Broward County · Certified Translation & Apostille
Most countries want both — the apostilled document and a certified translation. We coordinate them in one order, one handoff, one timeline.
Overview
An apostille authenticates your document — it doesn't translate it. If your Florida birth certificate is headed to a civil registry in Bogotá, a notary in São Paulo, or a comune in Italy, the receiving office almost certainly requires a certified translation alongside the apostille. Handling them as separate errands with separate vendors is how deadlines slip.
We bundle them. One order covers the apostille filing and a certified translation by a professional translator with a signed certificate of accuracy — Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Haitian Creole, Russian, and 20+ other languages. In Broward County, where documents move constantly between South Florida and Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, this is our most natural pairing of services.
Why It's Needed
Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, and the Dominican Republic require certified Spanish translations of U.S. documents — often executed or ratified by an official translator on their side, which our format supports.
Brazilian registries and notaries require sworn translation — we prepare certified translations formatted for tradução juramentada ratification in Brazil.
Italian consulates and comuni require certified Italian translations of every apostilled vital record in a jure sanguinis application.
Spain's extranjería offices require traducción jurada — we coordinate translations acceptable in Spanish administrative procedure.
Courts abroad require certified translations of apostilled judgments, decrees, and affidavits.
Foreign documents used in U.S. immigration and court proceedings need certified English translation — we handle that direction too.
Requirements
In the U.S., a certified translation is a complete, accurate translation accompanied by a signed certificate of accuracy from the translator or translation company. That standard satisfies USCIS and most receiving countries. Some countries add their own layer — Spain's sworn (jurada) translators, Brazil's juramentada system, Italy's asseverazione — and the practical route differs by destination.
This is exactly the judgment call we help with: whether your destination accepts a U.S. certified translation, whether the translation itself should be notarized and apostilled as its own document, and in what order the steps should happen (translate after apostilling, so the apostille certificate is translated too — the sequence trips people up constantly). Tell us the country and the receiving office, and we'll map the correct path.
How It Works
Book an appointment at our Fort Lauderdale office — we confirm your slot within one business hour, with same-day and next-day times usually available.
Every document is checked before filing — certification, notarization, destination-country requirements — so nothing gets rejected.
Your documents are walked into the Florida Department of State in person. No mail-in queue, no batching, no guesswork.
Apostilled originals ready in 5 business days — office pickup, by appointment. We call the moment they’re back.
FAQ
Almost always: apostille first, then translate — so the translation covers the apostille certificate itself, which most foreign registries require. It's the most common sequencing mistake we fix.
Spanish and Portuguese are daily work; French, Italian, Haitian Creole, Russian, Ukrainian, German, and 20+ others are readily available. Rare languages may add a day or two.
Sometimes — if the translator's signature is notarized, the notarized translation can itself be apostilled, which certain countries (and some Italian comuni) require. We'll confirm your destination's rule before you pay for an extra apostille.
Yes — certified translations with a signed certificate of accuracy meet USCIS requirements for foreign-language documents in immigration filings.
Per page, by language and complexity — vital records are flat-priced; long decrees are quoted up front from a photo of the document. Send us a photo and you'll have a number the same day.
Vital-record translations typically add only 1–2 days to the apostille timeline, and rush options exist for both. Call with your deadline.
Yes — foreign birth certificates, marriage records, and diplomas translated into certified English for U.S. immigration, courts, and schools.
Usually — most rejections come from missing certificates of accuracy, partial translations, or wrong sequencing with the apostille. Bring us the rejection note and we'll redo it correctly.
Resources
Related
Call for a two-minute review of your document — we'll confirm it qualifies before you go anywhere.
No hourly rates, no hidden charges, no surprise add-ons. The price you see is the price you pay — including the Florida Department of State filing fee.
All prices include the Florida Department of State filing fee ($10 per document), in-person filing at the Department of State, and full document handling. Notarization available as a separate service when your documents require it.
Download the Florida Department of State Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form. We can fill it out for you at your appointment — no need to complete it in advance.
Florida apostille services for Broward County residents and businesses. Fort Lauderdale office — visits by appointment, serving all of Broward County.
© 2026 Broward County Apostille and Notary Services. All rights reserved. · Florida-Commissioned Notary · Established 2011
Broward County Apostille and Notary Services is a private document handling business and is not affiliated with the Florida Department of State, the U.S. Department of State, or any government agency. We do not provide legal advice. Apostille fees include the $10 Florida Department of State filing fee per document.