Apostilles for U.S. and Canadian Documents Used in Mexico
When a Mexican office asks for a U.S. or Canadian document with an apostille, the apostille comes from the authority where the document was issued, not from an office in Mexico. We handle that step for you and arrange the translation by a perito so your file arrives complete.
From the office in the U.S. or Canada to the counter in Mexico
Your birth certificate may come from Texas, your degree from California and your FBI report from Washington: each one has its own authority. We work out which one applies, obtain the state, provincial or federal apostille, take your fingerprints when needed and arrange the translation for the INM, Registro Civil, SEP, notaries, courts, banks or your employer.
United States: state or federal apostille
Each state’s Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.Certificates, court orders, degrees and notarized documents are apostilled by the state that issued them. Federal documents, such as an FBI report, can only be apostilled by the Department of State in Washington.
- State guides: see the authorities we have guides for; we handle the other states too.
- FBI report: federal apostille from the Department of State, 10 to 12 business days.
- Fingerprints in Mexico: FD-258 card, by appointment.
Canada: provinces and Global Affairs Canada
Part of the Hague Convention since January 11, 2024Since Canada joined the Convention, its documents no longer go through legalization at a Mexican consulate. Depending on the document, the apostille comes from the province or from Global Affairs Canada.
- Provinces with their own apostille: Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec.
- Global Affairs Canada: federal documents, including the RCMP certificate (20 to 25 business days).
- RCMP certificate: C-216C fingerprints taken in Mexico.
Why Mexican offices ask for each document, and how to prepare it
The Mexican office decides what it needs. These are the usual cases and the order in which the steps work best:
Civil registry certificates
Birth · marriage · death · single statusMarrying at the Registro Civil, registering a child born abroad in Mexico, proving a family tie for an INM residency application, or opening an estate.
- Order the certified copy from the state or provincial vital records office.
- Have it apostilled by the state Secretary of State or the provincial authority.
- Have it translated by a perito, apostille included.
- File it with the Registro Civil, the INM or the notary.
Criminal record checks
FBI (Identity History Summary) · RCMPHiring by schools and companies, some immigration procedures and court cases. Offices almost always want a recent check, issued within the last 3 to 6 months.
- Have your fingerprints taken in Mexico: FD-258 card for the FBI or C-216C form for the RCMP.
- FBI: electronic in 24 to 48 hours only for U.S. citizens and green card holders; everyone else, paper cards by post and several weeks. RCMP: 1 to 2 weeks.
- Federal apostille from the Department of State (10 to 12 business days) or from Global Affairs Canada.
- Translation by a perito and delivery before the office’s validity window runs out.
Powers of attorney
Property · banking · estates · lawsuitsLetting a relative or your lawyer sign for you in Mexico: buying or selling property, banking, an estate or a lawsuit. The Mexican notario usually reviews the wording before you sign.
- Draft the power of attorney, ideally approved by the Mexican notario who will use it.
- Sign it in person before a notary public in the U.S. or Canada.
- Have it apostilled by the state or province where it was signed.
- Have it translated by a perito and, if required, formalized (protocolizado) before a Mexican notario.
Company documents
Articles · Good Standing · resolutionsSetting up a company or branch in Mexico, granting company powers of attorney, opening a bank account or registering with the SAT.
- Order certified copies from the state or Canadian business registry.
- Have them apostilled by the authority for that registry.
- Have them translated by a perito.
- File them with the notario, the bank or the SAT.
Degrees and transcripts
Revalidación de estudios · cédula · jobsRevalidating studies with the SEP or the state education authority, applying for a cédula profesional, or getting hired. An apostille is not the same as revalidation: it is a step before it.
- Get the degree or transcript with a signature the state will apostille (sometimes certified by a notary).
- Have it apostilled by the state or province of the university.
- Have it translated by a perito.
- Start the revalidation with the SEP or the state education authority.
Court orders and judgments
Divorce · name change · custodyRemarrying in Mexico, updating your marital status or filing the order with a family court. For a foreign judgment to take effect in Mexico, a Mexican judge sometimes has to recognize it.
- Request the certified copy from the clerk of the court that issued it.
- Have it apostilled by the state Secretary of State.
- Have it translated by a perito.
- File it with the Registro Civil or the court that asked for it.
Apostille guides by document (14)
Requirements, accepted formats and steps for each document:
Apostilled FBI Background Check, Handled from Mexico
Fingerprints in Mexico, FBI report and Department of State apostille for jobs and visas. Electronic results only for U.S. citizens and green card holders.
