Civil records for travel: apostille, affidavits & legalization
Using U.S. civil records abroad? We handle the authentication, notarization, and apostille process — birth certificates, single status affidavits, powers of attorney, and background checks. One form, fixed fees, and clear timelines. Government fees are passed through at cost, with no markup.
- We check Hague vs. embassy legalization before anything is filed.
- Government fees passed through at cost — no markup.
- Encrypted upload — your data is never shared.
- Services
- 5 types, birth cert to FBI check
- Processing fee
- From $79
- Government fee
- Passed through at cost
- Coverage
- 125+ Hague countries
Checked by people who do this every day
By Expedify Editorial Team · Fact-checked by Expedify Compliance Review on August 14, 2026. Verified against official authentication and vital-records authority guidance.
- 20+ years combined experience across travel document services
- 6 countries and 190+ destinations covered
- 125+ Hague Convention countries covered, with a legalization path for the rest
- Every document is reviewed before it is filed
- Verified against official authentication and vital-records authority guidance
- Governed by Expedify editorial and compliance review
Key takeaways
- Birth certificate apostille, single status affidavit, POA apostille, and background check apostille.
- Flat processing fee, government fees passed through at cost.
- We handle notarization, Secretary of State apostille, and document review.
- 125+ Hague countries covered; legalization path for non-Hague destinations.
- U.S. nationals and residents supported.
- Services opening soon — tell us where to send the launch note.
Methodology: Fees, processing times, and document requirements were verified on August 14, 2026 against travel.state.gov, the Hague Conference member list, fbi.gov, and state Secretary of State fee schedules.
Every civil record service, in one place
Pick the service that matches your situation. Each card shows the processing fee; the government fee is passed through at cost on top. Applications open soon.
Vital records and affidavits
Documents about who you are and your civil status — the ones marriage, residency, and citizenship applications ask for.
Birth certificate apostille
We obtain a certified copy, verify it, and submit for Secretary of State apostille. Accepted for marriage, residency, citizenship, and work permits.
$79Get notifiedSingle status affidavit
Prove you're free to marry abroad. We prepare the affidavit of civil status, arrange notarization, and submit for apostille.
$89Get notifiedAuthority, screening, and translation
Documents that let someone act for you, clear you for work, or make your record readable at the other end.
Power of attorney apostille
Authorize someone to act for you overseas — property, finances, legal matters, or business. We draft or review the POA, notarize, and apostille it.
$89Get notifiedFBI background check apostille
Required for work, residency, adoption, or teaching abroad. We request your Identity History Summary, verify it, and submit for apostille.
$99Get notifiedCivil records translation + apostille
Some countries require a certified translation alongside the apostille. We coordinate sworn translation, then apostille it or obtain embassy legalization.
From $129Get notifiedWhich documents need an apostille?
- Birth certificate
- Marriage abroad, residency, citizenship, school enrollment
- Marriage certificate
- Spousal visa, residency, name change abroad
- Divorce decree
- Remarriage abroad, name change, legal recognition
- Death certificate
- Inheritance, estate matters abroad
- Single status affidavit
- Marriage abroad
- Power of attorney
- Property, finances, legal representation abroad
- FBI background check
- Work visa, residency, teaching, adoption
- Court records
- Legal proceedings abroad
- Notarized affidavit
- General purpose — requirements vary by destination
Not sure which path your destination needs? Hague Convention countries accept an apostille; the rest require embassy legalization. We confirm which applies during application review.
Apostille vs. embassy legalization
Which route applies is set by your destination, not by us. Hague Convention countries take an apostille; everywhere else needs embassy legalization.
Applies to
- Apostille
- Hague Convention countries (125+)
- Embassy legalization
- Non-Hague countries
Issued by
- Apostille
- Secretary of State or U.S. Department of State
- Embassy legalization
- Embassy or consulate of the destination country
Certifications needed
- Apostille
- A single certificate
- Embassy legalization
- Multiple, in sequence
Typical government cost
- Apostille
- $15–$150
- Embassy legalization
- $100–$300+ in consular fees
Typical time
- Apostille
- 5–15 business days
- Embassy legalization
- 3–6 weeks
Two lines, no surprises
Every civil record service shows the same two cost lines upfront. You see the total before entering any details.
Vital records and affidavits
Most chosenBirth certificate apostille at $79. Single status affidavits and powers of attorney at $89.
- Birth certificate apostille$79
- Affidavit or power of attorney$89
Screening and translation
FBI background check apostille at $99. Sworn translation plus apostille from $129.
- FBI background check apostille$99
- Translation + apostilleFrom $129
Where the money goes
- Processing fee
- Expedify's fee for checking, preparing, notarizing, and filing. Fixed, and shown upfront.
- Government fee
- Vital records copy fees, apostille fees, FBI fees, and embassy fees. Set by the government and passed through to you at cost.
Worked example — birth certificate apostille for use in Italy: $79 processing, plus a $20 certified copy fee and a $25 state apostille fee, for $79 + $45. We don't add courier charges after checkout. The price you see is the price you pay.
Processing from $79, government fees at cost, and the total shown before you enter any details.
