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APOSTILLE SERVICE

At Marrero Notary Services, we make the Florida apostille process simple. We review your documents, prepare and submit the request to the Florida Department of State, and return your apostilled documents to you. Choose Standard Service at $150 for our most economical option, or Expedited Service at $200 for the fastest turnaround. Courier fees may apply to Expedited Service.

**Apostille Definition** Public documents that are notarized or certified in the United States usually require authentication before being accepted by another country. This involves verifying the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the signer, and, if applicable, the identity of the seal or stamp on the document. While the document can be in any language, the attestation certificate (such as a jurat, acknowledgment, or attested copy certificate) or certified copy declaration must be in English. The Apostille process is only if both the country of origin and the destination country are signatories of the Apostille Convention, an international agreement established in The. A list of these countries can be found in the right sidebar on this page, which is updated as new countries join the Convention. For documents intended for countries not listed, the US Authentication process must be followed. Please refer to the Authentication tab above for more information.

Common Applications for Apostilles - Conducting personal or corporate transactions abroad - Submitting professional or academic qualifications to international employers or educational institutions - Sending vital records (such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses) abroad - Transmitting medical records or criminal background checks internationally - Presenting translated documents in foreign countries

Document Criteria for Apostille - Each US state, as well as the US Department of State in Washington, DC, issues Apostilles. The entity that issues the Apostille is based on the origin of the document being authenticated—state documents at the state level and federal documents at the federal level.

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For documents originating in the state of Florida, the document is sent to the FL Department of State. For an Apostille to be issued, the document must be signed (notarized) by a Florida Notary Public or signed by an elected or appointed official of the state. These include:

Documents Eligible for Apostille and Authentication Services: At Marrero Notary Services, we assist clients with the apostille and authentication process for various personal, legal, educational, and business documents. Depending on the document type and issuing authority, different certification requirements may apply.

 

1. Original Documents Notarized by a Florida Notary Public

Documents bearing a valid Florida notarization may be eligible for apostille or authentication through the Florida Department of State.

Examples include:

  • Powers of Attorney (POA)

  • Self-Proving Wills

  • Banking and Financial Documents

  • Educational Transcripts (with the appropriate school official's signature notarized)

  • Personal and Business Letters

  • Corporate and Business Documents

  • Translation Affidavits

  • Affidavits and Sworn Statements

  • Other Documents Requiring Florida Notarization

 

2. Copies Attested by a Florida Notary Public

Certain documents may qualify for apostille or authentication when accompanied by a properly executed Florida notarial attestation of a photocopy.

Examples may include:

  • College Diplomas

  • Transcripts from Private Educational Institutions

  • Trust Documents

  • Certain Corporate Records

  • Financial Documents

  • Other Documents Eligible for Photocopy Attestation Under Florida Law

Important: Florida law restricts notarial photocopy attestations for public records and certain other documents. U.S. passports, driver's licenses, and wills require particular attention to applicable restrictions and document-specific requirements. Eligibility must be verified before notarization.

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3. Certified Documents Issued by Florida Government Agencies

Official certified copies issued by authorized Florida state or local government agencies may qualify for apostille or authentication without additional notarization.

Examples include:

  • Certified Court Records from the Clerk of Circuit Court

  • Certified Corporate Records from the Florida Division of Corporations

  • Certificates of Status and Corporate Filings

  • Certain State-Issued Professional Licenses and Certifications

  • Birth Certificates Issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics

  • Death Certificates Issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics

  • Marriage Certificates and Other Eligible Vital Records

  • Other Officially Certified Florida Government Documents

Important: Vital records must meet the Florida Department of State's certification requirements. Notarized photocopies generally cannot substitute for officially certified vital records.

 

4. Federal Documents Requiring U.S. Department of State Authentication

Documents issued by federal government agencies generally require authentication or an apostille through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., rather than the Florida Department of State.

Examples include:

  • FBI Criminal Background Check Results

  • Federal Court Documents

  • Federal Agency Certifications

  • Certain IRS-Issued Tax Documents

  • Certificates to Foreign Governments

  • U.S. Armed Forces and Military Records

  • Documents Issued by Federal Clerks or Deputy Clerks

  • Other Official Documents Issued by U.S. Federal Agencies

Important: Federal documents must satisfy the issuing agency's certification requirements before submission. A privately notarized copy does not automatically qualify as an official federal document.

Professional Apostille Assistance

Marrero Notary Services provides assistance with document preparation, notarization, and apostille submission procedures for documents intended for international use.

We are committed to providing professional, accurate, confidential, and dependable service.

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All Services Are Available by Appointment Only.

Service Types

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For Apostilles issued by the FL Department of State and US Department of State, we provide two service types depending on your expediency requirements. Return shipping to U.S. addresses is $10-$20 for Standard Service and $29-$60 for Expedite Service. Shipping to addresses outside the U.S. will be quoted

SERVICE TYPES: Standard Service is the most cost effective but takes the longest. We use "FedEx" service for Expedite.

TURNAROUND TIMES: (Business days) These are approximate based on shipping method, whether mailed in or presented at the counter (walk-up) and the agency's workload and staffing level.

