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Marriage Certificate Apostille

A marriage certificate apostille is essential for couples navigating international life. Whether you're sponsoring a spouse for immigration, changing your name with foreign authorities, purchasing property abroad as a married couple, or registering your U.S. marriage with a foreign government, an apostilled marriage certificate proves the legal validity of your union. Because marriage certificates can be issued at either the county or state level depending on the jurisdiction, knowing which document to submit is critical to avoiding delays.

From $149 per document · No hidden fees · Tracked shipping included

Industry's Fastest
24-hour turnaround
Official Apostille
Hague compliant
120+ Countries
Accepted worldwide

50+

States & Territories

120+

Countries Accepted

1-Day

Express Available

100%

Hague Compliant

Marriage Certificate Apostille Services

  • Digital process: Upload a clear scan of your marriage certificate. Our licensed notary certifies a true copy, a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille, and we ship the apostilled document back to you with tracking.
  • Fast turnaround: Economy in 4-6 business days, Standard in 2-3 days, Express in 1 business day.
  • International ready: Recognized across 120+ Hague Convention countries. Your original marriage certificate never has to leave your possession.

True Copy State Apostille

Start with a clear upload of your marriage certificate. Our licensed notary certifies a true copy and a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille on that certification.

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Original Document Processing

Send the physical marriage certificate when the receiving authority needs the original submitted through the issuing state's route. Transit is separate from processing.

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Key Details

What we check on your marriage certificate

Issuing jurisdiction - whether your certificate was issued by the county clerk or state vital records office

Destination country requirements and whether county-issued or state-issued certificates are preferred

Physical document condition and legibility of all text, signatures, and seals

Name consistency between the marriage certificate and your current passport or ID

Clerk or registrar signature and official seal presence

Whether the certificate is a certified copy versus a commemorative or decorative version

Why Apostilles.us

Why Choose Us

Expert marriage certificate review

Every marriage certificate is reviewed by our team before processing. We catch eligibility issues, missing pages, and state-specific gotchas upfront so your apostille is not rejected.

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Fast turnaround options

From 1-business-day Express to economy standard, we offer flexible processing speeds to match any deadline.

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End-to-end digital service

From scan upload to notarized true copy to state apostille to tracked shipping. We handle the entire process so you don't have to.

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Timelines

Processing Timelines

Priority ExpressExpress

As fast as 1 business day

Standard PriorityStandard

2-3 business days

Economy StandardEconomy

4-6 business days

State processing can be as fast as 1 business day for eligible requests. Shipping time is separate from processing time. If you need your apostilled marriage certificate for international use, submit your request as early as possible to allow for both processing and delivery.

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How It Works

How It Works

Three simple steps from upload to delivery. We handle all the complexity.

1

Upload Your Scan

Submit a clear color scan of your marriage certificate through our secure portal. We review it for eligibility and accuracy before anything moves forward.

Takes about 2 minutes

2

We Handle Everything

Our licensed notary certifies a true copy of your marriage certificate, then a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille on the notary-certified true copy.

Same-day processing available

3

Receive Your Apostille

Your apostilled marriage certificate is shipped directly to you with full tracking. Domestic and international delivery available.

Domestic and international delivery

Common Issues

Common Issues with Marriage Certificate Apostilles

County-Level vs. State-Level Issuance

In many states, marriage certificates are issued by the county clerk where the marriage was performed, not the state. This means the apostille must be issued by the Secretary of State for that state, and the county clerk's signature must be on file with the Secretary of State. If the county clerk's signature is not on file, additional county authentication may be required first.

Name Mismatches Between Documents

If a name change occurred at marriage and your passport still reflects your maiden name (or vice versa), destination country authorities may question the document. Some countries require both the marriage certificate apostille and a separate apostilled document establishing the name connection. We flag these issues during our review.

Decorative or Commemorative Certificates

Many couples receive a decorative marriage certificate at their ceremony - often with ornate borders, calligraphy, or religious imagery. These are keepsakes, not legal documents, and cannot be apostilled. You need an official certified copy from the county clerk or state vital records office.

