Apostille San Francisco
Taking new files today(415) 439-0289
Apostille for Ireland · from California documents
Ireland.
Ireland.
Hague since 1999.
No consulate step.
Ireland has accepted the Hague apostille since 1999, and its Department of Foreign Affairs states that it cannot legalise a foreign document; authentication belongs to the country that issued it. For the Foreign Births Register the DFA asks for original civil certificates showing parental details. We check the certified copy underneath before the fee.
At a glance
RouteHague apostille · California Secretary of State
ConsulateNot required; the DFA does not legalise foreign documents
DocumentsBirth, marriage, death certificates · FBI background checks (federal route) · degrees and transcripts · powers of attorney · corporate documents
TranslationDocuments are in English; no translation. For a document in another language, the DFA requires a translator registered with the ATII or an Irish-registered translation company, with the translation then notarised.
Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3
Before you send anything
What the counter accepts for Ireland.
Each line is a real rejection we screen for in the $45 Document Check.
01Certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH, not a hospital or informational copy.
02Current signing official. The Secretary of State authenticates only signatures it has on file.
03Notarized first if it is a power of attorney, affidavit or copy certification.
04Original civil certificate showing parental details. The Foreign Births Register asks for the original civil birth certificate showing parental details and, where applicable, the original civil marriage certificate, and states that originals must be submitted unless told otherwise. We order the long-form certified copy so the parents’ names are on the face of the document, and confirm with the receiving office whether it wants the apostille attached.
$6503 documents · one emergency trip · filed together
Foreign Births Register sets
Birth and marriage certificates across generations for the Foreign Births Register, filed together in one Sacramento trip.
Returned tracked, with status updates, to Ireland or wherever you are. Price confirmed before any work begins.
Asked on nearly every Ireland call.
01Does the Irish consulate in San Francisco still need to legalize it?
No. Ireland has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 9 March 1999. The Department of Foreign Affairs states that you need an apostille when a document will be used in a Convention country, and that the DFA cannot legalise documents issued by another country; the California Secretary of State is the authority for a California record.
02Does the Foreign Births Register itself require the apostille?
The DFA’s published checklist asks for the original civil birth certificate showing parental details, the original civil marriage certificate where applicable, and photo ID; it does not publish an apostille requirement. Applications are processed in strict date order, so the certificate has to be right the first time. Where you have been told to supply an apostilled certificate, or the same record will also serve a passport, court or citizenship filing, we apostille the original certified copy so it works for every office. We confirm with the receiving office before any fee.
03Do I need a translation for Ireland?
Not for a California certificate, which is issued in English. If your file includes a document in another language, the DFA requires the translation to be done by a translator registered with the Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association or an Irish-registered translation company, and then notarised. Translation is Quoted per document by page and language before anything starts; delivered certified with a signed certificate of authenticity.
04I live in Ireland already. Can you do the whole thing without me?
Yes. Order the certified copy from the county or the state and have it shipped to our office at 416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, or mail us what you already hold. We check it, file it, and ship the finished apostille tracked to your address in Ireland. International delivery is quoted per destination before we start, and we can keep you updated by WhatsApp if you prefer.