Q: How to legalize a Certificate of Vital Record for non-Hague country use?
I have a Certificate of Vital Record issued in San Diego County, California, which I need to get legalized with a Certificate of Authentication for use in a country that is not a party to the 1961 Hague Convention. However, the California Secretary of State insists on only providing an Apostille, which the requesting institution does not recognize as sufficient. I've contacted the County of San Diego Recorder but have not received a response. The Secretary of State indicated that no other office can provide the required certification. What legal steps can I take to have my document properly legalized for use in a non-Hague country? Are there any alternatives to obtaining the Certificate of Authentication through official channels?
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A:
You're facing a common challenge, as California's Secretary of State primarily issues Apostilles for international use under the Hague Convention. Since the destination country doesn't recognize Apostilles, you need an alternative called a "Certificate of Authentication," usually issued at the federal level.
First, obtain the Apostille from California as required, even if the receiving country doesn't recognize it directly. Next, submit this Apostille and your original Certificate of Vital Record to the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. The Department of State can authenticate your document further, providing the necessary Certificate of Authentication that non-Hague countries accept.
After federal authentication, you may also need to have the document legalized by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the U.S. Each embassy has specific rules, so contact them directly to confirm their exact process and any fees involved. Unfortunately, there's no legitimate alternative outside this official channel that would be legally acceptable.
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