Adoption Documents Apostille for Germany

When a German parent adopts in Florida, the child's German citizenship and family-law status can depend on Germany recognizing the adoption. Recognition generally runs through a German family court under the Adoption Effects Act (Adoptionswirkungsgesetz), which examines the Florida adoption. Prepare the adoption judgment certified by the Clerk of Court and the child's amended birth certificate signed by the State Registrar, both apostilled and translated by a sworn translator. Adoption files are sealed, so only the parties get certified copies. Talk to the consulate early.

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 apostille page.

The registrar's office (Standesamt) handles marriages, birth registrations and name declarations; births of children who never lived in Germany go to Standesamt I in Berlin. State justice departments recognize foreign divorces, probate courts (Nachlassgerichte) issue certificates of inheritance, and German notaries and land registries handle property. Recognition of qualifications runs through state authorities and the ZAB. The Consulate General of Germany in Miami serves Florida.

German offices that require a translation usually want one by a translator sworn, publicly appointed or authorized under German state law, searchable in the state justice administrations' database. Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a separate notary and apostilled in Florida; some German offices accept it, but many will instead require a sworn German translator. For recognition of a Florida divorce, plan on the apostille plus a sworn German translation. Translate after the apostille, including the apostille page.

To marry in Germany, the birth certificate must not be older than six months. Other offices set their own limits, so ask; German notaries and register courts also tend to reject corporate certificates that are several months old.

Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Germany in Miami.

$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 Germany 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).