Two ways to legalize a civil record
You can do this yourself. Here's what each route actually involves.
We handle the chain — you don't chase the offices
- Tell us your destinationWe check whether your destination requires an apostille or embassy legalization. About 30 seconds.
- Upload your documentWe verify your existing document, or request a certified copy from the issuing authority on your behalf.
- We handle the chainNotarization, then Secretary of State or federal apostille, then whatever the destination country additionally requires.
- You get it ready to useWe ship the authenticated document back with instructions for the next step — embassy submission, translation, or direct use.
What to expect, not a promise: the issuing authority sets the processing time. We show the official ETA as a fact and track every step for you.
Straight through the issuing authorities
Cheaper. You research the destination's rules, request the certified copy, find a notary, and file with each office in turn — and a rejected first submission is common.
- Vital records office
- Your issuing state or county, for a certified copy of the record.
- A notary public
- For affidavits and powers of attorney, before any apostille can be issued.
- Secretary of State
- Your issuing state's office, for apostilles on state-issued documents.
- U.S. Department of State
- travel.state.gov — for federal documents such as the FBI Identity History Summary.
If you have the time and the confidence, you should do it this way.
Doing it yourself vs. Expedify
The government fee is identical on purpose. We don't mark up what we don't control.
Eligibility check
- Handle it yourself
- Research your destination's requirements yourself
- With Expedify
- We verify Hague vs. legalization before you file
Document retrieval
- Handle it yourself
- Request certified copies from vital records offices
- With Expedify
- We request and verify the copies
Notarization
- Handle it yourself
- Find a notary, schedule it, pay
- With Expedify
- We coordinate notarization
Apostille filing
- Handle it yourself
- Mail or visit the Secretary of State or Department of State
- With Expedify
- We file and track the request
Timeline management
- Handle it yourself
- You track each step
- With Expedify
- We track and notify you
Errors and rejections
- Handle it yourself
- You handle the corrections
- With Expedify
- We flag issues before submission
Government fee
- Handle it yourself
- Same
- With Expedify
- Same — passed through at cost, no markup
How long legalization actually takes
Processing time is set by the issuing authority, not by us. Add two to four weeks on top of any of these if your destination also requires embassy legalization.
Vital records and affidavits
A birth certificate apostille runs about 5–10 business days. Single status affidavits and powers of attorney take 7–14 business days, because notarization has to clear before the apostille can be issued.
Source: travel.state.gov — Office of AuthenticationsFBI background checks
The longest of the five at 10–20 business days: the Identity History Summary has to be issued by the FBI before it can be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. Translation plus apostille runs 10–18 business days.
Source: fbi.gov — Identity History Summary ChecksEmbassy legalization adds 2–4 weeks
If your destination is outside the Hague system, the consular step is additional to the timings above. We cannot speed up government or consular processing, and we don't claim to.
Source: hcch.net — Apostille Convention member listThe questions that cost money to get wrong
Four things people get wrong at the start. All of them are avoidable.
See which documents need an apostille- Sending a scan or a digital copy
- Apostilles are issued on original or certified paper documents. A digital-only record needs a certified copy from the issuing authority first — we can request one for you as part of the service.
- Assuming an apostille is enough
- It is, for the 125+ Hague Convention countries. Everywhere else needs embassy legalization, which is a longer and more expensive chain. We confirm which route applies before anything is filed.
- Skipping notarization
- Affidavits and powers of attorney must be notarized before an apostille can be issued, and the notary's commission has to be current in the state issuing the apostille. We review notarization status before filing.
- Forgetting the translation requirement
- Some countries require a certified translation alongside the apostille, in specific wording. We check destination-specific requirements before submission rather than after a rejection.
Frequently asked questions
The answers people actually search for — including the ones that cost money to get wrong.
Which route you need
Documents and preparation
Cost, timing, and data
The rest of your trip's paperwork
A civil record is usually one document of several. We handle the others the same way.
Shape the civil records service before it launches
Tell us where to send the launch note — and what you'd want it to cover. Three questions, no payment, no account.
Where this comes from
Last updated August 14, 2026. Fact-checked by Expedify Compliance Review.
- travel.state.gov — Office of Authentications: apostille and authentication of U.S. documents
- hcch.net — Hague Apostille Convention and member country status table
- fbi.gov — Identity History Summary Checks: request process and fees
- National Association of Secretaries of State — state apostille authorities
International Driving Document requirements, fees, convention membership, and country recognition rules can change. Verify current rules with your authorized issuer and your destination country's embassy or consulate before traveling.
Civil records services are opening soon.
Tell us where to send the launch note and we'll email you the moment applications open. Processing from $79, government fees at cost, and the total shown before you enter any details.
- Every document is reviewed before it is filed.
- No hidden fees and no post-checkout surcharges.
- Encrypted upload — your data is never shared.
Last verified Next review Reviewed by Expedify Compliance Review
About this service
Expedify is a private application-assistance service, not a government agency or vital-records office. Civil documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates are issued only by the official registrar or records office that holds them. Our agency fee covers preparation, review, and tracking of your request, and is separate from the office's own fee. The information on this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements with the issuing office directly.