Apostille Pennsylvania Vital Records

Authenticate Pennsylvania birth, death and marriage certificates for use abroad.

Isarey provides an expedited Apostille service to authenticate Pennsylvania birth, death and marriage certificates.

Apostilles and authentications on Pennsylvania marriage, death and birth certificates are obtained from the Secretary of the Commonwealth in Harrisburg.

• We offer an expedited apostille service in Pennsylvania. Apostilles are normally obtained in 1 business day

Apostilles can be obtained for Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh birth, death and marriage certificates issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (birth and death certificates) or by the register of wills or clerk of the orphans court (marriage certificates)

• Get a quotation to apostille Pennsylvania documents
• FAQs - Pennsylvania Apostille Services
• How to obtain Pennsylvania vital records

Pennsylvania Birth and death certificates

Pennsylvania birth and death certificates must be certified copies issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health with a raised (embossed) seal. Death certificates must be signed by the state registrar. Death certificates will not be accepted if they are signed by a local registrar. Notarized certificates are not valid for an Apostille.

Pennsylvania marriage certificates

Pennsylvania marriage certificates must be signed by the register of wills or clerk of the orphans court. Certificates signed only by the marriage officiant or clergyperson are not eligible for an Apostille.

Apostille or Authentication

Countries that have acceded to the Apostille Convention will recognise Pennsylvania Apostilles directly as confirming authenticity, without requiring additional certification in the United States. Pennsylvania birth, death and marriage certificates needed for use in non-Apostille countries require an Authentication Certificate from the Pennsylvania Secretary of State and must then be attested by the embassy of the recipient country (some embassies also require prior legalization by the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC).

Countries that accept Pennsylvania Apostille stamps directly include:
Spain - Italy - Portugal - Greece - Cyprus - France - Saudi Arabia - Germany - China

Countries requiring an authentication certificate and embassy attestation include:
United Arab Emirates - Qatar - Thailand - Taiwan - Vietnam

See: List of Apostille Convention Countries

Pennsylvania Apostilles cannot be obtained for Birth, Marriage, Death and Adoption certificates issued in other U.S. states. Notarized copies of Pennsylvania vital records cannot be used to obtain apostilles - the original certificate is required and the Apostille or Authentication will be attached to the original.

Certified translations of Pennsylvania vital records

When Pennsylvania birth, death and marriage certificates are required for submission to the authorities of a country that does not have English as an official language, a certified translation is often required. The translation should normally be done after the Apostille is obtained on the original certificate, as the original apostille will also need to be translated.

There are generally two options for certifying the translation so that it is officially accepted by the consulates, embassies or authorities of the recipient country.

• A translation can be done in the United States. The translation is then certified before a notary and a second Apostille is obtained to authenticate it. The notarization and Apostille do not need to be issued in Pennsylvania and normally it is cheaper and easier to certify the translation in Washington DC with an Apostille from the Washington DC Secretary of State.
• A certified translation can be done in the destination country. We work with sworn translators in Italy, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany and many other countries, ensuring that your documents are correctly translated and that the translations are properly certified for official acceptance.

The best option normally depends on whether the documents and translations are to be submitted to authorities in the recipient country or to an embassy or consulate of the recipient country in the United States.

Please contact us for advice and assistance.

Vital Records from other U.S. states

As well as Pennsylvania, we provide apostille services across the United States. We work with local notaries and authentication companies in different states to ensure low-cost and expedited processing of apostilles and authentications of birth, death and marriage records as well as other State and Federal documents, including Apostilles for FBI Background Checks.