How a Florida marriage certificate is used in Turkey
Turkish citizens who marry in Florida must report the marriage to a Turkish mission, and the Turkish Embassy in Washington's guidance says within 30 days at the latest, either in person or by mail. The foreign spouse provides a passport and a birth document showing both parents' names, and anyone previously married proves the earlier marriage ended. Mailed applications may use a certified copy, never a photocopy. For a family residence permit in Türkiye, the Presidency of Migration Management wants the certificate apostilled with a notarized Turkish translation.
Translation for Turkey
Turkish offices expect a Turkish translation. Turkish consulates in the U.S. accept a translation by a sworn translator, certified by a U.S. notary and apostilled, which matches our rule: certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida. In Türkiye, a sworn translator's translation approved by a Turkish notary is the alternative. Ask the Turkish consulate in Miami whether the translator must be registered on its list.
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 Turkey
- Order online — pick "Marriage certificate" and "Turkey" 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 Turkey with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for Turkey. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.