Florida Apostille Services

An apostille is a government certification issued by the Florida Department of State (or equivalent authority in other states) that authenticates a document so it will be accepted in another country. It's recognized in all 124 countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention. The most common reasons people need one: getting married abroad, applying for dual citizenship, registering a business in another country, buying property overseas, or enrolling at a foreign university. If you're pursuing Italian dual citizenship, see our Italian citizenship translation and apostille guide.

Our apostille service costs $115 per document with regular processing, which typically takes 1–2 weeks. This price includes all state filing fees and a complimentary UPS shipping label so you can send your documents to our office. Expedited processing is available for +$55 per order and includes state fees, 72 business hour processing, and UPS Overnight return delivery within the United States. If your document was issued electronically or notarized through Remote Online Notarization (RON), you typically do not need to send an original copy. You can simply upload the digital file, and we will print and process the apostille on your behalf.

We offer two processing speeds for apostille services: Expedited processing: 72 business hours (3 business days) Regular processing: 1–2 weeks If your order requires the original document, processing time starts when we receive it at our office. We provide a prepaid UPS shipping label for sending originals.

We can apostille documents that are issued in Florida or notarized by a Florida notary public. Florida government-issued documents (such as birth, marriage, or death certificates, and diplomas) are already certified by the state and should not be notarized. Court documents must first be certified by the Clerk of Court before they can receive an apostille. Private documents (such as affidavits, powers of attorney, and translations) must be notarized by a Florida notary public before they can be apostilled. To ensure your document has the correct notarial text, you can use our free Notarial Statement Generator before your notarization session. If your document was issued in another state, we cannot apostille the original document. However, we can apostille a certified translation or copy that has been notarized by a Florida notary. You can view our acceptable documents guide for detailed requirements.

For original government-issued documents (such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, court records, or diplomas), the apostille must be issued by the same state that originally issued the document. Because of this requirement, we currently process apostilles only for Florida-issued or Florida-notarized documents. However, if you need a translated document apostilled, we can assist nationwide. The translation is notarized by a Florida notary, which makes it eligible for a Florida apostille through the Florida Department of State, regardless of where the original document was issued. If notarization is required, we also offer Remote Online Notarization (RON). This allows documents to be notarized by a Florida notary remotely from anywhere in the world, making them eligible for a Florida apostille.

The apostille of the original document and the apostille of the translation are independent processes, so the order generally does not matter. An apostille on the original document certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal on that document (for example, a birth certificate, diploma, or notarized affidavit). A translation can also be notarized and apostilled separately, which certifies the notary's signature on the translation. If a translation will be used abroad, it should generally be notarized and apostilled, since foreign authorities often require the apostille to verify the notary's signature on the translation. In most cases, clients apostille both the original document and the translation at the same time under one order.

A notarization verifies and legalizes the signature on a document for legal recognition in the United States and its territories. An apostille is an international certification issued by a government authority that authenticates a notarization or official certificate for legal use in a country that is part of the Hague Apostille Convention.

We provide a complimentary pre-paid UPS shipping label so you can easily send your documents to our office. Once your apostille is complete, we will return your documents using the shipping option selected at checkout. We offer several return shipping options, including UPS and FedEx domestic delivery as well as international shipping via FedEx. If you select expedited processing, the service includes UPS Overnight return delivery within the United States.

Yes. A Florida-issued birth certificate is already a certified government document, so it does not need notarization before apostille. Simply send us the original certified copy, and we file it directly with the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee. If your birth certificate was issued in another state, we cannot apostille the original—each state apostilles only its own documents. However, if you need a certified translation of that birth certificate, we can translate it, notarize the translation through a Florida notary, and then apostille the notarized translation. Many clients use this for immigration, citizenship, or marriage applications abroad.

No. While the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee is the only office that issues apostilles, you do not need to travel there. Florida Translate handles the entire filing process on your behalf. Here's how it works: you send your documents to our office using the complimentary pre-paid UPS shipping label we provide, we prepare and submit everything to the Department of State. Once your apostille is issued, we ship the documents back to you. The entire process can be completed by mail—no in-person visit required.

An apostille and embassy authentication (also called consular legalization) serve the same purpose—making a document valid for use in a foreign country—but they apply to different situations. If the destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (over 120 countries), an apostille from the Florida Secretary of State is all you need. The process is straightforward and handled entirely within the state. If the destination country is not a Hague member, you may need embassy authentication instead. This usually involves multiple steps: state certification, U.S. Department of State authentication, and then legalization at the destination country's embassy or consulate. This process is longer and more expensive. Not sure which path you need? Contact us and we can advise based on your destination country.

Yes. Our translation and apostille bundle combines certified translation, notarization, and apostille into a single order. This is the most common option for clients who need to present translated documents abroad. The process works like this: we translate your document, notarize the translation through a Florida notary public, and then file the notarized translation for apostille with the Florida Department of State. You can also apostille the original document at the same time. You only need to send us a scanned copy of the original—no need to mail the physical document for the translation portion.