Quick answer
A Florida divorce has no effect on a Colombian marriage record until it's recognized in Colombia through exequátur before the Sala de Casación Civil of the Corte Suprema de Justicia. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Clerk of Court in the Florida county where the divorce was granted, as a certified copy of the final judgment of dissolution of marriage.
- Florida state fee
- $20 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2001
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Colombia in Miami
- Translation
- Colombia accepts translations made in Florida when they're certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled, which matches our general rule…
How a Florida divorce decree is used in Colombia
A Florida divorce has no effect on a Colombian marriage record until it's recognized in Colombia through exequátur before the Sala de Casación Civil of the Corte Suprema de Justicia. Only after that can the divorce be noted on the registro civil de matrimonio, and until then a Colombian notaría may treat you as married. The court will want the final judgment certified by the Clerk of Court, apostilled and translated. Plan for a Colombian lawyer, and order more than one certified copy of the final judgment.
Getting a divorce decree Florida will apostille
A complete copy of the final judgment of dissolution of marriage, certified by the Clerk of Court with an original wet-ink certification or the clerk's official e-certification. The state fee is $20 ($10 apostille + $10 certificate of incumbency), already in our price. If the receiving country accepts the one-page dissolution certificate instead, it must be signed by the State Registrar or a Clerk of the County Court and certified in 2014 or later.
Request a certified copy of the final judgment from the clerk of the county where the divorce was granted, online, by mail or at the courthouse; Florida law sets the clerk's certification fee at $2 plus copy charges, usually $1 per page. The dissolution certificate (divorces from June 6, 1927 on) can be ordered from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or through VitalChek. These fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the divorce decree apostille page.
Who receives it in Colombia — and translation
Florida documents go to the Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil and notarías (registro civil), the Cancillería (visas, apostille rules, minor-travel guidance), Migración Colombia (departures of minors), the Ministerio de Educación Nacional (convalidación), the Corte Suprema de Justicia (exequátur of foreign judgments) and the ICBF (adoptions). The Consulate General of Colombia in Miami handles registrations and authentications for Florida residents.
Colombia accepts translations made in Florida when they're certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled, which matches our general rule; that translation is a separate document on your order. Alternatively, a Colombian official translator in Colombia can translate after the apostille, and that translation needs no apostille. The Cancillería recommends apostilling the original before translating, and the Ministry of Education doesn't require apostilled translations for convalidación.
For visas, the Cancillería requires documents other than passports to be issued no more than three months before the application. Notarías and other entities set their own limits, and many also want recent civil-status documents.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Colombia in Miami.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why divorce decrees get rejected
- Plain, conformed or attorney copy instead of the clerk-certified judgment
- Notarized photocopy of the decree
- Missing pages or attachments the foreign office needs, such as a settlement agreement
- Divorce granted in another state
What it costs for Colombia
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to Colombia is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).