U.S. Birth Certificate Apostilled for Use in Mexico
U.S. birth certificate apostilled and translated by a perito to marry in Mexico, register your children or apply for INM residency.
U.S. University Diploma and Transcript Apostilled for Mexico
U.S. university diploma and transcript certified, apostilled and translated to revalidate your studies with Mexico’s SEP or to work in Mexico.
Power of Attorney Signed in the U.S. for Use in Mexico
Power of attorney signed before a U.S. notary, apostilled and translated by a perito so a Mexican notario can formalize it: property, estates and banking.
U.S. Marriage Certificate Apostilled for Mexico
U.S. marriage certificate apostilled in the state of registration and translated by a perito for INM family-unity residency or notary procedures.
U.S. Single Status Affidavit for Marrying in Mexico
Single status affidavit signed before a U.S. notary, apostilled and translated, for Mexican civil registries that ask foreign spouses for one.
U.S. Divorce Decree Apostilled for Mexico
U.S. court-certified divorce decree, apostilled and translated by a perito so you can remarry in Mexico or complete notary procedures.
U.S. Corporate Documents Apostilled for Mexico
Certificates of Good Standing, articles and minutes of U.S. companies, apostilled and translated for notarios, corredores públicos and banks in Mexico.
Apostilled RCMP Criminal Record Check, from Mexico
RCMP criminal record certificate with fingerprints taken in Mexico and the Global Affairs Canada apostille, for jobs, schools and visas.
Canadian Birth Certificate Apostilled for Mexico
Canadian long-form birth certificate apostilled by the province or Global Affairs Canada and translated by a perito for the Registro Civil or the INM.
Canadian Marriage Certificate Apostilled for Mexico
Canadian marriage certificate apostilled by the province or Global Affairs Canada and translated by a perito for the INM and notarios in Mexico.
Canadian University Degree Apostilled for Revalidation in Mexico
Canadian degree and transcript notarized, apostilled and translated by a perito so you can start revalidating your studies with the SEP in Mexico.
Power of Attorney Signed in Canada for Use in Mexico
Power of attorney signed before a Canadian notary, apostilled and translated by a perito for a Mexican notario: property, estates and banking.
Canadian Company Documents Apostilled for Mexico
Certificates of Status and articles of Canadian companies, apostilled by Global Affairs Canada or the province and translated for your notario in Mexico.
Guides by state and province
Pick the place where your document was issued to see who apostilles it, their address and the usual timeline:
Frequently asked questions about apostilles for Mexico
State and federal authorities, Canada, translations and validity:
Do you handle apostilles from any U.S. state or Canadian province?
Yes. This site has detailed guides for 14 authorities, but we also work with documents from the other states and provinces. If yours is not listed, send us a photo of the document and we will tell you who apostilles it, how long it takes and what it costs.
What is the difference between a state and a federal apostille?
In the United States, each state apostilles its own documents: civil registry certificates, judgments from its courts and documents signed before its notaries. Documents from federal agencies, such as the FBI report, can only be apostilled by the Department of State in Washington, D.C. An FBI report sent to a state comes back without an apostille.
Do Canadian documents still need legalization at a Mexican consulate?
No. Canada has been part of the Hague Convention since January 11, 2024. Since then, a Canadian document apostilled by the province or by Global Affairs Canada is accepted in Mexico without consular legalization.
Can a U.S. document be apostilled in Mexico?
No. Only the authority of the country that issued a document can apostille it. Apostille offices in Mexico only handle Mexican documents. Because Mexico has been part of the Convention since 1995, a U.S. or Canadian document with its apostille no longer needs consular legalization.
Can a plain copy or a PDF be apostilled?
Usually not. Certificates need the certified copy issued by the vital records office, with its signature and seal. For other documents, such as powers of attorney or some degrees, it is the notary public’s signature that gets apostilled. We confirm which version of your document the authority accepts before anything is sent.
Does the apostille have to be translated as well?
Almost always. Mexican offices usually ask for a translation by a perito traductor authorized by the state judiciary, and that translation normally includes the apostille. Each office decides which peritos it accepts, so it is worth asking before you translate.
How long is an apostilled document valid?
The apostille itself does not expire, but the office may want a recent document. For FBI or RCMP checks it is common to ask for one issued within the last 3 to 6 months. Every new check needs a new set of fingerprints.
Do I have to travel to the U.S. or Canada?
No. We take your fingerprints in Mexico by appointment, receive your documents by courier when the original is needed, handle the filing with the authority and send the apostilled, translated result to your address.
Already living in Mexico? We handle it without you travelling
We book your fingerprint appointment, collect or receive your originals by courier and deliver the apostilled, translated file wherever you are.