Quick answer
This is one of the most important Florida documents for the Philippines. 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 2019
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C.
- Translation
- English is an official language of the Philippines and Florida documents are issued in English, so Florida documents generally don't need a translation there.
How a Florida divorce decree is used in Philippines
This is one of the most important Florida documents for the Philippines. There is no divorce under Philippine law, but a valid foreign divorce can let the Filipino spouse remarry once it is judicially recognized: the Embassy's FAQ says the decree must first be enforced or confirmed through a civil case in a Regional Trial Court. Your Philippine lawyer will need the Florida final judgment of dissolution of marriage, certified by the Clerk of Court and apostilled. The Vital Statistics dissolution certificate is a different, shorter document, so ask which one the lawyer wants.
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 Philippines — and translation
For Florida residents, civil registry reports (Report of Birth, Report of Marriage) and consular notarization go through the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., which lists Florida in its jurisdiction. In the Philippines, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) holds civil records, Regional Trial Courts handle recognition of foreign divorces, Registries of Deeds record land transactions, and the Bureau of Immigration handles visas for foreign spouses.
English is an official language of the Philippines and Florida documents are issued in English, so Florida documents generally don't need a translation there. If a Florida document is in another language (for example, a notarized statement written in Spanish), our standard applies: a translator's certification, notarized by a different notary, with its own Florida apostille.
We could not verify a general age limit for Florida documents in the Philippines. Checklists change, so read the Embassy's current list before you order, and ask Philippine offices such as the Bureau of Immigration how recent they want police records.
Consular office serving Florida: Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C.
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 Philippines
$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 Philippines 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).