Minnesota Vital Records Apostille: $5 Fee, Mail or Appointment, From Abroad
A Minnesota vital records apostille comes from the Secretary of State in Saint Paul and costs $5 per document. You send a certified copy from the Minnesota Department of Health or the county that filed the record, with the authentication request form and a check or money order. The counter works by appointment only, the office publishes no processing time, and a keepsake marriage certificate will be turned away.
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A copy that is too old for the consulate is a copy you reorder
A typical case: a retired couple in Valencia files for a Spanish residence visa. The Spanish consulate in Boston asks for family documents such as a marriage certificate issued within the last twelve months, according to its non-lucrative visa page. Their certificate is from 2019. So the apostille is not the first problem. A fresh certified copy from the Minnesota county that filed the marriage is.
That order of thinking helps with every Minnesota record. Check what the receiving office wants, order a current copy, and only then pay Saint Paul to authenticate it. The Secretary of State signs what you send. It does not judge whether a foreign agency will like the date.
Minnesota in one block
Apostille birth certificate Minnesota families can order, and the three that differ
The state health department prices are on its public fee table. The Secretary of State page describes the rules for each record type. Where a figure is missing, we say so rather than guess.
| Record | Who issues the copy | What the copy must show | Copy fee | Extra step first? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Minnesota Department of Health, or any county vital records office. | Certified copy. Minnesota issues no long form, so there is nothing else to ask for. | $26 per certified copy. | No. The certified copy goes to Saint Paul as it is. |
| Marriage | The county office that issued the license. The office type varies by county, and MDH does not record marriages. | Certified copy with an original signature. A keepsake certificate is not accepted. | Set by each county. We found no statewide figure, so confirm with the county. | No notarization needed. |
| Death | Minnesota Department of Health, or any county vital records office. Fees are the same statewide. | Certified copy from MDH. Whose signature is on file, state or county, we could not confirm. | $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional. A faster option costs $20. | No. A mailed MDH application needs a notarized signature. |
| Divorce | District court administrator in the county where the case was heard. | Certified decree or judgment from that county. Saint Paul lists these as eligible. | Court fee not confirmed. Ask the court administrator. | No notarization needed. |
For a Minnesota marriage record, remember that the health department is not the place. Marriages are filed by the county that issued the license. Searches for an apostille marriage certificate Minnesota end at a county office, not at MDH. The same goes for the Minnesota divorce decree apostille: it starts with the court in the county, and Saint Paul takes it from there.
Saint Paul: appointments, mail and the 14-day window
The Secretary of State apostille page lists the office at the First National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101. The fee is $5 per apostille. Mail the documents with the authentication request form and a check or money order payable to MN Secretary of State. The page publishes no processing time, so ask before you promise a date.
Counter service is by appointment only. Call 651-296-2803 and choose option 2. Appointments open 14 days ahead, and each takes up to 10 documents. For an urgent request, the office lists the email address apostille.oss@state.mn.us.
There is no online apostille request. The only online services are for certified business entity copies. Apostilles issued since May 15, 2018 can be checked at the state’s verification page, apostille.sos.mn.gov, which helps if a foreign office wants proof. The state does not accept electronic notarizations, which matters for translations. A translated vital record is notarized in English by a Minnesota notary and then apostilled as a separate document.
Minnesota record to foreign desk, in four hops
How do I get a Minnesota record apostilled from overseas?
- 1
Ask the receiving office what it wants
Document type, issue date and whether it also wants a translation. Write it down before you order anything.
- 2
Order the certified copy
Death records come from MDH or a county office, birth records from either, and marriages and divorces from the county or court. Ask who may order. MDH mail applications need a notarized signature, which is awkward from abroad.
- 3
Have it shipped to a United States address
A mail drop, a relative or our office. The copy has to travel to Saint Paul next, so do not send it overseas first.
- 4
Send it to the Secretary of State
Include the form and a $5 check or money order per document. Or book a counter slot if someone can attend in person.
- 5
Ship the finished set abroad
DHL, FedEx and UPS usually need a few business days to Europe. Allow more for smaller cities and customs.
- 6
Plan calls around the time zone
Saint Paul is on Central time. Western Europe is typically six or seven hours ahead.
Copy first, or us first? If you have a United States address, order the copy yourself. If you do not, contact us before you order. Where Minnesota lets an authorized third party request a record, we can help obtain the certified copy, and the free review confirms whether that applies to yours.
