A marriage certificate apostille is an apostille issued on a U.S. marriage certificate so it can be used legally in another country. It is required whenever a U.S. couple — or a U.S. citizen married abroad — needs to prove their marriage to a foreign government, court, employer, or bank in any of the 127 countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
When You Need a Marriage Certificate Apostille
- Spouse or family visa applications — most embassies require an apostilled marriage certificate as proof of the relationship
- Name changes abroad — for updating passports, IDs, and bank accounts in your country of residence
- Joint property registration — buying real estate as a couple in another country
- International tax filings — qualifying for spousal allowances or joint returns
- Adoption proceedings in a foreign country
- Inheritance and estate matters involving foreign assets
- Religious or civil remarriage requirements (when proving prior marital status)
How to Get a Marriage Certificate Apostille
- Obtain a state-issued certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county clerk or state vital records office where the marriage was registered. A wedding-day souvenir copy or photocopy will not work.
- Submit the certified copy to the Secretary of State of the state of marriage (each state has its own apostille office and fee schedule).
- Pay the apostille fee — typically $5 to $40 per document.
- Receive the apostilled marriage certificate, usually within 1–4 weeks for state-level processing.
If you’d rather skip the back-and-forth, our apostille services handle every step — ordering the certified copy, routing it to the correct Secretary of State, and shipping the apostilled document anywhere in the world.
Important Notes
- The marriage certificate must be a certified copy with a raised, embossed, or multicolored state seal — not a notarized photocopy.
- If the destination country is not a Hague member, you’ll need consular legalization instead.
- Some countries also require a certified translation of the apostilled certificate into the local language.
- The apostille is attached to your marriage certificate — it does not replace it. Keep both pages together.