Apostille Washington Vital Records

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

Isarey provides expedited Apostilles service to authenticate Vital Records issued in Seattle, Spokane and across Washington State.

Apostilles and authentications on Washington marriage, death and birth certificates are obtained from the Secretary of State (Corporations Division) in Olympia

• We offer an expedited Washington Apostille Service: 3-5 business days and a one-day service for urgent requests.

Apostilles can be obtained for Washington State birth, death and marriage certificates certified by the State Registrar, a County Health Office or Directors of Health Districts. Washington State issues a Universal Certificate for Apostille and non-Apostille countries.

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

Birth, death and marriage certificates

To be valid for an Apostille Stamp, Washington State birth, death and marriage certificates must be certified by the State Registrar, by a County Health Officer, or by a Health District Director. The original certified copy is required. Notarized copies are not accepted.

Apostille or Authentication

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

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

When Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington, 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.