Okay, we’re finally here at part 3! Glad you made it this far. Stick with me, because this is the stuff you really want to know. Without the Apostille, the Consulate will turn you away immediately, so read carefully.
How do I start the Apostille process? What should I know beforehand?
First things first, you need to get all of your certificates in LONG FORM. When you request them, you can usually write LONG FORM on the top of the request form in block letters. Make sure you tell all employees to put that on their request.Long form means that it is an official, certified copy with a raised seal and everything. If you bring in anything but to your appointment, you’ll be turned away without question.
After you fill out the request form, the employees at the office should put it through this little fax machine-like device and a printout of all your info along with the words LONG FORM will be stamped onto your request form. Everyone who works in a vital statistics place is well aware of this term, so don’t worry. If you’re unsure, just tell them you’ll eventually need an Apostille on it. They should know what to do.
Basically as I said before, the Apostille is really just another sheet of paper with some printed info on it, a signature of an official validating it and a gold seal sticker attached on the bottom of the page. In turn, they staple this directly to your document. And with the Apostille, your document is now ready for international use.
Where can I find info online about the different types of records?:
Before we go forward, I want this to be as informative a post as possible so I’m going to let you all know of each way to get a record. There are quite a few ways that records in NYC are filed. Births prior to 1910 are treated as sort of public property and are in the Department of Records (you can order a certified copy online here). Births after 1910 are handled by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (you can also order a certified copy online here, as well as by fax, phone or mail). A death certificate prior to 1949 is in the Department of Records and you can also order online by clicking this link I’ve provided. Death certificates from after 1949 are here.
Marriage certificates prior to 1930 are public record (click here), and as expected, marriages taking place after 1930 aren’t public and you can find info about them here.
Of course, if you’re brave you can get all of them in person.
How do I get a record in person?:
Usually, offices of vital statistics don’t hand out the records to you in person. That’s why you have to fill out a self-addressed envelope (they’ll give you one, or you can bring your own) for them to send it back to you through the mail. I waited about two weeks for all of them to come to me, and the service is generally efficient and they don’t get lost in the mail. Give yourself ample time to do this though because you never know.
WHERE TO GO: BIRTHS PRIOR TO 1910, DEATHS PRIOR TO 1949 AND MARRIAGES PRIOR TO 1930:
31 Chambers Street (the Department of Records)
Hours: M-F (I’m approximating here because I can’t find any specific info online) 9 am to 4 pm
How to get there:
The Brooklyn Bridge station on the 4, 5, 6, and the J, M, Z subway is one block from 31 Chambers Street.
The City Hall Station on the N and R subway, and the Chambers Street Station on the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 and 9 subway all are within a short distance.
This office is in a library-like room, and is kind of creepy, at least in my opinion. There are lots and lots of records here, and old computers where you can search the files. After you get your document, bring the necessary info up to the man at the desk who will do everything for you.
The fee to use the microfilm reader machines is $5 per day. You may consult as many microfilms as you wish for this fee.
BIRTHS 1910-PRESENT AND DEATHS 1949-PRESENT:
125 Worth Street
Hours: M-F 9 am to 4.30 pm,
How you can reach them:
* • #4, 5, or 6 Train to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall
* • J, or M Train to Chambers Street
* • #1, or 2 Train to Chambers Street
* • A or C Train to Chambers Street
* • E Train to Canal Street
* • M1 or M22 Bus to Worth Street
You usually wait on a long line to get into this room, and then wait on another line before going up to one of six windows (I think there are six?). Anyway, most of the windows are closed. Bring a book. Or an iPod!
If I remember correctly, the fee at the time I got my certificates was $15 each.
MARRIAGES 1930-PRESENT:
City Clerk of Manhattan
141 Worth Street
New York, NY 10013
Hours: M-F
How to get there:
Subway: Brooklyn Bridge Station on the 4, 5, & 6 lines; Park Place Station on the 2 & 3 lines; City Hall Station on the N & R lines; Chambers Street Station on the A & C lines
Buses: M1, M6, M15, M22, M103, B51, & express buses serving City Hall area.
Just an aside, this is a pretty nice building and you’ll see lots and lots of beautiful brides in wedding dresses on their special day. People get married here! You’ll fill out a form art the main desk, go into another room, be given a number, and called when everything is ready.
The fee for a Marriage Record for foreign use (Extended Certificate for Foreign Use) is $35 for the first record and $30 for each additional record.
What do I need to bring with me when requesting a document in person?:
If the person is alive you MUST bring a notarized letter from him or her authorizing you to get their birth or marriage certificate. For marriage certificates, you only need the notarized signature of one party. Otherwise, they will not release any form of documentation to you under any circumstances. Bring copies of that person’s ID, and bring your ID as well and you should be good to go.
Also, I paid in cash as not everyone accepts cards.
Okay, so I have my documents all in order and they’re in long form. Now what?:
You made it this far, and you’re well on the way to becoming a citizen! Here’s where the process starts to get time consuming and at times a bit annoying.
Now what you need to do is get these documents notarized or in bureaucratic lingo, authenticated. Basically what this means is that a notary public will staple on a little yellow sheet of paper, put his or her stamp on it, and you’re good to go. This authenticates the original document and makes it ready for the Apostille.
Since all these documents will come from Manhattan (New York County), you need to bring them to the
New York State Supreme Court
60 Centre Street
Hours: M-F 9am to about 4.30pm
How to get there:
On the East side of Manhattan, take the 4, 5, or 6 and get off at “Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall”
On the West side take the IRT Broadway line (1, 2, 3 or 9) and get off at Chambers Street, then walk four blocks east to Centre Street and turn left into Foley Square.
