What is an Apostille?

Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must be "authenticated" or "legalized" before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. This is a process in which various seals are placed on the document. Such documents range from powers of attorney, affidavits, birth, death and marriages records, incorporation papers, deeds, patent applications, home studies and other legal papers.

If your document is intended for use in a country which is a party to a treaty called the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents ("Hague Legalization Convention") (countries listed here), obtaining a special "apostille" certificate is generally all that is required.

Couples from foreign countries should always check with their authorities if an Apostille of the Florida Marriage Certificate is required or not. If both partners are from different countries for example: the bride is from Italy and the groom from Greece, it may be necessary to apply for 2 Apostilles to legalize the marriage in each country.

We offer the Florida marriage license by mail including the filing for the Apostille. We also process Apostilles from Florida Marriage Certificates that have not been processed through us. Please review our Online Order page.