Apostille Illinois Vital Records

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

Isarey provides an expedited Apostille service to authenticate Vital Records issued in Chicago and across Illinois.

Authentications and Apostilles on Illinois marriage, death and birth certificates are obtained from the Secretary of State in Chicago.

We offer clients an expedited service to obtain Illinois Apostilles - certificates are normally processed and dispatched in 1 - 2 business days

Apostilles can be obtained for Illinois and Chicago birth, death and marriage certificates certified by the County Clerk or local registrar where the birth, death, or marriage occurred (e.g. Cook County)

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

Illinois Death, Marriage and Birth Certificates

Illinois death, birth and marriage certificates are directly eligible for authentication and Apostille stamping if signed by an Illinois County Clerk or local registrar, or by the Illinois Department of Public Health's Vital Records Division.

Older certificates are generally valid for an Apostille, as long as they have a raised seal and are not damaged.

Apostille or Authentication

Countries that have acceded to the Apostille Convention will recognise Illinois Apostilles directly as confirming authenticity, without requiring additional certification in the United States. Illinois birth, death and marriage certificates needed for use in non-Apostille countries require an Authentication Certificate from the Illinois 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 Illinois 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

Illinois Apostilles cannot be obtained for Birth, Marriage, Death and Adoption certificates issued in other U.S. states. Notarized copies of Illinois 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 Illinois vital records

When Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois, 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.