Mexican Document Apostille in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

Both Mexico and the United States are parties to the 1961 Hague Convention, so documents moving between the two countries need an apostille rather than consular legalisation. This is the single most misunderstood point at consular windows: a Mexican consulate in the United States does not apostille U.S. documents, and cannot make a U.S. notarised paper valid in Mexico.

Quick facts

State-issued records go to the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal records — FBI background checks, naturalisation and citizenship certificates — go to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Fees breakdown

Private courier services charge far more than the issuing authority does. The fee above is the government fee; anything on top is a middleman.

How to get a document apostilled

1. Identify who issued the document. Whoever issued it decides which authority apostilles it: state records to that state, federal records to Washington.
2. Order a certified copy from the issuing office. Hospital souvenir certificates, photocopies and abbreviated versions are rejected.
3. If the document is private — a power of attorney, an affidavit, a letter — have it notarised first, because the apostille certifies the notary’s signature, not the content.
4. Send the document, the authentication request form, payment and a prepaid return envelope to the Secretary of State, or file in person where walk-in service exists.
5. Have the apostilled document translated into Spanish when the Mexican authority that will receive it requires a translation.

Required documents

• Original certified copy issued by the competent office, with an original signature and seal.
• Completed authentication or apostille request form for that state.
• Payment by the method the office accepts — several states do not take personal cheques.
• Prepaid, self-addressed return envelope for mail filings.
• Photo ID for in-person filings.

Where the consulate does come in

Mexican consulates certify copies of documents they themselves issue, check originals against copies during other procedures, and publish the list of approved translators for their district. Records created by a consulate acting as a civil registry office — a birth, marriage or death registered there — are federal Mexican documents and are valid throughout Mexico with no apostille at all.

Additional notes

Documents going from Mexico to the United States

The apostille has to be issued in Mexico, not at a consulate in the U.S. Documents issued by federal authorities are apostilled by the Ministry of the Interior, and state records — including birth certificates from a state civil registry — by the government of that Mexican state.

Documents issued in a third country

A record issued outside the United States must be apostilled in the country that issued it. If that country is not a Hague member, consular legalisation is still the route, and the Mexican consulate in that country handles it.

Translations

Mexican authorities usually want a translation by a perito traductor registered with a Mexican court, and they may accept a translation done in the U.S. only for some purposes. Ask the receiving office in Mexico before paying for a translation.

Common reasons for rejection

Expired notary commissions, photocopies presented instead of certified copies, documents sent to the wrong state, and missing notarisation on private documents account for most returned applications.