How To Get an Apostille of Marriage Certificate in NYC
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Do you need a marriage certificate Apostille? Want to learn how to get an Apostille of marriage certificate in NYC? This article provides the complete process and the information you need. Read on to find out how.
What is an Apostille?
Apostille is a French word that means certification. It authenticates the origin of a public document for international use under the terms of the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. An issuing country of an apostille and the country where it is for use should both be a party to the Apostille Convention.
An Apostille is a full-page certificate issued by the government of a country certifying the authenticity of a document signed or issued in that country. It authenticates official seals and signatures on public documents, such as birth certificates and marriage certificates. There are countless other situations where an Apostille is needed, such as international relocations, applications for studies, or international business transactions and foreign investment procedures.
The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention
The 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents established Apostille guidelines. The treaty set a standard process on how to get an Apostille of marriage certificate in NYC and other legal documents from one member country legally certified for use in all other member countries. Under the Hague Convention, signatory countries have agreed to recognize Apostilled public documents issued by other signatory countries.
Before the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, the authentication of public documents was a complicated process, requiring tons of forms as attachments to the document for certification. The Hague Convention of 1961 or the Apostille Treaty provides for the much-simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries that have joined the convention.
Documents destined for use in participating countries and territories should be certified by one of the officials in the jurisdiction where the document was executed. The official must have been designated competent to issue certifications by ‘Apostille’ (usually in the State Secretary of State or state notary administrator) provided by the 1961 Hague Convention.
Apostille in New York City
On October 15, 1981, the United States joined the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. The United States attempted to streamline the process of how to get an Apostille of marriage certificate in NYC and other public documents throughout the United States. The used to be a complicated process of authenticating your documents has become simpler.
New York City has one of the highest demands for Apostille in the United States. There is a steady and heavy demand for Apostille services in NYC, from corporate headquarters to diverse nationalities.
Steps on How to Get Apostille of Marriage Certificate in NYC
Below are the three steps to getting an Apostille for a marriage certificate:
Step 1: Obtain the Record of the Marriage Certificate
Obtaining a copy of the marriage certificate is the first step for getting an Apostille for your marriage registration or certificate. You can secure your marriage certificate certified copy from the Marriage Bureau.
Step 2: Authentication by the County Clerk
The County Clerk must authenticate the marriage certificate for Apostille or certificate of authentication. The marriage certificate should bear the wet signature of the County Clerk together with an embossed seal and Certification Stamp at the back. There is a fee for this.
You can do this step in person or by mail. If you are mailing your application, you must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
To make your Request for Authentication in person, you can present it to The County Clerk’s Notary Desk at 60 Centre Street, Room 141B.
Request by mail address to:
New York County Clerk, New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, Room 161, New York, NY 10007
When requesting by mail, if the documents are in proper order, the County Clerk will authenticate them and return them to the applicant by mail. Your mail submission must come with a certified personal check or U.S. postal order, made payable to the County Clerk of New York County.
Due to the volume of matters received by mail, the County Clerk of New York County generally requires three to four weeks to process authentication applications submitted by mail. Meanwhile, presenting your documents in proper form in person is processed immediately.
Step 3: The Issuance of Apostille or Certificate of Authentication
Finally, you are on the third and final step on how to get an Apostille of marriage certificate in NYC. It is time for the issuance of the marriage certificate Apostille or certificate of authentication by the New York State Department of State. You will do this by completing the following, either in person or by mail:
- Filling up the Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form;
- Attaching your properly authenticated documents to the completed Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form;
- And the inclusion of applicable fees and mailing instructions as indicated on page 1 of the form.
In Person:
You can proceed to 123 William Street, 2nd Floor (between Fulton and John Streets), New York, NY 10038. The office business hours and days are from Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 3:30 PM.
By Mail:
The mailing address is:
New York State Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001
If done correctly, the complete process on how to get an Apostille of marriage certificate in NYC may only take up to 4 days. You should also consider the mailing delays if you choose to do it by mail. However, wrong handling may cause more delays that may last for months; it is why you should let a professional handle it for you.
How to get an Apostille of marriage certificate in NYC without leaving your home
Bronx Mobile Notary Service is New York’s most reliable licensed mobile notary service. We assist our clients by providing a seamless approach to obtaining an Apostille.
From notarization to getting your documents Apostilled, we will manage them appropriately. Once the process is complete, we will return your documents via the delivery method of your choice. We are available to answer your calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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