Thursday, March 28, 2024

How To Get Apostille In New York

How To Get An Apostille In New York City In Three Easy Steps

How to Apostille a New York City Marriage Certificate

***UPDATE***Hey there! The apostille process has changed a bit because of the pandemic. You should head on over to my other blog post, How to Get an Apostille in New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic, where youll find the most up-to-date information. If you find my blog helpful, please consider leaving a $3 tip to keep this website up and running. Thanks for your generosity! – M.

B: Complete The County Clerk Step By Mail

Assemble your vital record and letter of exemplification.

Next, visit your local bank or post office and get a certified check or money order for $3.00 per record. Make your payment out to the County Clerk of New York County. Regular personal checks and cash are not accepted.

Grab an envelope, address it to yourself, and put on proper postage. Not sure how many stamps you need? Fun fact: if you are sending a regular-size envelope and you have six or fewer pieces of paper in there, you need only one Forever stamp. More than six pages, and you might think about throwing a 20-cent stamp on there to be safe. Large envelopes also need extra postage, FYI.

Mail your records, letters of exemplification, payment, and self-addressed stamped envelope to:

County Clerk of New York CountyNew York County Courthouse

Finally The Department Of State

How cool is going to the Department of State? Well, it could be cooler actually. You will be sent to a very specific section of the Department of State of New York in New York City. It is ‘so specific’ that you will actually take a separate entrance to reach an area dedicated to licensing examinations administered by the NYS and the apostilles.

This entrance is located to the left side of the address you are looking for: 123 William St., New York, NY 10038. Once you are in, take the elevator upstairs. You will see a banner like this “Apostille Services to the right”. DON’T FOLLOW THE BANNER. Instead, look for a form called “Apostille Request Form”, which will be close to the banner. Make sure to fill out the form according to the number of documents and country where the apostille will be used. Only after that, you should follow the banner. The banner will direct you to another room, where you will find chairs and a single line in the middle of the room. Take the line making sure you have in your hands: the documents with the County Clerk certifications attached, your ID, the money order, and the completed form. The lady at the window will check the documents and tell you to wait or the name of the company .

Waiting time: they will handle you the apostilled document on the same day if you have few documents being notarized. Same day could mean between 15 to 60 minutes. For large batches they may ask you to come back in another day.

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Obtain Your Notarized Documents

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a suspension of in-person document pickup. Students will be required to provide an address to which notarized documents can be mailed.

NOTE: NYU will complete the first step of the Apostille process, notarizing the document. If you are not currently in the NYC area, we can send notarized documents to an Apostille service agency, as directed by you, and they may complete the remaining steps of the Apostille process. Because we cannot endorse a particular agency, we typically recommend that Alumni perform a web search for “Apostille Services.” Please note that as these agencies are not affiliated with NYU and that they are for-hire agencies, there will be a fee at their discretion.

Changes In New York State Apostille

New York State Apostille Service

On 28 July 2010 the New York State Secretary of State has change the Apostille format again. Now, the Apostille is joined with a grommet that can not & must not be removed. Also, both the Apostille and Authentications will be produced with a blue laser printed facsimile of the New York State Department of State Seal. The New York State Apostille does not have a Raised Seal.

How to verify you have a real New York State Apostille

The New York Department of State now allows you to verify whether an Apostille or Certificate of Authentication was issued by the New York State Secretary of State’s office. Apostilles and Certificates of Authentication issued on or after April 9, 2013 may be verified on the Department of States website at

Any reference or mention of the convention is referring to the Hague Conference on Private International Law and the “Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents”.

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Official Verification Of Name

To obtain a marriage license in New York City , a person should go to theCity Clerk of the City of New York on the first floor at 80 Centre Street in Manhattan, whichis located on Foley Square in lower Manhattan, near the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridgeand near City Hall Park. On the Lexington Avenue subway line, one would get off at”Brooklyn Bridge” on the express.

For various purposes , individuals may be required to obtain official, authenticated proof of name, birth, marriage, etc. The authentication certifies the signature and capacity of the official who executed the document. The New York Secretary of State authenticates public documents for use in foreign countries. One such proof is known as an “apostille,” which is issued pursuant to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing Requirement of Legislation for Foreign Public Documents. A “certificate of authentication” is issued to authenticate public documents for use in countries that are not signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention. The documents in question must be public documents issued in New York State and signed by a notary public, a County Clerk, or a State official. The necessity for an apostille or certificate of authentication is determined by the foreign country or destination.

