Common documents
| Document | Preparation | Apostilled by |
|---|---|---|
| Travel consent letter (one parent authorizing travel with the other or a third party) | Signed before a notary; a jurat is preferred by many countries | State of notarization |
| Birth certificate | Certified copy from the registrar | State of birth |
| Custody, guardianship or adoption orders | Clerk-certified copy | State of the court; federal if a federal court (rare) |
| School records, immunization records | Notarized copies or notarized letters from the school/physician | State of notarization |
| Consular Report of Birth Abroad (child born abroad to U.S. parents) | Original | U.S. Department of State (Passport Vital Records, not the Office of Authentications) |
| Passport copy | Notarized copy where allowed | State of notarization |
Travel consent letters
Many countries (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, South Africa, Argentina, the Dominican Republic among them) ask for a notarized consent letter when a minor enters or leaves with one parent or without parents. Most accept a notarized letter without apostille for entry; several require an apostille when the child will exit the country or stay longer. Brazil and Argentina commonly require apostilled consent for a minor departing; Mexico’s rules (Form SAM for Mexican minors) apply to Mexican nationals. Include full names and passport numbers of the child and all adults, dates, destinations and the signer’s relationship.
Relocation and schooling
International schools and public systems in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Brazil and the Gulf require apostilled birth certificates and apostilled school records (sometimes for each prior grade) with sworn translations. Immunization records are usually notarized and apostilled where the school requests them.
Custody and relocation orders
Courts abroad recognize U.S. custody orders through apostilled certified copies. Under the Hague Child Abduction Convention a separate process applies for returning children; apostilled orders support but do not replace it. Adoption decrees for recognition abroad are apostilled by the state of the court; intercountry adoption paperwork for Hague Adoption Convention countries follows the adoption service provider’s instructions and often requires apostilles on home studies and agency letters (notarized).
Sequencing
Birth certificates take longest if a fresh certified copy is needed; consent letters can be notarized and apostilled in a day in walk-in states. Translate after the apostille. In Florida, parents commonly notarize travel consents at an office such as a Palm Beach County apostille office that works by appointment or an apostille and notary office in Fort Lauderdale and have them apostilled the same week; mailed requests go through a statewide Florida apostille service that files in Tallahassee.
Frequently asked questions
Does a travel consent letter need an apostille?
It depends on the country and whether the child is entering, leaving or staying. Entry usually requires notarization only; departure from some Latin American countries and long stays often require an apostille.
Can one parent get the other parent's birth certificate apostilled?
Yes. Anyone can request an apostille on a certified copy they hold; obtaining the certified copy itself is subject to the vital records office’s eligibility rules.
Where is a CRBA apostilled?
By the U.S. Department of State’s Passport Vital Records Section (requested with Form DS-5542), not the Office of Authentications, because it is a consular record. A notarized copy made in a state goes to that state, but destinations typically want the federal apostille on the original.
