Filed in person at the Florida Department of State
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Florida apostille guides, written to get it right the first time

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Quick answer

Start with what a Florida apostille is and how to get one, or jump to the guide for your document or country below. Every guide is written for Florida documents and links to the official sources.

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The process, the requirements and what an apostille actually is.

How to get a Florida apostille, step by stepThe complete Florida apostille process: check eligibility, fill out the state form, pay $10 or $20, mail or walk in. Or have us file it in 5–7 days.11 min readFlorida apostille requirements, document by documentWhat the Florida Department of State requires for each document type — vital records, notarized, school, court, corporate, FDLE — plus a checklist.10 min readWhat is a Florida apostille, and what is it for?What a Florida apostille certifies (and what it doesn't), who issues it, what it looks like, which countries accept it and how to verify one.8 min readWhy Florida apostilles get rejected, and how to avoid every oneThe real reasons Florida apostille requests bounce in Tallahassee or get refused abroad, and a pre-flight checklist to run before you file.9 min read

Documents

How each kind of document has to look before Florida will apostille it.

How a notarized document must look to be apostilled in FloridaThe exact Florida notarial certificates the state expects, the defects that get notarized documents rejected, and how online notarization can fix them.11 min readFlorida vital records for apostille: getting the right certificateWhich Florida birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates can be apostilled, where to order them, and why a notarized copy won't work.9 min readFlorida court records for apostille: certified by the clerkHow to get Florida divorce decrees, name change orders, adoption judgments and probate letters certified by the clerk and apostilled — and the $20 fee.9 min readDiplomas and transcripts for apostille: get them notarized at the schoolFlorida diplomas and transcripts must be notarized by the school first. Public vs private rules, exact notary wording, and the sealed-envelope trap.10 min readFDLE checks and sheriff's letters: notarized when issued, or not at allHow to order a certified, notarized FDLE record check or sheriff's clearance letter that Florida can apostille, plus the age limits countries apply.8 min read

Process, timing & cost

What the state charges, how long it takes and how to fill in the form.

Florida Apostille Processing Time.How long does a Florida apostille take? In person at FL DOS: 5–7 business days. State mail-in: 5–7 weeks. See what affects timing and how to avoid delays.4 min readFlorida Apostille Cost.How much does a Florida apostille cost? $220 per document, all-in — state fee, filing, and shipping included. Bundle: $380 for 2, $160 each for 3+.5 min readFlorida Apostille Request Form.Florida apostille request form — official FL DOS PDF, field-by-field walkthrough, rejection traps, check payable details. Or skip the form7 min readApostille vs. notarization. Different jobs, done in order.A notary verifies your signature; an apostille certifies the notary to a foreign government. Which one your document needs, in plain English.3 min readSame-day apostille in Florida? Almost never — here's why.Same-day Florida apostilles exist only at the Tallahassee counter, in person. The honest breakdown — and the fastest real path: 5–7 days, $220.3 min readExpedited Florida apostille. The real kind.The real expedited Florida apostille: filed in person at the FL Dept of State — 5–7 business days instead of the 5–7 week mail queue. $220 all-in.3 min readHow long does a Florida apostille take? Depends on the lane.Real Florida apostille timelines: 5–7 weeks by mail, same day at the Tallahassee counter in person, 5–7 business days with our filing service.3 min readIn-person apostille, by appointment.In-person apostille appointments in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa or Clearwater: documents reviewed on the spot, filed in person at the state. $220.3 min read

Getting your documents

Step-by-step: how to obtain each Florida document in a form the state will apostille.

How to get a certified Florida birth certificate that can be apostilledOrder a Florida birth certificate that can be apostilled: who's eligible, VitalChek vs. mail vs. county office, fees, and which version to ask for.10 min readHow to get a certified Florida marriage certificate for an apostilleState Registrar or Clerk of Court? How to order a Florida marriage certificate that can be apostilled, what each version shows, and what it costs.9 min readHow to get a certified Florida death certificate for use abroadWho can order a Florida death certificate with cause of death, how to order one for an apostille, fees, forms, and what to do if you're not eligible.9 min readHow to get a certified copy of a Florida divorce decreeDivorce decree or dissolution certificate? How to order a clerk-certified Florida final judgment, including e-certified copies, ready for an apostille.9 min readHow to get a certified FDLE background check you can apostilleOrder a certified, notarized FDLE criminal history check online for $24 so it can be apostilled — the exact options to pick and the mistakes to skip.9 min readHow to get a Florida certificate of status for use abroadOrder a Florida certificate of status online or by mail, fix an inactive company first, and request it with an apostille in one filing. Fees inside.9 min readHow to get certified copies of Florida corporate documentsHow to order certified copies of Florida articles, amendments and annual reports from the Division of Corporations, with fees and apostille tips.9 min readHow to prepare a Florida power of attorney for use abroadDraft, sign and apostille a Florida power of attorney for another country: two witnesses plus a notary, bilingual drafts, and signing online from anywhere.9 min readHow to write a single status affidavit for marrying abroadWhat to put in a single status affidavit for a wedding abroad, how to swear to it in Florida or online, and when the state's no-record statement helps.9 min readHow to write a travel consent letter for a minorWhat to put in a child travel consent letter, who signs it, how to notarize it in Florida or online, and when it also needs an apostille. Sample inside.9 min readHow to get a certified translation apostilled in FloridaTranslator certifies, a different notary notarizes, Florida apostilles: the right order, sample wording, and countries that want a local sworn translator.9 min readHow to verify a Florida apostilleCheck a Florida apostille: security paper, VOID on copies, the ID number on the back, and how to get the Department of State to confirm it in writing.9 min readApostille glossary: the terms you'll run into, A to ZPlain-English definitions of apostille terms: authentication, legalization, jurat, attested copy, State Registrar, competent authority, RON and more.10 min read

