Quick answer
Floridians with family or property in Colombia sign poderes especiales to sell an apartment by escritura pública, handle a sucesión, collect a pension or manage a bank account. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- You, the principal, sign before a Florida notary, who takes your acknowledgment, together with two subscribing witnesses…
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2001
- Online notarization
- Available as an add-on
- 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 power of attorney is used in Colombia
Floridians with family or property in Colombia sign poderes especiales to sell an apartment by escritura pública, handle a sucesión, collect a pension or manage a bank account. The Colombian notaría checks that the poder names the specific property or act and grants each power the deal needs, so ask your Colombian lawyer for the wording. You can sign before a Florida notary or online and apostille it, or use the signature-recognition service at a Colombian consulate. Either way, the poder needs to be in Spanish.
Getting a power of attorney Florida will apostille
Signed by the principal and two subscribing witnesses, with a complete Florida acknowledgment certificate in English (venue, presence or online box, date, ID type, notary's signature and seal). The body can be bilingual or in the destination language. The state checks the notarization, not the powers granted, so have the foreign lawyer or notary approve the wording before you sign.
Get the draft from the foreign lawyer, notary or bank that will use it, then sign before a Florida notary in person or through our online notarization add-on: $40 for the first document ($10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee) and $20 for each additional document. Remote witnesses must be physically in the U.S. while witnessing. Notarization and legal drafting are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the power of attorney 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 it — or sign online
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location. Not signed yet? Add online notarization and there is nothing to ship.
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 power of attorneys get rejected
- Notarized in another state
- Missing witnesses or an incomplete acknowledgment certificate
- Translator also acted as the notary
- Wording rejected by the foreign notary even though the apostille is valid
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).