Do you need to apostille a marriage license or certificate?

At Westchester Apostille, Inc., we take the guesswork out of obtaining an apostille on your marriage certificate.  We can apostille marriage certificates through the New York Department of State within 24 hours.

In order to apostille your certificate, we’ll need the original or a certified copy issued by the County Clerk or New York State.  Marriage certificates can only be authenticated from the State of issue.  The Secretary of State does not have the authority to authenticate documents issued from another State. For example, if your marriage certificate is from the State of Connecticut, the State of Connecticut is the only State that can issue the apostille.  Another example is if your marriage certificate is from New York, only the State of New York can issue the apostille.

Not every marriage certificate can qualify for an apostille.  Some States have set time limits on how old a certificate can be.  For example, marriage certificates issued from the State of Wisconsin and Virginia can not be older than 12 months. We recommend that you upload a photo of your document securely at www.apostilleapply.com for us to review. 

Here are a few frequently asked questions…

Question: What if my marriage certificate is older than five years?

Answer: Most States can apostille a certificate older than five years.  But, there are a few States that have set limits on how old a certificate can be.  For example, marriage certificates issued from the State of Virginia and Wisconsin cannot be older than 12 months.  A marriage certificate issued from the State of Texas cannot be older than five years.  Because of the unique requirements of every State, we recommend that you mail in what you currently have before you order a new one.  If the State does not accept your document, we will contact you with instructions.

Question: Why do I need to apostille my marriage certificate?

Answer: There are many reasons why another country will ask for an apostille on your marriage certificate.  Some of the examples are: If you are planning to obtain dual-citizenship, buying property, inheritance, divorce, planning to retire in another country.  Some countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar will request to see your marriage. 

Question: Can I apostille my California marriage certificate in New York?

Answer: Sometimes. If your apostille includes multiple documents, such as a “new business” application for India, and your California document is simply “part of a bigger picture”, we can include the document. We can not stress the point enough that it is many time “the discretion of the receiving entity”. Please upload your documents at www.apostilleapply.com for an honest evaluation of what can be done.

Question: What if the State does not accept my marriage certificate?

Answer: In situations where the certificate is not accepted, don’t stress, Westchester Apostille, if using the www.apostilleapply.com platform, guarantees acceptance of your documents or they will be resubmitted at no additional fee when using our expedited services. We are the only apostille service with the “Guaranteed Acceptance” program.

Obtaining an apostille is complicated and requires multiple steps. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you! Use www.apostilleapply.com to save time and money.

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