Quick answer
A Florida divorce matters in South Africa when someone previously married wants to marry there, when a foreign spouse applies for a visa and has to show a prior marriage ended, or when property in South Africa is divided. 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 1995
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Translation
- English is one of South Africa's official languages and Florida documents are issued in English, so they usually go without a translation.
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days, filed in person
How a Florida divorce decree is used in South Africa
A Florida divorce matters in South Africa when someone previously married wants to marry there, when a foreign spouse applies for a visa and has to show a prior marriage ended, or when property in South Africa is divided. The document is the Florida final judgment of dissolution of marriage, certified by the Clerk of Court with a wet-ink or official e-certification. The one-page dissolution certificate from Vital Statistics is a summary, not the judgment. Ask the marriage officer, Home Affairs or your attorney which one they want.
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 South Africa — and translation
The Department of Home Affairs handles visas, permits and civic records. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) evaluates foreign degrees. Attorneys and conveyancers take Florida documents to the Deeds Office, banks and the Master of the High Court for estates. DIRCO (the Department of International Relations and Cooperation) says foreign documents must be legalised in their country of origin, which for a Florida document means the Florida Department of State.
English is one of South Africa's official languages and Florida documents are issued in English, so they usually go without a translation. Home Affairs' sworn-translator requirement covers documents that aren't in an official South African language. If a Florida document is in another language, our standard applies: translator's certification, notarized by a different notary, with its own Florida apostille, and ask whether Home Affairs instead wants a sworn translator.
Home Affairs' work-visa checklists say a police clearance can't be older than six months when submitted. Parental consent affidavits for children traveling through South African ports of entry must be no more than four months old when presented, according to DIRCO's advisory.
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 South Africa
$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 South Africa 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).