U.S. Birth Certificate Apostilled for Use in Mexico
Mexico’s Registro Civil and the INM ask for your U.S. birth certificate with the apostille of the state where it was registered, translated into Spanish. We review your certificate, get a new certified copy if needed, have it apostilled in that state and coordinate the perito translation.
Which Mexican offices ask for this document
These are the most common procedures; the receiving office may ask for more:
Civil Marriage of a Foreign National in Mexico
- The foreign spouse’s birth certificate, apostilled in the state or province of origin and translated into Spanish by a perito.
- If previously married: an apostilled divorce decree, or the former spouse’s death certificate, with its translation.
- Passport and proof of legal stay in Mexico; each state or municipality may add requirements (medical tests, pre-marital talks, witnesses, a single status statement).
Registering in Mexico the Birth of a Child Born in the U.S. or Canada
- The child’s (or applicant’s) foreign birth certificate, apostilled by the state or province that issued it.
- Spanish translation by a perito traductor.
- The Mexican parent’s Mexican birth certificate and ID; some registries also ask for the parents’ marriage certificate.
Temporary or Permanent Residency in Mexico
- When residency is based on a family tie, the foreign marriage or birth certificate must carry the apostille of the state or province that issued it.
- As a rule, the INM does not ask for an FBI or RCMP check for residency; the consulate or INM office may request additional documents in specific cases.
- Documents in English or French are usually filed with a Spanish translation.
Which version works and which does not
An apostille can only go on a public document with the right signature and seal:
- Certified copy with the official seal and signature of the state or county registrar
- Long form that includes the parents’ names
- Hospital keepsake certificates
- Short versions without parents’ details (abstracts or cards)
- Photocopies or notarized copies
- Laminated certificates
How to prepare this document
Follow this order so the authority apostilles it and the Mexican office accepts it:
Review of your current certificate from a photo or scan.
If needed, a new certified copy is ordered from the state of birth.
Apostille from the Secretary of State of the state of birth.
Spanish translation by a perito traductor, including the apostille.
Which authority apostilles your document?
The apostille comes from a specific office, depending on where the document was issued or signed. Pick your case:
Secretary of State (State of Issuance)
Apostilled by Secretary of State (State of Issuance) (Secretary of State of the issuing state).
Already living in Mexico?
From Mexico, send us a photo or scan of your certificate. We tell you whether it works as it is or whether a new copy is the better option; then we handle the apostille in the U.S. and send you the document ready for your procedure.
1. Online review
Send us a photo or scan of the document. We check the signature, seal and authority before you send anything.
2. Shipping originals
If the procedure needs the original, we tell you how to send it by tracked courier or collect it from your address.
3. Delivery to your door
We send the apostilled document and, if you asked for it, the translation by a perito anywhere in Mexico.
Translation by a perito traductor
Mexican offices usually ask for documents in English or French to be translated into Spanish by a perito traductor authorized by the state judiciary. The translation normally includes the apostille. Each office decides which peritos it accepts: some only take peritos from their own state.
Usual timelines
These are the authorities’ timelines; shipping and translation are on top:
Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
Filing the short version without parents’ names, which Mexican civil registries usually reject for registrations.
New York City certificates without a Letter of Exemplification.
A translation done by someone who is not a perito traductor, or one that leaves out the apostille.
Apostille questions: Birth Certificate
Can a Texas or California birth certificate be apostilled in Mexico?
No. Mexican authorities only apostille Mexican documents. A Texas certificate is apostilled in Texas, a California one in California, and so on for every state.
My child was born in the U.S.: which certificate do I need to register them in Mexico?
Normally the certified long-form copy with the apostille of the state of birth and its perito translation, plus the Mexican parent’s documents. Confirm the checklist with your state’s Registro Civil.
Which U.S. birth certificate works in Mexico?
The certified long-form copy with an official seal and the parents’ names, issued by the state (or by the county in some states). Hospital certificates and short versions normally do not work for the Registro Civil or the INM.
Does the certificate have to be recent?
The certificate itself does not expire, but some civil registries and even INM offices ask for a copy issued within the last few months. Before apostilling an old copy, confirm what the receiving office expects.
We help you in Mexico
- Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH): https://www.hcch.net/es/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille
- Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SRE): https://www.gob.mx/sre
Pre-review: Birth Certificate
Before any paper moves, we review your document: who issued it, whether the signature and seal can be apostilled and what the Mexican office needs. You get the timeline and a quote in writing.
Pre-review: Birth Certificate
We check the authority, signature and seal, and send you a quote before you ship the original.