# Add this to you list of things to do before leaving the US



## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Get an apostatized (?) copy (or two) of you birth certificate. Apparently there is no expiration date on such a doc. I need one now and as best I can tell I need to ask for my birth certificate from the state of nj - have them somehow send it to me here in Mexico and then turn around and send it back to nj to ask for it to be apostatized. They provide NO phone contact numbers and when I emailed my question I got back a stock response.


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## Me Linda (Jan 26, 2017)

Hi gatos ! An authorized certified birth certificate as opposed to an informational birth certificate? The state will send you the certified birth certificate when you send in fee required. It will have a raised seal on it . Is that what you need ?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Me Linda said:


> Hi gatos ! An authorized certified birth certificate as opposed to an informational birth certificate? The state will send you the certified birth certificate when you send in fee required. It will have a raised seal on it . Is that what you need ?


No. He needs an apostille of his birth certificate from the Secretary of Sate, from wherever he was born. USA & Mexico are signatory to that treaty; Canada is not & uses a different system.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Me Linda said:


> Hi gatos ! An authorized certified birth certificate as opposed to an informational birth certificate? The state will send you the certified birth certificate when you send in fee required. It will have a raised seal on it . Is that what you need ?


I already have my original 62 year old - yellowed - birth certificate - with a raised seal. There is another hoop you need to go through to get THAT document apostatized.

This process would appear to be not easy if we were in the states. To think that I need to initiate a request for a new official birth certificate - have it sent (somehow - because postage has to be prepaid) to me in Mexico - only to turn around and send it back to the US for apostation (?) and then once again provide prepaid postage back to me in Mexico - well that just boggles my feeble mind.

That seems like a great service the US Embassy in Mexico City could help out with.

And if we ever get this done for NJ we have to also get it done for OH - and maybe even St Croix USVI - where we were married.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

What's really cool is that newer apostilles in several states, after 2010 or so, are _trilingual_ including Spanish so you won't need a translation.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

perropedorro said:


> What's really cool is that newer apostilles in several states, after 2010 or so, are _trilingual_ including Spanish so you won't need a translation.


Do you know if that includes: NJ, OH and the USVI ?

I'm always amazed I can call BankofAmerica in the US and have the prompt - to continue in Spanish press 2. If I call Banamex - there is no such option for English...


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## Me Linda (Jan 26, 2017)

Thank you gato , I checked Illinois is very straight forward and I will follow your advice . NJ is more complicated, there are several companies on the internet that do this for you but it is expensive, have you tried the county clerk where you where born to see if they can mail the BC to state department instead of you? Good luck I hope it works out for you,


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

perropedorro said:


> What's really cool is that newer apostilles in several states, after 2010 or so, are _trilingual_ including Spanish so you won't need a translation.


I am not 100% certain that's true. A few years ago I need by birth certificate and apostille; and it had to be translated into Spanish. My wife was going to do the translation since she is bi-lingual. In fact, she has worked as a translator for some U.S. companies doing business in Mexico. 

But, we were told she could not do the translation because she was not approved by the State (or maybe it was the municipality, I don't remember now). Anyway, they had a list of approved translators that we could use. If we wanted to use any other translation, we would have had to get the translator authorized and approved.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Gatos said:


> Do you know if that includes: NJ, OH and the USVI ?
> 
> I'm always amazed I can call BankofAmerica in the US and have the prompt - to continue in Spanish press 2. If I call Banamex - there is no such option for English...


HSBC does have a prompt for English, however, the speaker is not understandable.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

An approved translator is called a “perito“, I believe. (be careful not to roll that single r.)


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## DebInFL (Dec 1, 2016)

I'm sorry, but I don't understand this. What does this mean? I looked it up and it said that an apostatized birth certificate removes your religion? Is that it? I'm sorry, but I'm planning on moving to MX within the year and need to know specifics before I show up to apply for my visa.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

DebInFL said:


> I'm sorry, but I don't understand this. What does this mean? I looked it up and it said that an apostatized birth certificate removes your religion? Is that it? I'm sorry, but I'm planning on moving to MX within the year and need to know specifics before I show up to apply for my visa.


Perhaps this will help :

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/judicial/authentication-of-documents/notarial-and-authentication-apostille.html


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## DebInFL (Dec 1, 2016)

Gatos said:


> Perhaps this will help :
> 
> https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/judicial/authentication-of-documents/notarial-and-authentication-apostille.html


Thank you. I read that and discovered that my state of birth requires you to mail them the birth certificate, but they will only issue and apostille to send a document to the country you're applying for, so if I send them my birth certificate, they will apostatize it and send it to Mexico.

Is this required if you are not applying for permanent citizenship yet? It is not required, surely, for a simple visitor's visa?


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## wkelley (Mar 13, 2016)

I was able to order an Apostille version of my birth certificate from the City of Boston. Maybe you can do the same.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

DebInFL said:


> Thank you. I read that and discovered that my state of birth requires you to mail them the birth certificate, but they will only issue and apostille to send a document to the country you're applying for, so if I send them my birth certificate, they will apostatize it and send it to Mexico.
> 
> Is this required if you are not applying for permanent citizenship yet? It is not required, surely, for a simple visitor's visa?


If you are a US citizen you don't need a visa _per se _to enter as a visitor, just show your passport at the border (or airport) on entry and you get a "tourist permit" which is generally valid for 180 days. Save the slip of paper they give you (FMM), as you are supposed to turn it in when you leave, although I hear people sometimes don't do this when leaving by land. When flying out, if you don't have it there is a fine you'll have to pay.


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