Country programs

Citizenship, residency and registration programs — the Florida documents each one needs.

Italian citizenship by descent: the Florida documents, done rightWhich Florida records an Italian jure sanguinis file needs after the 2025 law, how to apostille and translate them, and what the Miami consulate expects.10 min readSpanish citizenship and residency: preparing your Florida documentsThe Democratic Memory window has closed. Which Florida documents Spain still asks for (birth registration, residence visas, NIE) and how to prep them.9 min readMexican dual nationality for a Florida-born child: which documents need whatRegistering a Florida-born child as Mexican: when the consulate needs no apostille, when a Registro Civil in Mexico does, and how to prep each record.9 min readRegistering a Florida birth or marriage in Brazil: the documents and the orderRegistering a Florida birth or marriage with Brazil: consulate vs. cartório, when the apostille is needed, the tradutor público rule, and the right order.8 min readPhilippine Report of Birth and Report of Marriage from Florida: what actually needs an apostilleFiling a Report of Birth or Marriage from Florida: what the Embassy in D.C. wants, which papers need an apostille (most don't), and the 8-apostille trap.8 min readPortuguese citizenship from Florida: routes after the 2026 law, and the documentsPortugal changed its nationality law in May 2026. Which routes remain, which Florida records the IRN needs, and when English documents skip translation.8 min readRomanian citizenship under Article 11: the Florida documents, before and after approvalRegaining Romanian citizenship under Article 11 from Florida: what to apostille, the translation rule, and transcribing records after approval.8 min readColombia's registro civil and visas: preparing your Florida documentsRegistering a Florida-born child in Colombia's registro civil or applying for a visa: the apostille and translation rules, and the 3-month freshness trap.8 min readDominican Republic residency: getting your Florida documents accepted by MigraciónDominican residency from Florida: the acta inextensa, single-status proof, the federal criminal record rule, and why translations get apostilled.8 min readWorking or teaching in China: getting your degree and background check readyChina has accepted apostilles since Nov. 2023. How to prep your degree and criminal record for a work permit, and which checks are federal (FBI).9 min readTurkish residence permits: preparing your Florida documentsApplying for a Turkish residence permit with Florida documents: apostille plus a notary-approved Turkish translation, and which records families need.8 min read

International

Hague vs non-Hague countries, and ordering from outside the U.S.

Hague Convention countries: will they accept a Florida apostille?Which countries accept a Florida apostille? How to read the official HCCH list, recent members like China and Canada, and 17 top destinations checked.8 min readNon-Hague countries: apostille vs. authentication, step by stepGoing to a non-Hague country? What Florida's authentication certificate is, the two steps that follow it, and which countries are non-Hague as of 2026.8 min readGetting a Florida apostille when you live outside the U.S.Living abroad and need a Florida document apostilled? Ship it in, sign online with a Florida notary, order vital records from abroad, get it shipped back.8 min readOnline notarization for your apostille, with no paper original to shipSign by video with a Florida online notary, then we apostille it. $40 first document ($10 notary fee + $30 platform fee), $20 each extra.11 min read
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Related pages.

Document

Florida documents we apostille, A to Z

Every Florida document we apostille or authenticate, with what each one needs before filing.

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Service

Online notarization for your apostille, with no paper original to ship

Sign by video with a Florida online notary, then we apostille it. $40 first document ($10 notary fee + $30 platform fee), $20 each extra.

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Service

Florida document authentication for non-Hague countries

Your country doesn't accept apostilles? We get the Florida Department of State authentication certificate in 5–7 business days for $220. What comes next.

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Document

Florida Apostille Service — Statewide.

Florida apostille service for every Florida-issued document — birth, marriage, FDLE, diploma, notarized. $220 per doc, 5–7 business days. Filed in person at FL DOS.

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Order

Florida apostille,ordered online.

Order Florida apostille online — $220 per document, 5–7 business days. We review your documents, then FedEx emails you a pre-paid QR code. State fee included.

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Pricing

Florida Apostille Cost.

How much does a Florida apostille cost? $220 per document, all-in — state fee, filing, and shipping included. Bundle: $380 for 2, $160 each for 3+.

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Skip the paperwork. We file every order in person.

$220 per document — state fee, form, in-person filing and FedEx return shipping included. International return +$100 flat. 5–7 business days.

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