Claiming dual citizenship by descent? Almost every country that grants citizenship through ancestry — Italy, Mexico, Ireland, Poland, Germany and others — requires that the U.S. vital records in your family line be authenticated with an apostille before a foreign consulate will accept them. We hand-file your Florida birth, marriage, and death certificates in person at the Florida Department of State and return them ready for your citizenship application — all fees included, and pre-checked so a single formatting error does not derail your case.
Why dual citizenship applications need apostilles
When you apply for citizenship by descent, the foreign government has to trust that your U.S. documents are genuine. Under the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille is the certificate that provides that proof. Any U.S.-issued birth, marriage, or death certificate in your direct line of descent must carry an apostille from the state that issued it. For Florida-issued records, that apostille can only come from the Florida Secretary of State.
Dual citizenship is a chain of documents — not a single certificate
This is what makes citizenship-by-descent applications different from most apostille jobs: you rarely need just one document. To prove an unbroken line of descent, you typically need apostilles on a chain of records across generations — your birth certificate, your parent’s and grandparent’s birth and marriage certificates, and often death certificates. If several were issued in Florida, we apostille the whole set in one order at the additional-document rate, and we pre-check every certificate so the whole chain holds together.
Get the format right before you apostille
Consulates are strict about form. Vital records generally must be long-form certified copies — bearing the registrar’s raised, embossed, or multicolored seal — not short-form or photocopies. A plain copy or the wrong version will be rejected at the state counter and again at the consulate. We confirm your certificate is in the accepted certified form before we file it.
Common countries and what they require
- Italy (jure sanguinis) — every U.S. birth, marriage, and death record in your Italian line needs an apostille, and each must then be translated into Italian by a certified translator. The apostille itself does not need to be translated. See our Florida apostille for Italy guide.
- Mexico — you must show that a parent or grandparent was born in Mexico and prove the relationship, so your U.S. birth certificate and others in the line need apostilles, plus a certified Spanish translation. See our Florida apostille for Mexico guide.
- Ireland, Poland, Germany and others — each is a Hague member, so U.S. records are authenticated by apostille; confirm translation and consulate specifics for your country.
Which Florida documents we apostille for citizenship applications
- Birth certificates from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
- Marriage certificates from Florida county clerks
- Death certificates for deceased ancestors in your line
- Single status affidavits, where a consulate requires them
How it works
- Gather your certified records. Order long-form certified copies of each Florida vital record you need.
- Send them to us together. Ship the full set so we can apostille them in one order.
- We file in person and pre-check. We hand-deliver your documents to the Florida Department of State and catch formatting problems before they cause a rejection.
- We ship them back. Your apostilled records return by overnight FedEx, ready for translation and your consulate appointment.
Cost
$199 for your first document and $75 for each additional document, all-inclusive — state fees, in-person filing, and FedEx return shipping. Because citizenship applications usually involve several records, the additional-document rate keeps a full chain affordable. See our full Florida apostille cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an apostille for dual citizenship?
Yes. Countries that grant citizenship by descent are Hague Convention members, so the U.S. vital records in your family line must each carry an apostille from the issuing state before a consulate will accept them.
How many documents do I need apostilled?
It depends on how far back your line goes, but citizenship-by-descent applications commonly require apostilles on several records — your birth certificate plus your parents’ and grandparents’ birth, marriage, and sometimes death certificates.
Does the apostille need to be translated?
The documents usually need a certified translation into the destination country’s language, but the apostille certificate itself typically does not. Requirements vary by consulate, so confirm before you translate.
Do my certificates need to be a special form?
Yes — vital records must generally be long-form certified copies with the registrar’s raised or embossed seal. Photocopies and short-form versions are rejected. We verify the form before filing.
How fast can you do it?
Order and submit before 1 PM EST and most clients receive their apostilled documents in about three business days, with overnight return shipping.
How much does it cost?
$199 for the first document and $75 for each additional, with all state fees and overnight FedEx included.
Start your dual citizenship apostilles
Call 954-999-4933 or text 850-900-2203, or send us your certified Florida records to get your dual citizenship documents apostilled correctly the first time. Handled by the Online Florida Apostille Team — local Florida notaries who file in person at the Department of State.