Six ways a Minnesota file gets stuck
- A keepsake marriage certificate. The decorative one from the ceremony is not the county’s certified copy. Saint Paul does not accept it.
- A photocopied signature. The office wants an original signature from the official. A scan or copy fails.
- The wrong issuer for a marriage. MDH does not record marriages or divorces. Order from the county office or the court.
- An e-notarized translation. The state does not accept electronic notarizations. Use a wet-ink notary in Minnesota for translated records.
- A missed appointment window. Slots open 14 days ahead. If you need the counter, call early or use mail.
- Wrong payment. The $5 fee goes by check or money order payable to MN Secretary of State. Send one payment that matches the number of documents.
Spain and Portugal: what each side expects
Spain. Spain is a Hague Apostille Convention party, per the HCCH status table. The Spanish consulate in Boston’s non-lucrative visa page asks for all mandatory items in Spanish. It says family documents such as a marriage certificate should be issued within the last twelve months, and it excludes birth certificates from that window. Read the consulate page for your visa type, because the requirements differ by visa. The consulate says the translation needs no apostille and the apostille needs no translation.
Portugal. Portugal is a contracting party too. The national immigration agency AIMA, on its document recognition page, accepts foreign public documents from Hague countries with an apostille. It asks for a certified translation into Portuguese, except for documents in English, French or Spanish. For nationality applications, one consulate checklist says a birth certificate for the descent route should be issued within six months. That page may predate the 2026 nationality reform, so ask the consulate that handles your file.
Translation is a separate job. We can provide ATA certified translations that get notarized, but we are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations. When a consulate insists on a sworn one, your own sworn translator abroad does that work on the apostilled pages we ship.
Our part, and the price
We prepare documents and run couriers from Tewksbury, Massachusetts, a short drive from Boston. On a Minnesota order we read your file first, free of charge. Then we say which office should issue the copy, inspect it before it travels, assemble the Saint Paul packet and ship the finished set abroad. Our website prices, $149.95 Economy, $199.95 Express and $385.95 Rush, are for Massachusetts apostilles, per document, with the state fee and return postage built in.
Minnesota work is quoted separately. During the review we confirm the state fee and the speed, then send one flat-rate quote before you pay a cent. See apostille pricing, how it works and the application form. Questions go to (978) 424-4629 on weekdays between 10am and 5pm Eastern. Hablamos Español.
No state office, health department or consulate is affiliated with us. We have served clients abroad since 2007.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Minnesota vital records apostille cost?
The Minnesota Secretary of State charges $5 per apostille, paid by check or money order to MN Secretary of State. The certified copy costs extra. The health department lists $26 for a birth certificate and $13 for a first death certificate.
How long does the Minnesota Secretary of State take?
The office does not publish a processing time. Mail takes as long as the queue and the post allow. For an urgent file, the office lists an email address, but we cannot promise a date. Confirm with the office before you set a deadline.
How do I get a Minnesota record apostilled from abroad?
Order the certified copy to a United States address, mail it to Saint Paul with the request form and a $5 check, then ship the result overseas. The counter takes appointments only, so mail is the usual route. We can handle the steps for you after a free review.
Does Minnesota require a notary on a marriage certificate?
No. The Secretary of State says a certified Minnesota marriage certificate from the county where it was filed needs no notarization. It must carry an original signature, not a photocopy, and a keepsake certificate is not accepted.
Is there a long form Minnesota birth certificate?
No. Minnesota issues no long form, so you do not need to choose between versions. Order a certified copy from the Minnesota Department of Health or a county vital records office and send it to Saint Paul.
Can I book a counter appointment in Saint Paul?
Yes, by phone at 651-296-2803, option 2. Appointments open 14 days ahead and handle up to 10 documents each. Walk-ins are not offered. If nobody can attend, the mail route works for most records and requires the same $5 fee.
Does Minnesota accept electronic notarization?
No. The Secretary of State says electronic notarizations are not accepted for apostilles. If you need a translated vital record, have a Minnesota notary notarize the translation in English with a wet-ink signature, then apostille it as a separate document.
Who issues a Minnesota divorce decree?
The district court administrator in the county where the case was heard. The Secretary of State lists certified divorce decrees and judgments as eligible and needs no notarization. We could not confirm the court copy fee, so ask the county.
From Saint Paul to a desk abroad
Name the record, the county and the country. We read your file for free, check the Minnesota fee and speed, and send one flat-rate quote first.