Birth certificate apostille is most often required for the following purposes:
- Marriage abroad
- Entering into inheritance abroad
- Applying for dual citizenship
- International adoption
- Establishing a business in another country
The main function of a birth certificate apostille is to validate the authenticity of the signature of the document for use in a foreign country – a member of the 1961 Hague Convention. If your birth certificate is requested by a country that is not a party to the Hague Apostille Treaty, it will need to go through a different legalization process which involves first obtaining certification from the Local Secretary of State, authentication from the U.S. Department of State, and finally, legalization from the embassy of the destination country in Washington DC.
Birth certificate apostille is generally issued by the state authority in the state of its issue. For example, if your birth certificate was issued in the state of North Carolina, an apostille on your birth certificate can only be obtained in North Carolina.
Only an original birth certificate or certified copy is accepted for apostille processing. Most states consider a birth certificate to be a private document, so if your original birth certificate is not available and you need a new copy of it, only you or the following individuals can request them:
- Mother, father, or legal guardian
- Husband or wife of a person named on the certificate
- Son or daughter of a person named on the certificate
- Legal representative of an authorized person
Once you have an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, any person or third party can apply for an apostille on your birth certificate. Different states have different requirements for obtaining apostille on state-issued documents, so if you are unfamiliar with this process and don’t want to make any mistakes that can result in delaying your travel plans and extra expenses, we recommend that you use a professional apostille agency to handle your birth certificate apostillation.
Obtaining an apostille can be intricate. Avoid leaving this task for inexperienced staff or non-professionals who are not fully aware of the complexities of the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your application may be rejected, and you will lose time and money. Make a better choice!
Our experts are available Monday through Friday from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. Please call us at 1-770-447-0360 and we will answer all your questions and offer easy-to-follow detailed instructions.