TYPES OF DOCUMENTS
Death Certificate
You will need a Death Certificate Apostilled if you need to settle the estates of deceased citizens in foreign countries for some of the following basic uses:
- Visas
- Marriage
- Inheritances
- Property sales
- Retirement benefits
- Transportation of a casket or urn
- And more
A Death Certificate is a Vital Document. Obtaining a Death Certificate can differ from City to City and from State to State. Please note, a Death Certificate is based on where the individual passed away, not where they resided or was buried. The Death Certificate is issued by Vital Records. The Registrar will certify and acknowledge:
- The individual has died
- The time and date the individual has died
- The location of death
- The cause of death
All of this information is recorded in an official register of deaths.
When working with foreign countries, it is essentially required to obtain an Apostille or Legalization confirming that the Vital Records obtains official and authentic signatures.
Before a Death Certificate can be Apostilled, you must mail to our office for processing, a valid (recent) Certified Copy issued by the County Clerk, Health Department or Vital Records Department of the County or State level of government. Death Certificates can only be Apostilled by the State who issued the certificate. In other words, the Secretary of State does not have the authority to Apostille a Death Certifcate that was issued from another State.
However, not every Death Certificate qualifies as a Certified Copy that can be Apostilled by the Secretary of State. For instance, some states have established time limits on how old a Certified Copy can be. Most States can Apostille a Death Certifcate that is older than 5 years but in some states the Death Certificate cannot be older than 12 months.
Therefore, we highly recommend that you
- Utilize Vitachek to obtain your Vital Documents, such as Death Certificate nationwide. Vitacheck has a quick turnaround in providing Certified Copies of Vital Documents. They are accurate and they are dependable. Vitalchek is simple, fast and secure method of ordering your family's most important documents from the privacy of your home or office, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. You can even ask Vitalcheck to send the Certified Copy to us, so we can begin processing your Apostille.
- Scan and upload a colored copy of your documents to us, either via our website, email or fax. This will allow us to review your documents before you mail the originals to us to be Apostilled.
If by chance, the State does not accept your Death Certificate we will contact you with the State's instructions.
Once the Certified English Death Certificate is properly received you can mail it to us to be Apostilled. We can also provide Certified Translation Services into the language required by the Country of Designation.
Here at Ezra Notary and Apostille,