New York City extended marriage certificate with an apostille

You probably got a copy of your marriage certificate when you got married. If you did not specifically requested an extended form marriage certificate for foreign use, you most likely got a marriage certificate intended for use in the United States only. The two look basically alike. However, an extended New York City marriage certificate intended for foreign use (that will be eligible for a New York apostille or legalization by a foreign embassy) will also have the following:

• names and places of birth of the parents of both parties to the marriage
• number of times the parties to the marriage were married before
• names of the witnesses
• a color stamp of the Marriage Bureau on the back of the certificate
• the original signature of the Acting City Clerk on the back of the certificate

If your document does not have the above, it means that you have a copy of the marriage certificate intended for use in the United States only (You probably paid $15 for the copy, an extended form is more expensive)

It is also necessary to point out that more recent marriage certificates (issued after 1996, image above) will have less information as compared to the certificates issued before 1996. The older ones will be legal size, sometimes they will contain two pages - a copy of the marriage license on the first page and a copy of the actual marriage certificate on the second page. This is the way the Marriage Bureau issues certified copies. Both short form and long form marriage certificates are good for apostilles.

How to get a certified copy of a Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island marriage certificate with an apostille or embassy seal?

Please order a New York City marriage certificate with apostille / legalization online. For processing we will need a copy of your marriage certificate for information purposes. If you do not have a copy, the following information will be sufficient:

1. full names and dates of birth of the parties to the marriage (including the maiden name of the bride, if applicable)
2. date of marriage
3. borough where the marriage license was issued
4. place of marriage
5. marriage license number (if known, this will make the search much easier)

Your document is acceptable and you just need an apostille? Prices, processing time, order form

New York apostille: $175 (USPS Priority within the U.S. is included)

Processing time: currently 3,5-4 weeks + mail

Embassy legalization: $375 (most embassies)

Processing time: depends on the embassy.

FedEx (2nd day): $20; FedEx (standard overnight): $30

FedEx International: $75 (most countries)

FedEx International to Eastern Europe, South America, Africa: $115

 

New York Apostille / Embassy Legalization Order Form (PDF file)