Online Apostille

Can your apostille request be handled online? Some apostille requests may be handled entirely remotely from your side, including an eligible remote online notarization and receipt of a scanned PDF of the completed paperwork. Other requests require original or certified paper documents and delivery of the physical apostilled document. The right route depends on what you have and what the receiving organization needs.

Call Miami Dade Apostille before sending documents or booking a notarization. We can review your document type, destination country and delivery requirements so you know whether an online option is suitable.

Have these three details ready: what the document is, who issued it and the country where you will use it. If you do not know whether the recipient accepts a PDF, tell us that too.

Can I get an apostille completely online?

You may be able to manage an eligible request without an in-person visit, but that does not necessarily mean the government issues the apostille electronically. Paper processing can still take place behind the scenes, and a recipient may still require the physical authenticated document.

Florida's published filing instructions require original or properly certified documents for the applicable categories and do not accept an ordinary photocopy in their place. Check the document route before assuming an emailed scan is enough to start or finish the process. (Florida DOS — Apostille Instructions)

Three different things people call an "online apostille"

1. An apostille service arranged online

You communicate with a service provider remotely, confirm requirements and arrange the next steps without visiting an office. The issuing authority may still process physical paperwork. Online customer service and electronic government issuance are different things.

2. An official electronic apostille, or e-Apostille

An e-Apostille is issued in digital form by the designated competent authority, with an electronic signature and digital certificate. It is not created by scanning a paper apostille. HCCH explains that a properly issued e-Apostille cannot be refused solely because it is electronic. (HCCH Apostille Section)

Whether a particular authority offers that format must be checked. This page does not claim that Florida issues e-Apostilles.

3. A scanned PDF of a paper apostille

A scan is a digital copy of the completed paper package. It may be useful for review or an electronic submission if the recipient accepts it. It is not automatically equivalent to the original and does not become an official e-Apostille merely because it is a PDF.

Ask the recipient whether the scan is sufficient for the intended use, whether the physical document must follow, and whether all pages and attachments must be supplied together.

Where remote online notarization fits

Remote online notarization, or RON, allows an eligible signer to appear before an online notary through live audio-video communication and complete an electronic notarial act. It is a notarization step, not government issuance of an apostille. (Florida Statutes §117.265)

For a document that genuinely needs notarization, RON may make the signing stage more convenient. Before booking, confirm:

• The document and signer qualify for the available RON process.
• The receiving organization accepts the proposed signing method and document format.
• The completed document can be prepared for the correct apostille authority through an accepted process.
• You know whether the final delivery must include physical originals.

Do not simply print an electronically notarized PDF and assume it meets the apostille authority's requirements. Florida law provides for certain attested printouts of electronic records, subject to restrictions, but that does not establish that every PDF or document can use that procedure. (Florida Statutes §117.05(12))

See our remote online notarization page for more information about RON eligibility and requirements.

When originals or certified documents are needed

Many common document categories require an original or an official certified version. "Original" does not always mean the first handwritten document; for a public record, the appropriate document may be a certified copy issued by its official custodian.

Birth, death, marriage and other public records

These records have document-specific certification requirements. A Florida notary cannot turn an ordinary photocopy of a vital record into the official certified record required for an apostille. (Florida DOS — Accepted Types of Documents)

Notarized private documents

Confirm the correct notarial certificate and submission format. A scan alone is not a substitute for the required notarized document. The available route may differ depending on whether the original act was on paper or electronic.

School and business documents

The required signer, certification and document format depend on the record. Florida's accepted-document guidance distinguishes public and private school records and requires original state-issued certified copies or certificates of status in the applicable business-document category.

Federal documents, including FBI results

Federal documents follow the federal authentication route rather than becoming Florida documents because a service provider is located here. The FBI directs customers needing an apostille for authenticated Identity History Summary results to the U.S. Department of State. (FBI — Identity History Summary FAQs)

The U.S. Department of State warns against notarizing the original federal document as part of its apostille preparation process. Do not book RON for an FBI result simply to make it "apostille-ready." (U.S. DOS — Preparing a Document for an Apostille)

How to start with Miami Dade Apostille

Step 1: Describe your document and destination

Call or contact us with the document type, issuing authority and destination country. Tell us whether you have an original, an official certified copy, an electronic original or only a scan.

Step 2: Check what the recipient will accept

Ask the receiving organization whether it requires the physical apostilled document or will accept a scanned result for your purpose. Also confirm any translation, document-age or presentation requirements it has given you.

Step 3: Confirm the appropriate route before proceeding

Find out whether RON is relevant, whether originals must be provided and which authority handles the authentication. Agree on the service scope and delivery arrangements before sending documents or paying for unnecessary notarization.

Step 4: Choose the required final delivery

If a scanned PDF is part of the agreed service, treat it as a copy of the result unless it is actually an official electronically issued apostille. Arrange physical delivery when the recipient requires originals.

Frequently asked questions