Apostille requirements for a birth certificate in international surrogacy

An apostilled birth certificate is the document that lets you bring your child home. Get the order wrong and you can be stranded abroad for weeks.

Whose names go on it

In some surrogacy jurisdictions the intended parents appear on the birth certificate directly. In others the surrogate appears until a court order replaces her. Know which before the birth.

Apostille, not just notarisation

The birth certificate must be apostilled by the country of birth's designated authority so your home country will accept it. Hague Convention members accept an apostille; non-members need full consular legalisation — plan the extra weeks.

Translate after the apostille

Certified translation should happen after the apostille, so the apostille itself is translated. Reversing the order can invalidate the whole set.

Then the passport

With an apostilled, translated birth certificate and a recognised parentage order, your home country can issue the child's passport — the step that finally lets you fly.

The premium apostille tracker logs each civil document through every step, by country.