Marriage certificate apostille — Oregon, Washington & all 50 states
A marriage certificate is the document that proves your union abroad — for a spousal visa, dual citizenship, a name change, or residency in another country. We authenticate it so it's accepted where you're headed. Oregon and Washington are handled in-house; because we cover all 50 states, we can apostille a marriage certificate issued anywhere in the country.
What a marriage certificate apostille actually does
An apostille is an internationally recognized certificate attached to your marriage certificate that proves it's genuine — so a foreign government, consulate, or civil registry will accept it without an embassy visit. It's required across the 120+ countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. Get it wrong — the wrong copy, the wrong state, an unnecessary notarization — and it comes back rejected, costing you weeks. That's the part we take off your plate.
Spousal & marriage visas
Sponsoring a spouse or applying for a marriage-based visa abroad almost always starts with an apostilled marriage certificate.
Dual citizenship & residency
Claiming citizenship or establishing residency through your spouse routinely requires your authenticated marriage record.
Name change abroad
Updating your name on a foreign passport, ID, or civil registry usually means proving the change with an apostilled marriage certificate.
Proving marital status
Foreign registries, courts, and employers often require an apostilled certificate to recognize your marriage overseas.
Start with the right copy — this is where most people get tripped up
You need a certified copy of your marriage certificate issued by the state or county vital records office — the one with the registrar's signature or raised seal. The decorative certificate you signed at the ceremony, a church certificate, or a photocopy will be rejected. Don't have a certified copy on hand? You can order one from VitalChek (opens in new tab) before we begin. Not sure if what you have will work? Send us a photo and we'll tell you in a minute.
Don't notarize it. A marriage certificate is a vital record — it goes straight from the issuing agency to the state's authentication authority. Adding a notary stamp to a vital record can actually cause a rejection. (Notarization is only for documents like powers of attorney and affidavits — different track.)
Your marriage certificate is apostilled by the state where you were married
This trips up almost everyone. If you married in Nevada but live in Oregon, your marriage certificate is apostilled by Nevada — not Oregon. That's exactly why we cover all 50 states: you hand it to us and we handle it — directly in Oregon and Washington, or hand-carried by a member of our trusted courier team in every other state. One point of contact, zero legwork. Not sure which state issued yours, or need a certified copy first? Just ask.
Oregon & Washington, handled in-house
This is our backyard. We handle Oregon and Washington marriage certificate apostilles start to finish — you hand it to us, we take it to the Secretary of State, and it comes back to you. Choose the timeline that fits your deadline.
Standard
- Roughly 10 business days
- Standard apostille (not embassy legalization)
- Standard processing — no rush handling
- Best when your timeline is flexible
Premium
- Expedited, prioritized processing
- Standard apostille (not embassy legalization)
- Built to meet tight deadlines
- The go-to for professionals, students & families on a clock
White-Glove VIP
- Fastest option available
- Standard apostille (not embassy legalization)
- Priority, top-level white-glove handling
- For urgent travel, contracts & immigration deadlines
These tiers apply to both Oregon and Washington marriage certificates, handled in-house. Certificates from all other states are hand-carried by our trusted courier team — pricing and timelines vary, so call (503) 536-2326 for a quick quote. Additional fees may apply and will be discussed when you order.
Your marriage certificate apostille in 3 steps
Get a certified copy
Use a state-certified copy of your marriage certificate — not the ceremony keepsake. Don't have one? Order it at VitalChek (opens in new tab), and we'll confirm the issuing state.
Hand it to us
Bring it in, upload it, or mail it. We prepare everything and route it to the correct authority — the issuing state's Secretary of State. No notarization needed.
We authenticate & return it
In-house for Oregon and Washington, or hand-carried by our courier team elsewhere. Your apostilled marriage certificate comes back to you, ready to use abroad.
Many countries also want a translation
If your destination country doesn't use English, they'll likely require a certified translation of the apostilled marriage certificate. The order matters: get the apostille first, then translate the full packet — so you never pay to redo it. We handle translation too, certified or standard, typically $50 to $75 per page. We'll confirm your timeline up front.
Chasing the state office vs. handing it to us
You can request an apostille from the issuing state on your own. Here's how that compares to letting us handle it.
| Do it yourself | Oregon Fingerprinting | |
|---|---|---|
| Processing time | Weeks, and it varies by state | As fast as 1–2 business days (OR & WA) |
| Right copy & steps | You guess which copy and whether to notarize | We confirm it before anything is submitted |
| Rejection risk | High — wrong copy, wrong state, needless notary | We catch issues before submission |
| Another state's record | You navigate an out-of-state office alone | Our courier team hand-carries it for you |
| Support | None — you're on your own | A real person, start to finish |
Need more than a marriage certificate?
We apostille the full range of state documents. If you're assembling a packet for immigration or a spousal visa, we can handle it all in one coordinated order.
Also apostilled: birth certificates, death and divorce certificates; notarized documents (powers of attorney, affidavits, single-status letters); diplomas and transcripts; and business or corporate records. See our full state apostille page for every document and the 50-state picker. Just here for an FBI background check? That's a federal document — see federal apostille.
Need a document notarized first? Some documents (powers of attorney, affidavits, single-status letters) must be notarized before they can be apostilled — marriage certificates do not. Our sister company, The Notaryous LLC, handles mobile notary across Portland Metro & Clark County, WA, so we can notarize and apostille in one coordinated process.
Your marriage certificate, authenticated for use abroad
We route your certificate to the state that issued it and return it apostilled for the 120+ Hague Convention countries — Oregon and Washington in-house, every other state through our trusted courier team.
Marriage certificate apostille FAQ
Ready to apostille your marriage certificate?
Oregon and Washington in-house, all 50 states covered. Tell us where you were married and where it's headed — we'll handle it and return it ready to use abroad.