FEES: Fees are dependent on the service type since we use the agency's "walk up window" option for Expedite Service. The more documents to be authenticated, the lower the per-document cost. Return shipping charges are added to the fees above. We ship worldwide.

Download Order:

​Apostille Countries:

  • Albania / Andorra/ Anguilla (UK)

  • Antigua and Barbuda / Argentina

  • Armenia / Aruba (NL)

  • Australia / Austria / Azerbaijan

  • Bahamas / Bahrain

  • Barbados / Belarus

  • Belgium / Belize / Bermuda (UK)

  • Bonaire (NL) / Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Botswana, Republic of

  • Brazil

  • British Antarctic Territory (UK)

  • British Virgin Islands (UK)

  • Brunei Darussalam / Bulgaria

  • Burundi, Republic of

  • Caicos Islands / Cape Verde

  • Cayman Islands (UK)

  • Chile / China (Hong Kong only)

  • China (Macao only) / Colombia

  • Cook Islands / Costa Rica

  • Croatia / Curaçao (NL)

  • Cyprus / Czech Republic

  • Denmark / Dominica

  • Dominican Republic

  • Ecuador / El Salvador / Estonia

  • Falkland Islands (UK)

  • Fiji / Finland / France

  • French Guiana (FR)

  • French Polynesia (FR)

  • Georgia / Germany

  • Gibraltar (UK) / Greece / Grenada

  • Guadeloupe (FR)

  • Guernsey, Bailiwick of (UK)

  • Honduras / Hong Kong / Hungary

  • Iceland / India / Ireland

  • Isle of Man (UK) / Israel / Italy

  • Japan / Jersey (UK)

  • Kazakhstan / Korea, Rep of (South)

  • Kosovo / Kyrgyzstan

  • Latvia / Lesotho / Liberia

  • Liechtenstein / Lithuania / Luxembourg

  • Macau (China)

  • Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Rep of

  • Malawi / Malta

  • Marshall Islands / Martinique (FR)

  • Mauritius / Mayotte (FR)

  • Mexico / Moldova, Republic of

  • Monaco / Mongolia

  • Montenegro / Montserrat (UK)

  • Morocco

  • Namibia / Netherlands (Kingdom of)

  • Netherland Antilles (NL)

  • New Caledonia (FR)

  • New Zealand / Nicaragua

  • Niue / Norway

  • Oman

  • Panama / Paraguay

  • Peru / Poland / Portugal

  • Puerto Rico (see FAQs)

  • Reunion (FR)

  • Romania / Russian Federation

  • Saba (NL) / Saint Barthelemy (FR)

  • Saint Helena (UK)

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis / Saint Lucia

  • Saint-Martin (FR)

  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FR)

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

  • Samoa / San Marino 

  • Sao Tome and Principe / Serbia

  • Seychelles / Sint Eustatius (NL)

  • Sint Maarten (NL) / Slovakia

  • Slovenia / South Africa / Spain

  • Suriname / Swaziland, Kingdom of

  • Sweden / Switzerland

  • Tajikistan (in relation to U.S.)

  • Tonga / Trinidad and Tobago

  • Turkey / Turks & Caicos Islands (UK)

  • Ukraine

  • UK of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

  • United States of America

  • Uruguay / Uzbekistan (in relation to U.S.)

  • Vanuatu (New Hebrides) / Venezuela

  • Virgin Islands (UK)

  • Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR)

  • (former) Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

**Services Offered**

**Process**
1. Reach out to us via phone or email to discuss your specific requirements, including the types of documents, their origin, translation needs, destination country, and urgency.
2. For documents notarized in Florida, please send scanned copies of the notarized pages to us before mailing the originals. This is necessary due to the frequent receipt of improperly notarized documents, as the Department of State cannot issue Apostille/Authentication certificates for non-compliant notarizations.
3. Once we review your documents, we will provide a Good Faith Estimate based on the number of documents, destination country, required authentication type, translation needs, urgency, and return shipping.
4. If you accept the estimate, please download our Authentication Order Form from this page. You can complete the form using Adobe Reader or Acrobat. Ensure you include names, addresses, the number and type of documents, destination countries, and payment details. If you have questions, feel free to call or email us.
5. Send your documents along with the Order Form to us or drop them off at our office in Davenport, Florida. Payments can be made via Money Order, credit/debit card, or PayPal (for foreign clients). An itemized receipt will be provided.
6. You will receive updates when your Apostille/ Certificate is issued, when we receive it back, or when it is shipped directly to you from the issuing agency, as applicable.
7. A tracking number will be emailed to you so you can monitor your return shipment.

© 2017 by Marrero 

"We are not attorneys and therefore, by law, we cannot explain or interpret the contents of any document for you, instruct you on how to complete a document or direct you on the advisability of signing a particular document. By doing so I would be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law and could face legal penalties that include the possibility of incarceration. Any important questions about your document should be addressed to the lender, title company or an attorney."

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Marrero Notary Services ® 2017

Privacy Policy

We are committed to communicating with you in a professional manner and protecting your confidential information. We use the information you provide (e.g. name, address, phone number, email, etc.) to contact you to share information about our (products/services). We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request. This company does not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others.

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Please contact us to correct or update information at any time. (407) 216-6603 and leave us a message and someone will get in touch as soon as possible. 

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