New York birth certificate apostille
Get an Apostille for Your New York Birth Certificate
Need to use your New York birth certificate overseas? You’ll need a New York apostille to make it legally valid in Hague Convention countries.
We take care of the entire process—ensuring your certificate meets state requirements, handling any county authentication if needed, and securing the apostille quickly and accurately.
Fast, reliable, and stress-free—let us prepare your New York birth certificate for international use.
Have multiple documents from different states? No need to search each state.New York apostille requirements for birth certificates
Obtaining an apostille or embassy legalization for a New York birth certificate can feel confusing. New York issues several different types of birth certificates—short form, long form, certifications of birth, exemplified certificates (with a Letter of Exemplification), and even certificates in different colors (pink, yellow, white, blue, green). Not all of them qualify for an apostille, so it’s important to know which version you have.
Here are the general guidelines...
If the birth occurred in one of the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island):
You will need a long form birth certificate accompanied by a Letter of Exemplification.
The issue date on the certificate and the Exemplification Letter must match.
Short form certificates (also called “Certification of Birth”) are not eligible for apostilles.
Old certificates are also not acceptable.
If the birth occurred outside New York City:
You may use a birth certificate (short or long form) issued either by the local registrar or town/city clerk or by the New York State Department of Health in Albany.
If the certificate was issued locally, it must first be authenticated by the county clerk before it can be apostilled. Some counties require newly issued certificates, while others may accept older ones. We handle the county authentication on your behalf. To avoid delays, email us a copy of your certificate for a free document evaluation. We’ll confirm if it’s eligible and advise on the next steps.
Letters of Exemplification are not issued for birth certificates that occured outside the five boroughs of New York City.
Where to get a certified copy eligible for an apostille?
New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island): Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or www.vitalchek.com
IMPORTANT: when you answer the question “What will you be using this certificate for?”, please select “Apostille/authentication”. Then VitalChek will send you a long form birth certificate with a letter of exemplification.
Other counties: You need to contact the City/Town Clerk where the birth occurred or the NYS Department of Health.
If you have an original birth certificate, you can email a copy for a free document evaluation.
Get a New York apostille
Send the original birth certificate (and a Letter of Exemplification if the birth occurred in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens or Staten Island) by mail along with the Order Form and we will be happy to assist you with obtaining a New York apostille. The authentication by the county clerk (if required) is included in the price. Please note that county clerk authentication might require additional processing time.
In the State of New York, as in all U.S. states, an apostille is a separate page attached to the document by an eyelet. It is signed by a Deputy Secretary of State (facsimile signature) and has a blue Seal of the Department of State of the State of New York.
New York apostille: $175
Processing time: app. 5 bus. days + mail
Please complete the Order Form and mail it with your original document(s) to
If you are sending your document(s) from a foreign country, please use FedEx, DHL, UPS or TNT, and email the tracking number so that we can watch for your package.
No hidden fees.
Our guarantee: If we are unable to get your documents apostilled or legalized, we will issue a 100% refund, we do not keep any service fees.
Free document evaluation
Want to double check before shipping your document? Email a copy for a free evaluation.
Are old birth certificates acceptable for apostilles?
No.
New! Effective Febrruary 11, 2025 birth certificates (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) must be accompanied by a Letter of Exemplification.
New! Effective February 11, 2025 short form birth certificates are not accepted for apostilles.
Not sure? Please email a copy of your birth certificate for a free evaluation.
Some foreign countries require that certified copies of birth certificates are recent, e.g. were issued within the last six or twelve months. Always follow the requirements of the country of intended use.
How to get a Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island long form birth certificate?
If you were born within the five boroughs of New York City, your first option is to apply in person or mail the request to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at 125 Worth Street, New York, NY, 10013.
You will not be able to get a long form birth certificate over the counter. It will be mailed to you within two-three weeks. Short form birth certificates can be obtained over the counter.
Your second option is to use a private online service called VitalCheck. VitalChek is the only agent authorized by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hugiene to assist you with the retrieval of your birth certificate. When ordering you must specify that the purpose of your request is APOSTILLE/AUTHENTICATION. Then you will get a long form birth certificate with a Letter of Exemplification.
Where to get a certified copy of the birth certificate if the birth was registered outside the five boroughs of New York City?
If you were born in the State of New York, outside the five boroughs of New York City, your birth record will be on file in two places: (a) with the local city/town/county registrar, and (b) in the Vital Records Bureau of the New York State Department of Health in Albany.
Can a notarized copy of a birth certificate be apostilled?
Notarized copies of birth certificates are not acceptable! In fact, New York notaries by law cannot notarize copies of vital records.
Can an apostilled birth certificate be rejected by a foreign country?
Yes. Some countries have very specific requirements as to what kind of birth certificates they would accept.
Some foreign countries require that your birth certificate is recent, e.g. was issued within the last six or twelve months. For apostille purposes, the year of issue does not matter, however, please check with the country of intended use if there are any specific requirements.
Some foreign agencies specifically require long form birth certificates. If this is the case, you will need to obtain a long form birth cerificate from the NYC Department of Health.
