How to Apostille a Massachusetts Birth Certificate

The short answer

To use a Massachusetts birth certificate in another country, you usually need a certified copy of the record, issued by the city or town clerk where the birth was recorded or by the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, and then an apostille from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. The apostille is a certificate attached to your birth certificate that confirms the official signature on it is genuine, so the document is accepted in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention.

If the country you're sending it to isn't part of the Convention, you'll need a different process called embassy legalization instead. We explain the difference in our guide to apostille, authentication and legalization.

Step 1: Confirm what the receiving office wants

Before you order anything, read the instructions from the office that will receive your birth certificate: a consulate, a foreign registry, an immigration office, a court or a university. Three details matter most:

• Apostille or legalization. Hague countries want an apostille. Others want embassy legalization.
• Long form or short form. Some countries want the version that shows your parents' names and other details. Ask for the full record if you're not sure.
• How recent the copy must be. Many countries, including several European consulates, only accept a birth certificate issued within the last three or six months.
• Translation. If the country doesn't accept English, you may need a certified translation, sometimes of the apostille as well.

Getting these right at the start is the single best way to avoid paying for the same document twice.

Step 2: Order a certified copy from the right office

A photocopy can't be apostilled, and neither can a souvenir or hospital birth certificate. You need a certified copy of the official record. In Massachusetts, the Secretary of the Commonwealth points people to two sources:

• The city or town clerk where the birth was recorded. This is usually the city or town where you were born.
• The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, the state office that keeps birth records for the whole Commonwealth.

For an apostille, the copy should carry an original official signature and seal. When we handle the order for you, we request the version the Secretary of the Commonwealth and your destination country will accept, so you don't have to guess. If you were born in another state, your birth certificate has to be apostilled by that state, not Massachusetts. See Apostilles by State.

Step 3: Get the apostille from the Secretary of the Commonwealth

Massachusetts apostilles are issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Commissions Section, at One Ashburton Place in Boston, with regional offices in Springfield and Fall River. You can bring documents in person or send them by mail with a request form, the state fee and a prepaid return envelope. You'll need to name the destination country, because that decides whether you receive an apostille or a certification for legalization.

We file at the Boston office in person, which is a big part of why our apostilles are typically ready in 1–2 business days once we have your certified copy.

Step 4: Translate, if required, and send it

If your destination wants a translation, the order of steps matters. Some countries want the apostille translated too, so the translation happens after the apostille is attached. Some want the translation done by a sworn translator in their country. Check the instructions, then send your apostilled birth certificate with tracking. We can ship it to you, to family or straight to a consulate or attorney abroad.

How long does it take?

Timing depends mostly on how fast you can get the certified copy. Some clerks issue copies the same day; others take longer by mail. Once the certified copy is in hand, our apostille is typically ready in 1–2 business days, plus shipping. If you also need a translation or legalization, plan extra time. For more detail, see How Long Does a Massachusetts Apostille Take?.

Mistakes that send people back to the start

• Sending a photocopy or a hospital certificate. Only a certified copy of the official record can be apostilled.
• Using an old certified copy. If your destination wants a recent copy, an older one will be turned down even with an apostille.
• Ordering the short form when the country wants the long form. Check whether your parents' names need to appear.
• Going to the wrong state. Each birth certificate is apostilled by the state that issued it.
• Getting an apostille for a non-Hague country. Those countries need embassy legalization.
• Laminating the certificate. A laminated document can't take an apostille.
• Detaching the apostille. Once it's attached, leave it attached.

Common reasons people need one

• Citizenship by descent, especially for Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Poland. See Citizenship by Descent.
• Marriage abroad, often alongside a single status affidavit. See Single Status Affidavit.
• Residency visas, retirement visas and digital nomad visas.
• Registering a child's birth or obtaining a foreign passport.
• Inheritance and property matters abroad.

Want us to handle it?

We can order the certified copy from the clerk or the state, get the apostille, add a certified translation and ship it anywhere in the world, all in one order. Tell us where you were born, where the document is going and your deadline. See Vital Records Retrieval and Birth Certificate Apostille.