Quick answer
Egyptian law generally doesn't recognize adoption in the way Florida does, so adoption documents for Egypt are uncommon and the result depends on the purpose and the family. Florida issues an authentication certificate for Egypt, not an apostille — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Clerk of Court in the county that granted the adoption (certified final judgment of adoption); for a child born in Florida…
- Florida state fee
- $20 — included in $220
- Route
- Florida authentication → U.S. Department of State → Egypt embassy
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consular Section of the Embassy of Egypt, Washington, D.C.
- Translation
- Egypt's consulate lists translation of documents among its services but doesn't publish a translation rule in its legalization procedure.
How a Florida adoption documents is used in Egypt
Egyptian law generally doesn't recognize adoption in the way Florida does, so adoption documents for Egypt are uncommon and the result depends on the purpose and the family. If an Egyptian office asks for proof of a Florida adoption, it will want the certified final judgment of adoption from the Clerk of Court, authenticated by Florida and the U.S. Department of State. Talk to an Egyptian lawyer before you start.
Getting a adoption documents Florida will authenticate
The final judgment of adoption certified by the Florida Clerk of Court (wet-ink or official e-certification), with all pages attached; its state fee is $20. The new birth certificate must be a certified copy signed by the State Registrar and certified in 2014 or later; its state fee is $10. Both fees are included in our price.
Adoption records are confidential under section 63.162, Florida Statutes, and released only on court order. The easiest time to get certified copies is through your adoption attorney while the case is still open; for an older case, ask the clerk what they require, since you may need to file a request with the court. Clerk and Vital Statistics fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the adoption documents page.
What happens after the Florida certificate — Egypt
After we return your document with its Florida authentication certificate, it goes to the U.S. Department of State for authentication; Egypt's consulate specifically requires that step for court records and for court- or county-issued marriage and divorce records. Then the Consular Section of the Embassy of Egypt in Washington, D.C., whose jurisdiction includes Florida, legalizes it; degrees go to the Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau first. Ask the office in Egypt whether it also wants the document certified by Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We don't handle, arrange or refer anyone for these steps.
We don't handle or arrange the U.S. Department of State or embassy steps. See how non-Hague authentication works.
Who receives it in Egypt — and translation
In the U.S., the Consular Section of the Embassy of Egypt in Washington, D.C. legalizes documents issued in Florida; for degrees and certificates, the Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau in Washington comes first. In Egypt, legalized Florida documents go to the civil registry for Egyptian citizens' births and marriages, Ministry of Justice offices for notarizations and real estate registration, family courts for divorce and inheritance, banks, and investment authorities for companies.
Egypt's consulate lists translation of documents among its services but doesn't publish a translation rule in its legalization procedure. Egyptian courts and registries work in Arabic and usually ask for an Arabic translation, often made in Egypt. Ask the receiving office first. If it accepts a Florida translation, the translator certifies it, a different notary notarizes it, and it is authenticated in Florida with the original.
Egypt's consulate doesn't publish a document-age rule in its legalization procedure. Egyptian registries and courts may want recently issued records, so order fresh Florida certified copies and ask the receiving office how recent they must be.
Consular office serving Florida: Consular Section of the Embassy of Egypt, Washington, D.C. (its jurisdiction includes Florida).
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 authentication certificate.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why adoption documentss get rejected
- Plain or conformed copy of the judgment instead of a certified one
- Birth certificate certified before 2014
- Birth certificate from another state, which that state must apostille
- Translation stapled to the certified original
What it costs for Egypt
$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 authentication to Egypt 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).