The procedures for obtaining an apostille or certificate of authentication, a three-step process, are as follows:

Issuance Of Apostille Or Certificate Of Authentication

The third step in the process is the issuance of the apostille or certificate of authentication by the New York State Department of State. An application form must be completed. The documents in question, properly authenticated, must be attached and a fee paid. The fee is $10.00 per apostille or certificate. For access to the application form, information on acceptable payment methods, and other information, see www.dos.state.ny.us .

The documents may be submitted to the Department of State in person at the following address:

New York State Department of StateDivision of Licensing Services

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How Do I Get My Birth Certificate Apostille

There are 3 way to get an Apostille for your New York City Birth Certificate.

1. The OFFICIAL way requires to have an Long form Birth Certificate with a Letter of Exemplification . The Letter of Exemplification is only issued when you order a new the Long form Birth Certificate & request the Letter of Exemplification at the same time. Therefore, you need your Birth Certificate & a Letter of Exemplification to receive an Apostilla Stamp.

2. Another official way is to have an original New York City or New York State Certificate of Birth that is signed by the current City Registrar Steven Schwartz, Ph.D. or the Director of Vital Record

3. The Unofficial way is for you to create a letter stating that you have an original or a copy of a birth certificate issues by the state, city, or local county registrar of your locality. Then you get the letter you created & have it notarized. The only problem doing it this way the person who is receiving your birth certificate may not accept it. So, you need to check first to find out which procedure you wish to follow.

If need a new Birth Certificate and you now have to go to the website to order a new one.

If you have your NYC Birth Certificate

  • Once you have your New York City long form Certificate of Birth and Letter of Exemplification, you can send both to Notary & Apostille Servicealong with your Order Form. The Order Form can be found on the “Getting Started” page.
  • Special Note:

    New York State No Criminal Record Letter

    How to Apostille a New York City Birth Certificate with an exemplification letter

    The most comprehensive way to conduct a New York criminal record search is through the New York State Office of Court Administration . The OCA covers all 62 counties in New York State dating back to at least 1993 and includes all town and village records as of 2007.

    The best thing about the OCA “No Criminal Record Letter” is that no fingerprints are required. The search is based on the exact name and date of birth.

    Related search terms: “new york criminal record”, “new york statewide criminal background check”, “new york apostille for criminal record”, “how to get a criminal record in new york”, “how to legalize a new york background check”

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    One: Get The Document That Needs An Apostille

    In my line of work, most documents that need apostilles are vital records submitted for dual citizenship. Vital records for ancestors who were born, married, or died in New York City will be at the New York City Department of Health or the New York City Municipal Archives .

    If your vital record is at the Municipal Archives, here are a few helpful tips:

  • When you purchase your record copy, let the staff know that you are getting an apostille. Currently, records cost $11 each.

  • The staff will print out a letter for you. Currently, that costs $5.

  • The staff will also give you a handout with the locations for the New York County Clerk and New York State Department of State offices. Ignore this handout. Some of the information is outdated and incorrect.

  • Can New York Apostille Be Verified Online

    Yes, if it was issued after April 9, 2013. Please follow the link

    I have a translation of the Certificate of Naturalization from Russian into English, and the Belarusian consulate in New York told me that I need to get a New York Apostille for translation. Its right?

    Yes, there is such a requirement to accept Russian translations of documents at the Belarusian consulate. Please note that you should receive apostille twice the first one for the original document , the second one Apostille for a notarized translation of your Certificate of Naturalization.

    Foreign Documents Ltd. is a corporate member of American Translators Association.

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    Why Get An Apostille

    Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must have the notarization or official certification authenticated or be “authenticate notarization” or “legalized” before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. The Apostille is a process in which various seals, stamps or letters are placed on the document, that have the notarization or official certification authenticated.

    The sole function of the NY Apostille certification is to certify the authenticity of the signature on the document the capacity in which the person signing the document acted and the identity of any stamp or seal affixed to the document. An Apostille stamp issued by the New York State Secretary of State is a one page document embossed with the Great Seal of the State of New York, , a black and white laser printed facsimile of the New York State Department of State Seal. The Apostille stamp includes the facsimile signature of the individual issuing the certificate.

    What Does This Means To Me

    Same

    If the country where you seek legalization belongs to the Hague Convention, you will required an Apostille Stamp. All other nations require Embassy legalization or Consular Legalization.

    If the country where the document will be used is not a party to the Convention, you will have to begin a time-consuming & cumbersome process of obtaining a series of certifications or signatures or stamps known as the “chain authentication method”. This is literally a paper chase in which authorities will have to attest to the validity of a succession of signatures beginning with your document and ending with the seal of the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States.

    The following countries accept the Apostille as a standard form of international document legalization.