Outdated Certified Copies

Some destination countries require that the certified copy of your marriage certificate be recently issued, even if the marriage itself took place years ago. If your certified copy is more than a year old, we may recommend ordering a fresh copy before processing the apostille.

Never mail your original documents

We process apostilles from a notarized true copy of your uploaded scan. Your birth certificate, diploma, or FBI report never leaves your hands, so it can never be lost in the mail.

How true copy processing works
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated U.S. authority (a Secretary of State) that authenticates a U.S. document for use in countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

In most cases, no. You upload a clear color scan of your marriage certificate through our secure portal. Our licensed notary certifies that the printed copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original, and a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille on the notary-certified true copy.

Your original marriage certificate never has to leave your possession. The resulting apostilled document is recognized across Hague Convention countries for almost every common use case (dual citizenship, marriage abroad, visa applications, school enrollment, foreign property transactions, and more).

The only time you would need to mail the physical original is if the receiving authority in your destination country specifically requires the original document, or specifically requires the apostille to come from the same state that issued your marriage certificate. If that applies to your situation, we offer an Original Document Apostille service and will guide you through it.

Learn more about our digital process →

Our process uses a U.S.-licensed notary who certifies that a printed copy made from your scan is a true and accurate reproduction of the original document. A U.S. Secretary of State then issues the apostille on the notary-certified true copy. The apostille authenticates the notary's seal and signature, which is exactly what the Hague Convention recognizes.

Because we work from a scan, your original never has to leave your possession, processing is significantly faster than mailing physical documents back and forth, and there is no risk of your original being lost or damaged in transit.

Government-issued vital records (birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates) typically do not require additional notarization before apostille.

Private documents such as powers of attorney, school transcripts, and personal affidavits do need to be notarized first, because the apostille is issued on the notary's certification rather than on the document itself. If your marriage certificate needs notarization, we can handle it as part of your order through our remote online notary add-on.

Our digital process completes Economy orders in 4-6 business days, Standard in 2-3 business days, and Express in 1 business day. Shipping time is separate from processing time.

See full processing time details →

Pricing depends on the processing tier you choose. Economy starts at $149 per document, Standard at $197, and Express (1 business day) at $249.

All tiers include document review, notarized true copy, state apostille, and tracked domestic shipping.

See full pricing details and add-ons →

Over 120 countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention accept apostilles. This includes most of Europe, South America, and many countries in Asia and Africa.

If your destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, you may need embassy legalization instead of an apostille. Browse country-specific guidance →

Not necessarily. With our digital process, the apostille is issued by a U.S. Secretary of State where our licensed notary is commissioned, which may be a different state than the one that originally issued your marriage certificate. The apostille is fully Hague Convention compliant and accepted by receiving authorities in 120+ countries regardless of which state issued it.

If the receiving authority in your destination country specifically requires the apostille to come from the same state that issued your marriage certificate, you would need to use our Original Document Apostille service, which routes your physical original through the issuing state.

It depends on your state. In some states, you can apostille either version, but the county-issued certificate is more common because that's where marriages are recorded. The apostille always comes from the Secretary of State for the state where the marriage was performed. During our review, we'll confirm which version you have and whether it qualifies.
Yes. An apostilled marriage certificate is commonly required for spousal visa and immigration petitions in Hague Convention countries. The apostille confirms the authenticity of the document. Some countries may additionally require a certified translation of the certificate into their official language.
The apostille must be obtained from the state where the marriage took place, not where you currently reside. For example, if you were married in Nevada but live in Florida, the apostille comes from the Nevada Secretary of State. We handle processing in all 50 states.
Name transliteration differences are common, especially with non-Latin alphabets. The apostille authenticates the document as-is. The destination country's authorities will typically handle name matching on their end. However, if the destination country requires exact matching, you may need a sworn affidavit or court order linking the names, which can also be apostilled.
In most cases, only the marriage certificate (which confirms the marriage was performed and registered) needs to be apostilled. The marriage license (which authorized the marriage to take place) is typically not required by foreign authorities. However, some countries request both - we can advise based on your destination.
Related

Related Resources

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The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements may vary by state and destination country. For formal legal advice, consult a qualified professional.

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