How a Florida marriage certificate is used in India
A foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder can apply for OCI only after a registered marriage that has lasted at least two continuous years before the application, and the Florida marriage certificate, apostilled, is the core proof. The same certificate is used when an Indian passport holder updates a spouse's name or address details, or registers the marriage with Indian records. To be apostilled, it must be signed by the State Registrar or a Clerk of the County Court. Order it close to the two-year mark if the office wants a recent copy.
Translation for 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.
What your Florida marriage certificate must look like
Two versions can be apostilled: a certified copy from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics (signed by the State Registrar; the $10 state apostille fee applies) or a certified copy from the Clerk of Court in the county that issued the license (the $20 state fee applies). The decorative certificate from the ceremony and church certificates cannot be apostilled. Vital Statistics copies certified before 2014 must be replaced; order a new one through VitalChek or the county clerk. The state fee is included in our price either way.
Step by step: marriage certificate apostille for India
- Order online — pick "Marriage certificate" and "India" 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 India with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for India. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.