To “Apostille” is a process in which documents are authenticated necessary to be used in foreign countries, more specifically those that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. At Apostille Depot we take pride in certifying the authenticity of your documents. We make sure that when you travel abroad, your documents are accepted in the country you are traveling to.
If the country of intended use does not participate in the Hague Convention, documents being sent to that country can be certified and legalized by the Secretary of State and Embassy office. This variety of authentication is commonly referred to as Embassy Legalization.
HOW TO APOSTILLE A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
Apostille Depot provides fast Apostille service for Marriage Certificates issued from all 50 U.S. States including Marriage Certificates issued by the Secretary of the District of Columbia. Because of the unique requirements of each State, we recommend that you mail to our office the original or a certified copy issued by The State Registrar or local County Clerk.
Common reasons why another country would request an Apostille on a Marriage Certificate are:
– Visa Applications Abroad or Dual Citizenship
– Death of Spouse
– Interest & Ownership in Property
– Inheritance
– Moving to Another Country
– Working in Another Country
If the Marriage Certificate is lost, damaged, or older than what the State will accept, we recommend that you order a new certified copy by visiting VitalChek.com. If the requesting country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you will be required to provide a Marriage Certificate with an Apostille. The Apostille helps authenticate the document for acceptance in the other country.
Marriage Certificates issued by a State must be authenticated from the same State. For example, if the person is married in Florida, the Florida Marriage Certificate will need to be Apostilled by the Florida Secretary of State. There is no exception to this rule. If the country requesting the Marriage Certificate is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, then the documents may require further authentication through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and legalization through the Embassy / Consulate office.
Apostilles can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. So leave the work to the pros!
WHAT WE WILL DO FOR YOU:
1. Notarize your document or an affidavit for your document.
2. Obtain County Clerk notary certification.
3. Obtain apostille at the Secretary or Department of State.
4. Ship or deliver your apostilled documents to you.
“I’m so happy with the service I received! The team took care of me from start to finish. I received my FBI apostille real quick and without any of the headaches. The team answers calls quickly and they are always online and ready to chat. Thanks again!”
Alicia S. – New Jersey
Hanson was unbelievably helpful to me when I wanted to get my FBI background check done with a apostille. He went above and beyond what most would do in his place. If I every need to apostille any of my documents again, I will be getting from Hanson at Apostille Depot.”
Samuel N. Florida
What You Need To Know
Please also understand your documents will not and cannot be apostilled or authenticated onsite at our office in Tewksbury MA, so this isn’t a walk-in service that you can receive the same day. The only government entity in Massachusetts that can issue apostille and authentication certificates is the Massachusetts Secretary of State office in Boston, MA which is where we will rush file your Massachusetts marriage certificate on your behalf.
We must receive your marriage certificate by mail or dropped off at our office by noon EST Monday-Friday (excluding all bank and government holidays) to be able to provide you with same-day apostille services. If we receive your marriage certificate after that cutoff time, don’t worry we’ll simply attempt to file it on the next business day.