Quick answer
Egyptians who marry in Florida register the marriage with Egyptian civil records, and spouses use it for residence, a family name change, or a property title in Egypt. Florida issues an authentication certificate for Egypt, not an apostille — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Clerk of Court in the Florida county where the marriage license was issued, or the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics (marriages from June 6, 1927 on)…
- Florida state fee
- $10 — 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 marriage certificate is used in Egypt
Egyptians who marry in Florida register the marriage with Egyptian civil records, and spouses use it for residence, a family name change, or a property title in Egypt. Egypt's consulate says a marriage certificate issued by a court or county must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State before it legalizes it. In Florida, order the certified copy from the Clerk of the County Court that issued the license or from the State Registrar, then authenticate it.
Getting a marriage certificate Florida will authenticate
A certified copy signed by the State Registrar or a Clerk of the County Court, certified in 2014 or later. The state fee is $10 for a State Registrar signature and $20 for a clerk-certified copy ($10 apostille + $10 certificate of incumbency); either one is included in our price. Church certificates, ceremony keepsakes, photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.
Order from the Clerk of Court in the county that issued the license: it is the only source for marriages before June 6, 1927, and the faster one for a recent wedding, since marriages take about 60 days to reach state records. Or order from the Bureau of Vital Statistics through VitalChek (vitalchek.com), by mail or in person. Clerk, Bureau and VitalChek fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the marriage certificate 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 marriage certificates get rejected
- Certified before 2014
- Church or ceremony certificate instead of the civil record
- Notarized photocopy of the certificate
- Marriage recorded in another state
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).