How Much Does it Cost to get an Apostille?
The first question asked after “How do I get an apostilled copy of my Utah Wedding Certificate“, answered on the previous page – is “How much does it cost”?
The answer, as always, is “It depends”. And normally it depends on a number of things to be able answer that question more accurately.
First, how many copies do you need of your original marriage certificate? One hard copy is always included with your purchase of a marriage license, but as many couples aren’t even necessarily together when they get married, you might need more than one copy of that original document.
Second, you need to determine if you actually need an apostille. If you’re planning to use the marriage certificate outside of the US, you might need at least one apostilled copy. I recommend that you do some research about what the country or countries require in order to recognize foreign marriage certificates before you jump into ordering your apostilled copy. You may need to contact an immigration specialist, an embassy or a vital records office to determine this. In general, any country that is part of the Hague Convention should be able to accept apostilled copies, but this is not always a guarantee. Some countries have additional requirements, even for apostilled copies, such as a notarized translation. And some countries will accept the first original hard copy since it is a notarized and stamped document, so there is no need for an apostilled copy.
THEN you have to ask, how many countries do I need copies for?
Sometimes couples know in advance that they have employment or schooling in a country and would need to register their marriage there in order to have it recognized. And additionally, they may need to register it with their own home country. Or they and their spouse are currently working and living in different countries, but both may need a copy for the external country as well as their own. It can get complicated! Fortunately, Utah County’s system is very flexible and can handle multiple copies and types, and even combine multiple shipping options in one transaction.
Finally, some couples ask – “Do I really need to do it now?”
One important thing for couples to know is that the option to get an apostilled copy of your certificate will always be available. There is no deadline, expiration date or time limit as to when you have to order it. You could come back years or even decades after you get married and get apostilled copies of your certificate. If you move to a different country, you can still get a new apostille for that country in the future. So, while many couples do have a current time frame that they may need their document in, the option will always be there if the situation changes.
But really, how much is it??
Again, it depends! That is frustrating for couples to hear, so I wanted to provide some examples of how much documents and copies CAN cost for couples. Ready?
First, we’ll lay out some basic costs and then get some examples going. Please note that these prices may change without warning – if Utah County has updated or changed their pricing and I don’t yet know about it. I will try to stay on top of this but no guarantees.
Apostille & Copy ordering – basic costs
All costs mentioned are in US dollars.
Wedding certificate extra copies – One non-apostilled hard copy is $10
You get one hard copy included with your original wedding license order
Apostilled wedding certificate copies – One copy for one country is $30
You may order more than one apostilled copy at a time
Apostilled certificate copy processing fee – You only need to pay this once per transaction – $15
Non-apostille copy orders do not pay this fee
Shipping fees
| Country / Region | Shipping type – cost |
| USA | USPS – No tracking – $0 FedEx – 2 day shipping – $15 FedEx – Overnight – $20 |
| Africa | FedEx – $60 |
| Canada / Mexico | FedEx – $40 |
| Central / South America | FedEx – $50 |
| Europe (UK & EU) | FedEx – $50 |
| Middle East | FedEx – $50 |
| South Pacific, Australia, & New Zealand | FedEx – $50 |
| Southeast Asia, China & India | FedEx – $50 |
Transaction Fees (card processing fees)
The transaction fee for credit cards is 2.5% with a minimum fee of $1.50
VISA debit card have a flat fee of $3.95.
Copy ordering examples
Example 1 – US-only Extra Copy – no rush
The couple lives in two different states, but both need a hard copy, so following the wedding, they need to order and send the extra copy. They don’t need it right away since they can use the digital copy for most of what they need immediately.
1 Wedding Certificate Copy – $10 + USPS shipping (mail) – $0 = $10
Debit card transaction fee – $3.95
Total = $13.95
Example 2 – US – Extra Copy, 1 Apostille – Shipped to Israel
The couple is in Israel but want one extra copy shipped back to the US for safe keeping.
They also need an apostille copy for Israel.
1 Wedding Certificate Copy – $10 + USPS Shipping (mail) $0 = $10
1 Apostilled Copy for Israel – $30 + FedEx Shipping $50 = $80
1 Document Processing Fee – $15
Items – $105 + Credit Card transaction fee 2.5% – $2.63 = $107.63
Example 3 – Non-US couple, 2 Apostille copies, 2 countries shipping
This couple is currently living in Australia. One is an Australian citizen, and one is from the Philippines.
While they are now in Australia, they plan to retire to the Philippines together in a few years. They need apostilled copies, but the Philippine citizen wants to send their apostilled copy to their relations in the Philippines, since the couple move around in Australia often for work, and they don’t want it to get lost.
1 Apostilled Copy for Australia – $30 + FedEx Shipping $50 = $80
1 Apostilled Copy for the Philippines – $30 + FedEx Shipping $50 = $80
1 Document Processing Fee – $15
Items – $175 + Credit Card transaction fee 2.5% – $4.38 = $179.38
In Conclusion
As you can see, the question of “How much does it cost?” is not easily answered. However, I hope that this page will help you in determining that answer for you and your situation.