Nebraska Vital Records Apostille: $10 Fee, Fast Counter, Exact Payment
A Nebraska vital records apostille is issued by the Secretary of State’s Notary Division in Lincoln for $10 per document. Walk-ins are handled the same day and mailed requests usually take 3 to 5 business days. The state wants an original issued by a Nebraska official, you can request and pay by card online, and the file goes back if the payment is even slightly off.
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Which office holds your record decides the first week
A typical case: a graduate student in Heidelberg was born in Omaha and needs the birth certificate apostilled for a university file. Birth records come from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Vital Records in Lincoln, or from the Douglas County Health Department for Omaha births. Either can issue the certified copy. Both then go to the same place, the Secretary of State in Lincoln.
In Nebraska the state office itself holds marriage, death and divorce certificates, going back to 1909. That helps, because a single office can often supply them. It also raises a trap with divorce, which has its own section below.
Nebraska in one block
Apostille birth certificate Nebraska, marriage, death and divorce
The Secretary of State and DHHS fee pages were read in full. Court and county clerk fees were not available, so those cells say so. The DHHS page lists $16 for several records and our state dataset shows $17 for birth, so check the current amount when you order.
| Record | Who issues the copy | What the copy must show | Copy fee | Extra step first? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | DHHS Vital Records, Lincoln, or Douglas County Health Department for Omaha births. | A certified copy bearing a Nebraska official’s signature. | $17. | No. It goes straight to the Notary Division. |
| Marriage | DHHS Vital Records holds marriages registered since 1909. Older records are with the county clerk or the State Historical Society. | A certified certificate. Whose signature is on file for DHHS copies is unconfirmed. | $16 at DHHS. County clerk fee not confirmed. | No. |
| Death | DHHS Vital Records, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln. Allow about 30 minutes at the counter. | A certified copy. Long or short form is unconfirmed. | $16. | No. |
| Divorce | DHHS issues a divorce certificate, which is an abstract. The decree itself comes from the clerk of the district court. | Depends on the destination. The abstract states the facts. The decree states the terms. | $16 at DHHS. The clerk’s fee is not confirmed. | Unconfirmed. Ask the Secretary of State. |
People who search for an apostille marriage certificate Nebraska issues often find the DHHS page first, and that works for marriages registered since 1909. For a Nebraska divorce decree apostille, ask the receiving authority whether it needs the decree or accepts the certificate.
Lincoln: online request, paper original, exact payment
The Secretary of State’s apostilles and authentications page says the document must be issued by Nebraska officials, must be an original rather than a copy, and must carry the signature of a Nebraska notary or a state or county official. The fee is $10 per document. It lists divorce decrees as eligible if a Nebraska official issued them. You can make the request and pay by card at business.nebraska.gov, print the receipt and send it with the documents, or use the certification request form instead. The originals still have to be mailed or hand delivered.
The mailing address is Notary Division, PO Box 95104, Lincoln, NE 68509. The street address is 1201 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508, and the phone is 402-471-2558. Walk-in requests are handled the same day. Mailed requests usually take 3 to 5 business days. The page warns that overpaying or underpaying delays the file, so count your documents before you pay. We found no e-apostille.
DHHS in Lincoln, then the Notary Division down the street
The divorce paper the foreign office actually wants
DHHS issues a divorce or dissolution certificate for $16. It covers decrees registered since 1909. It is a vital statistics abstract. It states that a divorce happened, between whom, and where. It does not give the terms. The decree, which does, comes from the clerk of the district court in the county where it was granted.
Which one will your destination accept? Many foreign registries want proof of the divorce, and the abstract may be enough. Others want the court’s decree to update a marriage record. We could not confirm which of the two the Secretary of State will authenticate in every case, so ask the Notary Division. Ask the foreign office too, and write the answer down before you pay for either paper.
How do I get a Nebraska record apostilled from abroad?
- 1
Confirm the paper
Birth, marriage, death, divorce certificate or decree. Ask the foreign office which it wants.
- 2
Order from DHHS or the court
DHHS takes mail at PO Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065, and walk-ins at 301 Centennial Mall South. Court decrees come from the district court clerk.
- 3
Make the apostille request online
Use the Secretary of State’s business site with a card, then print the receipt. Count the documents so the amount is exact.
- 4
Mail the original to Lincoln
Send it with the receipt to the Notary Division. Use a tracked carrier, and include a prepaid return label.
- 5
Ship the set abroad
DHL, FedEx and UPS take a few business days to Europe. Allow more for smaller cities.
- 6
Check the time zones
Lincoln is on Central time. Berlin is usually seven hours ahead.
