Quick answer
Adoption papers go to India in two directions. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $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
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2005
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of India in Atlanta
- Translation
- Florida documents are in English, which Indian authorities use, so translation is rarely needed.
How a Florida adoption documents is used in India
Adoption papers go to India in two directions. Families who adopted in Florida and are applying for an OCI card or Indian records for the child need the final adoption judgment, certified by the Clerk of Court and apostilled. Families adopting a child from India go through India's Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and their Hague-accredited agency, which sets the document list, typically including home study and police records. Florida adoption files are confidential, so request certified copies through the court that granted the adoption.
Getting a adoption documents Florida will apostille
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.
Who receives it in India — and translation
The OCI system and the Consulate General of India in Atlanta (which serves Florida) handle OCI and consular matters; sub-registrars and state stamp authorities handle property documents; Indian banks handle KYC and inheritance claims; the Ministry of Corporate Affairs handles company filings; Marriage Officers handle Special Marriage Act weddings; and CARA handles adoptions from India.
Florida documents are in English, which Indian authorities use, so translation is rarely needed. When a document is in another language, our rule applies: a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida. The OCI FAQ asks for an authorized English translation only for certificates not in English.
India has no general expiry for apostilled documents. Specific timing rules apply instead, such as stamping a power of attorney within three months after it first reaches India; banks and courts may also want recently issued copies.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of India in Atlanta.
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 apostille.
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 India
$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 India 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).