Birth certificates issued in one of the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island):
NY apostille / Legalization: price, processing time, order form:
If you have an original birth certificate eligible for an apostille or legalization please mail it to us and we will be happy to assist you with obtaining an apostille or legalization by a foreign embassy.
New York apostille: $125 (FedEx 2nd Day within the U.S. is included).
New York Apostille / Embassy Legalization Order Form (PDF file)Short form birth certificates. Are they acceptable?
Short forms, known sometimes as computer certifications: limited information is taken from the original birth record (the long form) and stored in the database that can be accessed quickly when the birth certificates are needed in a short amount of time. Whereas the long form is a copy of the actual birth certificate, a short form is a document that certifies the existence of such certificate, and is usually titled a "Certification of Birth" or "Certificate of Birth Registration". Short form birth certificates include the child's full name, sex, date and place of birth, and the parents' names.
Short form birth certificates are acceptable for New York apostilles or embassy legalization if they are signed by one of the following regisrars: STEVEN P. SCHWARTZ * IRENE A. SCANLON * EARLENE PRICE * IRWING MELLON (see images of acceptable birth certificates below)
No exemplification letter is required for apostille / embassy legalization purposes.
Long form birth certificates
Long form, also known as certified photocopies, or vault copies, are exact photocopies of the original birth record that was prepared by the hospital or attending physician at the time of the child's birth. The long form usually includes parents' information (address of residence, race, birth place, date of birth, etc.), additional information on the child's birthplace, and the information on the doctor(s) that assisted in the birth of the child.
Long form birth certificate are acceptable for New York apostilles if they are signed by one of the following regisrars: STEVEN P. SCHWARTZ * IRENE A. SCANLON * EARLENE PRICE * IRWING MELLON (see images of acceptable birth certificates below)
No exemplification letter is required for apostille / embassy legalization purposes.
For most purposes, either short or long form birth certificate will be sufficient. However, sometimes the receiving authorities specifically require a long form birth certificate.
Exemplification letter. Is it required for getting an apostille?
A Letter of exemplification is a page attached to a New York City long form birth certificate. It is hand-signed by a Deputy City Registrar and attests that the attached birth certificate is a true copy of the actual record.
Exemplification letters can only be attached to the NYC long form birth certificates at the time a certified copy is issued. You cannot request a Letter of exemplification separately.
As of now, a Letter of exemplification is not required for apostille / legalization purposes. If you received your birth certificate with a Letter of exemplification, wonderful! It will be legalized in accordance with the standard procedure, first by the County Clerk's office in New York City, and then by an apostille or foreign certificate / embassy. If however, your birth certificate came without a Letter of exemplification, do not despair! A different procedure will be used. Thankfully, there is a court in New York that can authenticate the signature of the City Registrar (present or former) directly, without a Letter of exemplification. After that, the document will be apostilled or legalized by a foreign embassy according to the standard procedure.
A few consulates (e.g. the Italian consulate) specifically require that you submit a long form birth certificate with a Letter of exemplification. Please follow the consulate requirements. However, if a Letter of exemplification is not specifically required (like in 99% of the cases), your birth certificate can be apostilled / legalized without it.
Old birth certificates. Are they acceptable for NY apostilles?
Old birth certificates, both short and long form, are acceptable for New York apostilles if they are signed by one of the following regisrars: STEVEN P. SCHWARTZ * IRENE A. SCANLON * EARLENE PRICE * IRWING MELLON (see images of acceptable birth certificates below)
Depending on the year when the certificate was issued, it can be blue, green, yellow, pink or white in color. The color and the year of issue do not matter. Please check the name of the City registrar. If it is one of the names listed above, your birth certificate is acceptable.
Not sure? Please email a copy of your birth certificate for a free evaluation.
Some foreign countries require that certified copies of birth certificates are recent, e.g. were issued within the last six or twelve months. Always follow the requirements of the country of intended use.
Where do I get a certified copy of the birth certificate if the child was born in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island?
If you were born within the five boroughs of New York City, you first option is to apply in person or mail the request to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at 125 Worth Street, New York, NY, 10013.
You will not be able to get a long form birth certificate over the counter. It will be mailed to you within two-three weeks. Short form birth certificates can be obtained over the counter.
Your second option is to use a private online service called VitalCheck that is the only agent authorized by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to assist you with the retrieval of your birth certificate. When ordering, you must specify that the purpose of your request is APOSTILLE/AUTHENTICATION. Then, most likely, you will get your birth certificate with a Letter of Exemplification. VitalCheck works OK, they also mail documents to foreign countries.
New York City birth certificates eligible for apostille/legalization:
Short form birth certificate ("Certification of Birth") signed by City Registrar Steven P. Schwartz.
These birth certificates are acceptable regardless of the year when they were issued provided they are original.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
The processing time for an apostille is 2-3 business days.
Letter of exemplification: do you need it to get a New York apostille?
Long form birth certificate ("Certificate of birth") signed by City Registrar Steven P. Schwartz.
These birth certificates are acceptable regardless of the year when they were issued provided they are original.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
Letter of exemplification: do you need it to get a New York apostille?
Long form birth certificate ("Certificate of birth") signed by City Registrar Steven P. Schwartz, with an Exemplification letter signed by Deputy City Registrar.
Older long form birth certificate ("Certificate of birth"), pink or yellow in color, signed by City Registrar Steven P. Schwartz.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
Short form birth certificate ("Certification of Birth") signed by former City Registrar Irene A. Scanlon.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
Long form birth certificate signed by former City Registrar Irene A. Scanlon.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
Long form birth certificate signed by former City Registrar Earlene Price.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
Long form birth certificate signed by former City Registrar Irving Mellon.
NO EXEMPLIFICATION LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR APOSTILLE/ LEGALIZATION PURPOSES.
You were born in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island, and you birth certificate looks different? It might be acceptable. Please email a scanned copy for a free evaluation.
A few more useful tips about apostilles for NYC birth certificates:
Notarized copies of birth certificates are not acceptable! In fact, New York notaries by law cannot notarize copies of vital records.
Copies certified as true copies by the document custodian (you) are not acceptable! You do need the original document.
Some foreign countries require that certified copies of birth certificates are recent, e.g. were issued within the last six or twelve months.
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