Frequently Asked Questions:
Florida Apostille and Authentication Services
General Questions
- What is a Florida Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in Florida for use abroad?
- How do I legalize documents issued in Florida for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
- How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Florida?
- What documents can be certified in Florida with an Apostille Stamp?
- Will an apostille stamp from Florida be accepted abroad?
- Where can I find more information about certifying Florida documents?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Florida Attestation and Apostille Services?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
- How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Florida?
- How can I obtain a new certified copy of a Florida birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Criminal record certificates
Academic documents
Notarized documents
Answers
What is a Florida Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A Florida Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the Florida Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized Florida public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).
Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Florida document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in the United States (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the 
Hague Apostille Convention
For more information on Apostilles, see:
How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in Florida for use abroad?
Apostille Stamps to authenticate Florida documents can be obtained from the Secretary of State. Apostille stamps are only valid for documents that are required for submission to countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention
How do I legalize documents issued in Florida for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
Florida documents that need to be authenticated for non-apostille countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar) must be authenticated by the Florida Secretary of State with an Authentication Certificate and then attested by the recipient country's embassy in the United States. Most embassies will also require an additional authentication the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC.
How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Florida?
Expedited apostilles can be obtained in Tallahassee. Documents are processed in 1 - 2 business days
What documents can be certified in Florida with an Apostille Stamp?
Documents signed by Florida officials and notaries public can be certified in Florida for official use outside the United States, including vital record certificates (e.g. birth, death, marriage certificates), state police background checks, educational certificates, university diplomas and notarized private documents (e.g. power of attorney).
Documents signed by Federal officials including FBI Background Checks must be submitted directly to the Authentication Division of the U.S. Department of State.
To confirm whether your Florida document is valid for an Apostille Stamp, please Contact us for a free document check.
Will an apostille stamp from Florida be accepted abroad?
If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of Florida will generally be recognized directly as confirming authenticity, although a certified translation may also be required if presenting to a country that does not have English as an official language.
If documents are required for presentation in a country that is not a signatory to the apostille convention (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam), then an apostille stamp is not valid. Documents will need to be authenticated at State level in Florida, then by the State Department Authentication Division, and finally by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the United States. A Certified Translation may also be required.
Where can I find more information about certifying Florida documents?
For further information about Florida apostilles and authentications or to obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delivery by courier, please Contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.
Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Florida Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Florida?
Apostille stamps for birth, death and marriage certificates issued in Florida can be obtained from the Office of the Florida Secretary of State (Division of Corporations) in Tallahassee. To be eligible for an apostille, birth and death certificates must be issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics and signed by the State Registrar or issued by the County Health Department and signed by the State Registrar. Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Certificates must be signed by the State Registrar or the Clerk of the County Courts.
For further information about obtaining apostille stamps on Florida vital records, see:
Apostille Florida Vital Records
How can I obtain a new certified copy of a Florida birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Certified copies of Florida birth and death certificates can be obtained online via VitalChek. Alternatively, applications for new certificates may be made directly to the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics (mail-in or walk-in service) or to the local county health department.
Florida marriage certificates are also available via VitalChek and from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics (certificates for marriages that took place less than 60 days ago should be requested directly from the Clerk of Circuit Court where the marriage licence was issued).
Isarey can obtain Florida marriage certificates for clients who need an Apostille stamp or authentication from the Florida Secretary of State.
How can I obtain an apostille on a background check from Florida?
A notarized State of Florida Criminal History Record Check can be obtained from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This notarized certificate can then be certified by Apostille by the Florida Secretary of State. However, some overseas authorities require an FBI background check. See FBI Background Checks.
How can I authenticate Florida university degree certificates for use abroad?
Original Florida university and high school diplomas can be authenticated by notarizing the signature of the school or university official in Florida. The notary's signature can then authenticated with an Apostille from the Florida Secretary of State in Tallahassee.
Public School or University Transcripts must be signed by the School Registrar or an issuing official and notarized. Florida Private School or University Transcripts must be notarized as a copy and signed by the student or custodian.
For further information, see:
Apostille STATE University Diplomas
Florida university degree certificates, course transcripts and high school diplomas can also be authenticated as notarized copies. A true copy is certified by a notary (this can often be done from a scan without having to submit the original) and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Washington DC Secretary of State. Authenticated documents can also be attested by the embassies of Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
For further information, see:
University Degrees and School Records
How can I authenticate notarized documents in Florida for use abroad?
Documents that have been notarized by a Florida notary public can be submitted to the Florida Secretary of State for certification by apostille. A Full Notarial Satement must be used (written in English).
Can Florida Apostilles be obtained on documents not written in English?
The document does not need to be in English, but the Full Notarial Satement must be written in English.
How can I get a quote to certify my documents?
To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:
If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.
Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files and provide us with the passwords separately:
PDF,
PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)
For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)