A death certificate apostille is an apostille attached to a U.S. death certificate so it can be used legally in another country. It is issued by the Secretary of State of the state in which the death was recorded, and it confirms that the certificate is a genuine state-issued document for any of the 127 nations that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
When You Need a Death Certificate Apostille
- Foreign probate proceedings — settling an estate that includes property, bank accounts, or business interests outside the United States
- Real estate transfers abroad — selling, inheriting, or releasing title to a property the deceased owned overseas
- Life insurance claims with foreign carriers or for beneficiaries living abroad
- Pension and social security claims for surviving spouses or dependents in another country
- Closing foreign bank accounts in the name of the deceased
- Inheritance tax filings in the country where the deceased held assets
- Repatriation of remains from a foreign country (the receiving country may require an apostilled U.S. death certificate)
How to Get a Death Certificate Apostille
- Obtain a state-issued certified copy of the death certificate from the vital records office of the state where the death occurred.
- Submit the certified copy to the Secretary of State of that same state for apostille.
- Pay the apostille fee — typically $5 to $40 per document.
- Receive the apostilled death certificate, usually within 1–4 weeks.
Our apostille services handle every step — including ordering the certified copy if you don’t already have one — and ship the finished apostille anywhere in the world.
Important Notes
- You’ll typically need multiple certified copies — one for each foreign institution (the bank, the probate court, the insurance company, etc.). Order extras up front.
- If the country is not a Hague member, you’ll need consular legalization instead.
- Many countries also require a certified translation of the apostilled certificate into the local language.
- The death certificate must be a recent state-issued certified copy — funeral home keepsake copies are not eligible.