How to authenticate your Birth Certificate

Last updated May 27th, 2021

United States Nationals wondering how to obtain an authenticated copy of a US Birth Certificate are often looking to use the document for legal purposes abroad such as getting married overseas or have some other legal business in another country.

However, in order to learn how to get your birth certificate authenticated in the US, it is important to clear up a few essential concepts first.

When a child is born, the original document that certifies a live birth within the United States —that is, the original US birth certificate— must always remain on file at the local vital records agency office in the location where the birth occurred after it is submitted for recording by the hospital.

Therefore, this original —kept under lock at the county or state vital records office— is the one that will be reproduced when you request a birth certificate replacement.

The certified copy of a birth certificate is valid within US borders but needs an additional, accompanying document in order to be valid outside the nation.

Does My Birth Certificate Need Authentication or an Apostille?

Whenever a US citizen is asked to provide a birth certificate for legal purposes overseas, the first document they need to obtain is a Certified Copy of their Birth Certificate that bears:

A raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal
The registrar’s signature
The date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office

Next, depending on the country where the birth certificate needs to be provided, the US citizen will need to either have it authenticated or obtain an Apostille Certificate for the document:

Authentication Certificate: For use in countries that are not parties to the Hague Apostille Convention
Apostille Certificate: For use in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention

Non-Hague Convention Countries

If you require a birth certificate for use in a country that is listed below, you will need to have it authenticated by the U.S. Department of State:

Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Benin
Bolivia
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Chad
China
Congo Democratic
Congo Republic
Cote d’Ivoire
Cuba
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea
Haiti
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Paraguay
Philippines
Qatar
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
South Sudan
SriLanka
Sudan
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
UAE
Uganda
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia

Hague Convention Countries

If you require a birth certificate for use in one of the following countries, you will need to obtain an Apostille Certificate by the U.S. Department of State:

Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong (China)
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau (China)
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Republic of Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea (from 1 June 2015)
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
San Marino
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Zimbabwe

Step By Step Birth Certificate Authentication in the USA

Once you have:

Determined that the country where you will need to present the birth certificate is not included in the Hague Convention
Obtained a Certified Copy of the US Birth Certificate

You will need to:

Visit the website of the US State Department and navigate to the section on Requesting Authentication Services
Fill out the DS-4194 form with your personal information and remember to specify the country it is going to be presented at
Enclose the certified copy of the birth certificate with the raised or sealed stamp of the court or Department of Records that is also be certified by the Secretary of State

There are 3 ways to present your Birth Certificate Authentication request:

By mail

You should receive your authentication certificate within about 12 days.

Include the following in an envelope:

Authentication fee
Prepaid, self-addressed envelope
DS-4194 form
Certified copy of the birth certificate

Mail to:

Office of Authentications U.S. Department of State CA/PPT/S/TO/AUT 44132 Mercure Cir P.O. Box 1206 Sterling VA 20166-1206

Urgent appointment

If you are in an emergency or urgent situation due to any of the following, you may call the office to make an appointment to expedite your birth certificate authentication request:

Serious illness
Injury
Proof of travel within 24 to 48 hours
Others

Walk-in

If you need your authenticated birth certificate within 2 to 3 days, you may drop your request at the local Office of Authentications between 8 and 9 AM Monday through Friday. The clerk will give you a scheduled pick up day within the next 3 days so you can get your documents.

Please bear in mind that you will need to produce a photo ID if you are paying the birth certificate authentication fees with a credit card.

Now that you understand how to obtain a birth certificate that is legally valid outside the US —for yourself or a relative— remember that your first step is to order a certified copy of your birth certificate online. Doing so will save you time and hassle, as well as a trip to the local vital records office.