    Most NYC & Long Island documents can received an NYC Apostille stamp within a 24 hour time frame. Other documents from out of state may require additional processing time. Each document is different and may require additional time for traveling between locations to get the document Apostille.

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    Federal Apostille For Fbi Background Check

    Do you need a U.S. apostille for your FBI background checkfor use outside the United States? If you plan to live, work, or conduct business in another country, you might be asked for an apostilled criminal background check.

    FBI background check is a federal document, this is why it needs a federal apostille. This document can be apostilled as an original if you received it by mail, or as a PDF file if you received it by email.

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    Ordering By Phone Or Internet

    The certificate will be sent directly to you and you will need to send the document to the New York State Department of State yourself to get the apostille. Visit the New York State Department of State web site for information about submitting your document for apostille.

    PLEASE NOTE: If you order your certificate on line or by phone and you require an apostille, you should request a “LONG FORM” .

    To order a “LONG FORM” through www.vitalchek.com, select “Long Form” from the “What will you be using this certificate for? Reason:” drop-down box.

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    Best Apostille Service Provider

    Apostille1.com serves all 50 US states. Expedited service is available. Dont have time to go down to the office? We can help! Please contact us for more information. For inquiries, please call 347-620-0155 or email

    To obtain an on a birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, articles of incorporation, business bylaws, powers of attorney, diplomas and transcripts from the New York Secretary of State follow the guidelines

    You can order a certified long-form death or birth certificate and letter of exemplification in person or by mail at:

    Office of Vital Records Bureau of Vital StatisticsNew York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene125 Worth Street Room 144New York, NY 10013Open Monday â Friday 9 a.m. â 3:30 p.m. eWebsite: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/birth-certific_ates.page

    Whether you order by mail or in person, the process takes around 10-14 days for NY certified birth or death certificate and Letter of Exemplification to arrive in the mail.Make sure to indicate âapostilleâ in the application, and indicate âyesâ when asked âletter of exemplificationâ. Please note that you will receive the certificate and exemplification letter not the apostille yet.

    Information provided above is based on our resources and government websites. Some information may not be up-to-date. Please contact us for more information if required.

    Example of documents we apostille daily:
    Corporate documents:

    Attestation Of Educational Documents For The Philippines

    How to apostille a New York Certificate of Incorporation

    How do you get your diploma, university degree, transcript, verification letter certified and attested for use in the Philippines?

    The Philippines is now a Hague Convention country, therefore the legalization of your degree by the Embassy of the Philippines is no longer required. Before the Philippines joined the Apostille Convention in 2018, the attestation was a chain type legalization procedure which included the Consulate / Embassy of the Philippines. Now a Hague apostille issued by the Secretary of State will make your document valid and legal in the Philippines.

    Related search terms: “philippines legalization”, “philippines authentication”, “philippines diploma attestation”, “diploma for the philippines”, “philippines embassy legalization, “certificate attestation for the philippines”, “apostille for philippines”

    If you need to get a New York apostille for use in Mexico for a personal or a corporate document originating from the State of New York, we will be happy to assist you!

    Both the U.S. and Mexico signed the Hague Apostille Convention, therefore all U.S. documents bearing a Hague apostille will be legal and valid in Mexico.

    Here are a few tips:

    Your notarized document can be in Spanish. However, the notarial statement must be in English.

    The notary cannot call himself / herself “notario publico” in the document! There is a huge difference between a U.S. notary and a Mexican notario publico. The document will be rejected.

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    The New York County Clerk

    Congrats! You are ready to begin the apostille process.

    It is time to get your documents to the New York County Clerk. The Clerk needs to authenticate your records using your letters of exemplification. If you are getting apostilles for non-vital records, such as educational transcripts, the clerk will make sure that the records were notarized by a Real Live Notary who is authorized to work in this jurisdiction.

    The good news is that this step is largely unchanged, and can be completed in-person. If you are located far away from New York City, jump to Step 3b to learn how to complete this process by mail.

    This is the front entrance to 60 Centre Street, where the County Clerk is located. Do not use this entrance!

    When youre planning your visit, keep in mind that you should NOT GO on a Wednesday, and DO NOT ARRIVE between 12:30 and 2pm on any day, no matter what the County Clerks hours on Google Maps say. The clerks office closes for lunch between 1 and 2pm, but they stop letting people in at 12:30pm because they dont want the long line to cut into their lunch hour. Apostille services are also sometimes unavailable on Wednesdays, a policy they implement randomly and then occasionally undo and do not announce anywhere online. For these reasons, its best not to go on Wednesdays or in the early afternoon.

    DONT GO TO THIS ENTRANCE. It is temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

    You can jump ahead to Step 4, since you completed this step in-person.

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