How a Florida birth certificate is used in Germany
Germany asks for Florida birth certificates in two common situations. To marry in Germany, each fiancé needs a birth certificate showing the parents' names that is not older than six months, so order a fresh certified copy close to the filing date. To register a Florida-born child of a German parent, the Standesamt wants a certificate that names the town of birth; if yours lists only the county, it asks for a long-form certificate or a hospital letter. Registrars may request an apostille at their discretion, so ask first. It must be signed by the current State Registrar.
Translation for Germany
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.
What your Florida birth certificate must look like
The Florida Department of State apostilles the signature of the State Registrar, so you need a certified copy issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or a county health department — not a hospital certificate, a photocopy or a scan. Copies certified before 2014 carry an older signature and are not accepted; order a fresh certified copy through VitalChek or your county health department before you send it. The certified copy itself (about $9–$14 from the issuing office) is the only cost on top of our $220.
Step by step: birth certificate apostille for Germany
- Order online — pick "Birth certificate" and "Germany" 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 Germany with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for Germany. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.