How a Florida marriage certificate is used in Colombia
A Florida marriage matters in Colombia twice: to record it in the Colombian registro civil de matrimonio, and to apply for a spouse visa through the Cancillería. Both want the certificate apostilled and translated. The visa adds a clock: the Cancillería's visa guide says documents other than passports must be issued no more than three months before you apply, so an old certified copy won't do. Order a fresh certificate signed by the State Registrar or a Clerk of the County Court, apostille it and apply promptly.
Translation for Colombia
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.
What your Florida marriage certificate must look like
Two versions can be apostilled: a certified copy from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics (signed by the State Registrar; the $10 state apostille fee applies) or a certified copy from the Clerk of Court in the county that issued the license (the $20 state fee applies). The decorative certificate from the ceremony and church certificates cannot be apostilled. Vital Statistics copies certified before 2014 must be replaced; order a new one through VitalChek or the county clerk. The state fee is included in our price either way.
Step by step: marriage certificate apostille for Colombia
- Order online — pick "Marriage certificate" and "Colombia" on the order form; $220 per document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more.
- Send a photo — reply to the confirmation email with a picture of the document. We check the certification before anything ships, so a defect is caught before it costs you a round trip.
- Drop it at FedEx — after approval, FedEx emails you a prepaid QR code; show it at any FedEx Office or Ship Center, no printer or label needed.
- Filed in person in Tallahassee — we walk the document into the Florida Department of State and ship the apostilled original back by FedEx within 5–7 business days of receipt — to your U.S. address, or to Colombia with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for Colombia. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.