🇺🇸 United States·1961 Hague Convention·Code: WA · Seat: Olympia
Washington Document Apostilles for Mexico
If your document was issued or signed in Washington, the apostille comes from Washington Secretary of State. We prepare the submission, follow it up and arrange the translation by a perito so you can file it in Mexico without leaving the country.
This is the office’s own timeline; international shipping and translation are on top of it.
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What to know about Washington
Details about this authority that prevent rejections and wasted trips:
Point 1
This page covers Washington State, whose capital is Olympia. Federal documents issued in Washington, D.C., such as the FBI report, are apostilled by the State Department, not here.
Point 2
Many remote professionals and retirees move from Seattle and the rest of the state to Mexico, especially to Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, La Paz and Mexico City.
Point 3
Birth and death certificates are issued by the Department of Health (Center for Health Statistics) or a local health department such as King County’s.
Point 4
To marry a Mexican national in Mexico, the Registro Civil will ask for your Washington birth certificate apostilled and translated, plus the divorce decree if you were married before.
Point 5
The state fee is $15 per document; Olympia offers expedited counter service for $50 per document.
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Vital records (WA)
Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics
Location: PO Box 47814, Olympia, WA 98504-7814
Note: For births in Seattle, the King County health department also issues certified copies. Marriage certificates come from the Department of Health or the County Auditor of the county that issued the license.
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Notaries public (WA)
Requirements for powers of attorney, affidavits and certified copies signed in Washington:
The notary must be commissioned in Washington; the Washington Secretary of State only apostilles its own notaries’ signatures.
Washington recognizes electronic notarization by authorized notaries; if you use it for a power of attorney bound for Mexico, confirm first that the Mexican notario will accept it.
For degrees from Washington universities, the registrar’s signature is notarized and then apostilled; the wall diploma alone cannot always be apostilled.
Documents
Washington documents often apostilled for Mexico
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Birth certificate from the Department of Health or King County
Apostille: Washington Secretary of State
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Marriage certificate from the Department of Health or the County Auditor
Apostille: Washington Secretary of State
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Divorce decree certified by the Superior Court
Apostille: Washington Secretary of State
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Diplomas and transcripts with the registrar’s notarized signature
Apostille: Washington Secretary of State
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Powers of attorney for property sales and bank trusts in Mexico
Apostille: Washington Secretary of State
How we do it
Your Washington paperwork, step by step
You do not have to queue or ship documents to another country on your own. We tell you which copy you need, send it to the authority, receive the apostille and arrange the translation for the Mexican office.
1
Confirm your document is from Washington State
If it is federal (FBI, federal courts), the route is the State Department in Washington, D.C.
2
Order the certified copy
Department of Health, King County or another county, or the Superior Court for divorces.
3
Apostille in Olympia
The Washington Secretary of State issues it by mail in 4–6 business days, or the same day with expedited service.
4
Translation by a perito traductor
In Jalisco, Baja California Sur or wherever you file, the perito translates the document and the apostille.
5
File your documents
Registro Civil, INM, notaría or education authority, depending on your case.
Shall we start with your document?
We handle shipping to Washington Secretary of State, the government fees and the translation by a perito.
🔒 Orders are placed securely on our main booking site: fbibackgroundcheck.co.uk
🏛️ Offices in Mexico where Washington documents are filed
With the apostille and a translation by a perito, Washington documents are usually filed with:
Registro Civil in Jalisco, Baja California Sur and other states: marriages to Mexican nationalsINM: family-unity residencyNotarios públicos and trustee banks: purchases in Puerto Vallarta, La Paz and other coastal areasSEP or the state education authority: recognition of professional degreesCourts: recognition of divorce decrees and estates
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Washington apostilles
What people ask us about documents from Washington:
I live in Seattle. Is my FBI check apostilled in Olympia?
No. The FBI report is a federal document and only the State Department in Washington, D.C. apostilles it. The Washington Secretary of State apostilles state documents: vital records, state court judgments and signatures of Washington notaries.
I am getting married in Guadalajara. What do I need from Washington?
Your birth certificate apostilled in Olympia and translated by a perito and, if you were married before, the certified divorce decree, also apostilled and translated. Each Registro Civil may add requirements; confirm them well ahead.
How long does a Washington apostille take?
By mail, 4–6 business days. With the $50-per-document expedited service it is done the same day in Olympia.
Does the translation have to include the apostille?
Yes. Mexican authorities normally want the perito to translate the whole document, apostille included. A translation of the certificate alone may be rejected.
Is your document from a state or province that is not listed? We handle it too. Write to us →
Working to a deadline?
Free review of your Washington document
We check that your document is the right version, tell you if a prior step is needed (such as county certification) and send you the timeline and a quote before you pay.