Quick answer
Florida divorces reach India for remarriage, updating a passport or OCI record, and property or maintenance disputes. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Clerk of Court in the Florida county where the divorce was granted, as a certified copy of the final judgment of dissolution of marriage.
- 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 divorce decree is used in India
Florida divorces reach India for remarriage, updating a passport or OCI record, and property or maintenance disputes. Bring the final judgment certified by the Clerk of Court, apostilled. One honest warning: under section 13 of India's Code of Civil Procedure, Indian courts can refuse to treat a foreign judgment as conclusive in some circumstances, and divorces of couples married under Indian personal law have been a known area of dispute. If anything important depends on the divorce being recognized in India, talk to an Indian lawyer before relying on the apostille alone.
Getting a divorce decree Florida will apostille
A complete copy of the final judgment of dissolution of marriage, certified by the Clerk of Court with an original wet-ink certification or the clerk's official e-certification. The state fee is $20 ($10 apostille + $10 certificate of incumbency), already in our price. If the receiving country accepts the one-page dissolution certificate instead, it must be signed by the State Registrar or a Clerk of the County Court and certified in 2014 or later.
Request a certified copy of the final judgment from the clerk of the county where the divorce was granted, online, by mail or at the courthouse; Florida law sets the clerk's certification fee at $2 plus copy charges, usually $1 per page. The dissolution certificate (divorces from June 6, 1927 on) can be ordered from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or through VitalChek. These fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the divorce decree 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 divorce decrees get rejected
- Plain, conformed or attorney copy instead of the clerk-certified judgment
- Notarized photocopy of the decree
- Missing pages or attachments the foreign office needs, such as a settlement agreement
- Divorce granted in another state
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).
