authority.

State documents like birth, marriage and death certificates, notarized documents, diplomas and corporate records are apostilled by the Secretary of State that issued or notarized them.

Federal documents, the FBI background check and the Social Security benefits letter, are apostilled only by the U.S. Department of State. A state apostille on an FBI report is the error we see most. We handle both routes in one order.

Keeping the two straight is half the battle. We sort your documents into state and federal at the start, file each with the correct authority, and bring them back together as one set, so a single misrouted page never holds up the whole file.

The marriage-abroad document set, start to finish

A destination wedding file usually has three layers. The foundation is your birth certificate, apostilled and translated, which the foreign registry uses to confirm your identity. On top of that sits the single status affidavit, the document that proves you are legally free to marry. Many couples have never heard of it until a registry asks, and it is the piece that most often holds a file up.

The second layer handles your history. If you were married before, the registry wants proof the previous marriage ended: an apostilled divorce decree, or a death certificate if you were widowed. These have to match your other documents, and a divorce decree is a court document that sometimes needs an extra certification step before it can be apostilled, which we handle.

The third layer is translation and timing. Nearly every wedding destination wants the documents translated into the local language, often by a sworn or certified translator, and many want them issued within three to six months of the ceremony. Because your date is fixed, ordering too early risks expiry and ordering too late risks missing the wedding.

We assemble the whole set as one project. We apostille your birth certificate, prepare and apostille the single status affidavit, handle any divorce or death record, arrange the translations, and time everything to your wedding date. After the ceremony, we can apostille your foreign marriage certificate so the marriage is recognized back home. One provider, from engagement to the registry.

Translation, handled in the right order

Most countries want your documents translated into the local language, often by a sworn or certified translator. The order matters: the apostille goes on the original document first, then the translation, because the translation has to cover the apostille page. Reverse it and you pay to do the translation twice.

We coordinate the apostille and the translation together, in the sequence each country expects, so your file arrives complete. That single detail, the order of steps, is behind a surprising share of rejected documents, and handling it in one place removes the guesswork.

Languages and rules differ by country, from a sworn traducción jurada in Spain to a perito traductor in Mexico to a certified German translation attached after the apostille. We match the translation to the destination and the document, so you are never guessing which kind you need.

On a deadline? We can move fast

Deadlines are the hardest part for couples marrying abroad. A federal document like the FBI report runs about four to six weeks on its own, and a fixed date abroad does not wait. The safest plan is to start early and order in the right sequence, working backward from your appointment, enrollment or closing.

When time is short, we have faster options. Our Express service turns state apostilles around in one to five business days, and for documents issued in Massachusetts and New Hampshire we offer a same-day apostille rush service. Tell us your deadline and we will tell you honestly what is achievable and build the order around it.

What you will need

To prepare your documents quickly, here is what helps. Missing something? Apply anyway and our team will follow up, or ask us first.

• The documents themselves: certified vital records, your FBI report, or notarized private documents.
• Your destination and goal, so we confirm the exact list and translation.
• Your appointment, enrollment or closing date, so we time the order and any validity window.
• Which documents need translation, and into which language, which we arrange.
• Your return address and preferred shipping, including international couriers.