(I usually always take the E and get off at the last stop, though)
This is the building you see on Law & Order and I always think that’s pretty cool (plus if it’s nice out you can eat lunch in the square and enjoy some great people watching). Once, I actually got filmed as an extra! So as perks go besides living, working and freely owning property in the E.U., Italian citizenship might get you on TV!
Anyway, you’re going to go to room 141B, and walk to the left where it says Notary and you’re good to go. They’ll do the documents, give you a receipt, and you bring the receipt to the cashier who will in turn take your money and give you your documents.
Authentications are $3 each document. I always paid in cash.
Now it’s time for the Apostille!:
Finally! It’s time to get the Apostille.
Let’s just do a quick recap. By now, you should have your documents in LONG FORM (or CERTIFIED, whichever term you prefer), as well as a yellow slip on each bearing the seal and signature of the notary at the Supreme Court. The Apostille process cannot be completed until you get the notary’s signature and seal. If you go up to the window at the Apostille office, they’ll turn you immediately away and tell you to go to the County Clerk (at the Supreme Court), so that step is important. Each step, in a way makes the following one possible.
So back to the Apostille. From the Supreme Court, you need to take your documents bearing the notary’s yellow slip signature and stamp to:
NYS Department of State
Certification Unit
123 William Street, 19th floor
Hours: M-F 9.30am – 3.30 pm
Each Apostille is $10. One Apostille is needed for each document, regardless of the number of pages. This building is really nice, and right next to a great Korean restaurant, if you’re so inclined (I sure was!).
So, is that everything?:
Yes! In terms of just having the documents all set you’re good to go! You have everything you need, and now the only thing left to do is to get them translated.
Some helpful hints:
As with anything dealing with bureaucracy it’s SUPER helpful to have a sense of humor about these things, because you’re bound to meet someone who is either ill informed or doesn’t really care what you’re doing. So lighten up, and treat this as a day trip into Manhattan. What’s not to love?
Also, it helps if you bring some sort of snack (if you’re taking the train) because you might get hungry. Or see my points above and go to the Korean place. Anyway, there’s a lot of walking involved and all of the offices are within walking distance. Go on a nice day, and you actually might enjoy it.
Parking is practically nonexistant around these buildings, so it might be best to do as we cityfolk do and take public transportation.
Conclusion:
Wow! That took some time to write. I hope you all find it really informative. If there are any questions, drop me a line. I wish you all only the best of luck, and look for more posts like these in the future including one on how to enroll as a foreign citizen in an Italian University (which, let me tell you, gave me quite a headache!). If there’s anything I can add or if I’ve provided dead links, let me know. And once again, IN BOCCA AL LUPO!
Thanks so much, all this advice is super helpful!
I’d have liked a description of how things went at the Consulate though – I hear they are very strict/nitpicky!
Hello,
u did amazing job making this website. I still have some questions concerning the dual Italian citizenship. My father was born in Sicily and now i’m trying to collect all the necessary documents in order to apply for an Italian dual citizenship. I am from Virginia and I know I need to apply for all of my long form certificates in Richmond in the Office of Vital Records. I am still not quite sure whether only the original American documents need an Apostille by the Secretary of State or do I need to wait for them to be issued to me, then find a certified translator, translate American documents and again ask for an Apostille of translations in Vital Records in Richmond? How does this work?
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Giuseppe Leonardi
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment.
I can only describe my own experience. I was turned away due to a one letter discrepancy in my last name despite all dates and everything else matching. The difference in my last name is that it used to be di Falco (in Italy) and de Falco (in America) and they didn’t overlook that and I had to battle with them for a long time without seeing any results. So I took my application to Italy, where they were relieved to see a difference of *only* one letter (they’re used to Brazilians coming in with Hispanized spellings of Italian last names, so going from i to e was easy for them!) and my application was finished in literally a month.
I would recommend applying in Italy to everyone that asks me. However, every single consulate save for NYC seems to be great (esp. Houston and Miami) and appear to want to help. I’ve also heard that different consular agents within the NYC consulate itself apparently have their own rules, so it depends on the luck of the draw I guess!
Good luck.
Ciao Giuseppe,
The process usually goes like this:
1. You get your father’s birth certificate from Sicily. This doesn’t get translated because it’s already in Italian.
2. You have to get every other certificate issued in America. When I went to the NYC offices, I had to ask specifically for long form.
3. Once they’re in your hand, then you bring them to the appropriate office for the apostilles (for each document). In NYC, these were 2 separate offices. I don’t know how it is in your state. Once you have the apostille, you can have them translated. Actually, I’ve never heard of a consulate asking for a translated apostille, but sometimes people get nervous and I do them because it’s best to be on the safe side. But in theory you can have the documents translated as soon as you receive them. There’s no need to do the apostille.
If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Good luck with everything.
Best,
Ciao Giuseppe !
I want to get dual-citizenship and do qualify juris sanguinis through my mother’s grandparents-my great grandparents who were never naturalized. In fact, they never had any papers of any kind. I have found their names Ellis Island inbound ship’s manifest . . . I am thinking of going to Italy to do this . .I was told being there 2-3 years will be easier for me ? DO I register or apply once there ? Your recommendation ?
I am an English Teacher and planning to go and to teach while there . . .Your advice >
Grazie !
Ciao Davide