Your copy or ours? Order the copy yourself when you have a United States address. If you do not, ask us first. Where Nebraska allows an authorized third party to request a record, we can help obtain the certified copy, and the free review confirms whether yours qualifies.
Six reasons Lincoln returns a file
- Wrong payment. The Secretary of State says overpayment or underpayment delays the file. Count the documents and pay the exact $10 each.
- A photocopy. The document must be an original issued by a Nebraska official. A copy of a certificate does not qualify.
- Receipt left out. If you request online, print the receipt and enclose it. The portal and the paper must match.
- The wrong divorce paper. An abstract is not a decree. Check which one the foreign office needs.
- The wrong county for an Omaha birth. Douglas County Health Department can issue Omaha births. Make sure you ask the office that holds yours.
- Old records. DHHS holds marriages registered since 1909. Earlier ones sit with the county clerk or the State Historical Society.
Germany and Argentina: two different rulebooks
Germany. Germany is a Hague Apostille Convention party, per the HCCH status table. German missions say on their documents page that they cannot issue apostilles, so the Nebraska one comes from Lincoln. Germany.info lists separate checklists for Blue Card, study, PhD and family reunion. We did not read their contents, so open the one for your visa and check which civil documents it names. A passport must be valid at least three months after the trip ends.
Argentina. Argentina is a contracting party too. For temporary residence as a student, the Argentine migration page asks for foreign documents with an apostille or legalization, and all documents must be originals. Foreign-language papers need translation by a public translator in Argentina, and the translation must be legalized by the translators’ college there. A Nebraska vital record apostilled here still needs that Argentine step.
If your destination demands a sworn translation, a sworn translator there must do it. We provide ATA certified translations that get notarized, and we do not arrange sworn translations ourselves.
What we handle, and the price
We are a document prep and courier business in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, a short drive north of Boston. For a Nebraska order, we read your file free of charge, tell you which office should issue each paper, count the fee so the amount is exact and deliver the packet to Lincoln. Then we ship the finished set abroad. The prices on our site, $149.95 Economy, $199.95 Express and $385.95 Rush, are Massachusetts apostille prices that include the state fee and return postage.
A Nebraska order is quoted after the review, once we confirm the state fee and the speed. You receive a single flat-rate quote before you pay. Read about pricing and how it works, then open the application form or call (978) 424-4629 from 10am to 5pm Eastern on weekdays. Hablamos Español.
We have no affiliation with the Nebraska Secretary of State, DHHS or any consulate. We have been in business since 2007.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Nebraska vital records apostille cost?
The Nebraska Secretary of State charges $10 per document. DHHS lists $16 for marriage, death and divorce certificates, and our state data shows $17 for a birth certificate. Court and county clerk fees are set separately and we could not confirm them.
How long does the Nebraska Secretary of State take?
Walk-in requests are handled the same day, and mailed requests usually take 3 to 5 business days, according to the office. Those figures start when the office has a correct file. Getting the certified copy first, and shipping abroad afterward, take extra time.
How do I get a Nebraska record apostilled from abroad?
Order the certified copy to a United States address, request the apostille and pay by card on the Secretary of State’s business site, print the receipt and mail the original to Lincoln. Then ship the result overseas. We can handle the steps after a free review.
What happens if I pay the wrong amount?
The Secretary of State says overpayment or underpayment delays the file. The fee is $10 per document, so count carefully before you pay online or send a check. Ask the office if you are unsure how many documents your set counts as.
Does Nebraska accept a photocopy of a vital record?
No. The Secretary of State requires an original document issued by a Nebraska official, with a Nebraska notary or state or county official signature. A copy of a certified record does not qualify, so order a fresh certified copy if yours is a photocopy.
Where do I get a certified copy of a birth certificate for Omaha?
From DHHS Vital Records in Lincoln, or from the Douglas County Health Department for Omaha births. Either office can supply the certified copy. Then send it to the Secretary of State in Lincoln for the apostille.
Is a Nebraska divorce certificate the same as a decree?
No. DHHS issues a certificate that states the fact of the divorce. The decree comes from the clerk of the district court and holds the terms. The Secretary of State lists divorce decrees as eligible, but we could not confirm the certificate, so ask first.
Is there an e-apostille in Nebraska?
No. You can request the apostille and pay by card online, but the original document must be mailed or hand delivered. There is no electronic apostille. Keep the printed receipt with the packet so the portal request and the paper match.
From Lincoln to a desk abroad
Send us the record, the county and the country. We review it for free, confirm Nebraska’s fee and speed, and quote one flat rate before you pay.