Getting an Apostille

[laconstance]

Getting an apostille is pretty easy, and it can all be handled by mail in most cases. The easy explanation of the process is: Get a new certified (notarized) copy of your birth certificate from the county in which you were born. Then, that copy must be sent or taken to the Secretary of State of the state where you were born. Basically, the apostille certifies that the person who certified your birth certificate in the first place had the authority to do so. There are fees involved, usually fairly modest. I'd start by calling the county clerk in the county in which you were born to find out what is required to get a copy of the birth certificate. Then, the clerk's office can send it on to the Secretary of State of the state for apostille, and the Secretary of State of the state can return the whole shebang to you. You would need to include not only the fees, but postage paid addressed envelopes for each stage of the apostille journey.

If a translation is required, that probably means a translation by a certified legal translator. Unfortunately, I have no experience with that and can't tell you where to find one. Might be a question for Ed Clancy at the Consul in San Miguel de Allende.