Frequently Asked Questions on Demographic Registry Certificates

No. If it is a Birth Certificate, for example, in Puerto Rico both words have the same meaning.

If you do not yet have a Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Single or even Death Certificate, we can get it for you immediately as we are legal representatives. We can also get a Certified Copy to apply the Apostille to most court documents, including divorce decrees. In this case, the important thing is that you were one of the parties as these are confidential documents.

The cost will depend on the product or service you choose. For example, the Apostille costs $175, which includes all paperwork and fees. Other online providers charge between $200 y $320 per Apostille and they don't even offer the same speed as we do. We take care of the whole process, from obtaining your Certificate, if you include it in your order, to the Apostille. If you would like us to also obtain your Birth CertificateThe price includes all paperwork and fees, plus shipping and handling to be calculated at the time you enter the address when you pay. The price of the rest of the Certificates will depend on which one you need, but the price is detailed in our Demographic Registry.

Our prices include a professional, personalised, secure and faster service than any other website. The costs reflect the time and effort it takes to make the arrangements in person. This includes waiting in line at the agencies in Puerto Rico, the cost of duties or taxes to be paid, processing your order and finally mailing everything. If you wish, you can read reviews from previous clients, as listed at the bottom of each page of the respective documents we offer.

The cost will depend on the service you choose (Priority or Express). When you enter your address, the system will automatically calculate the shipping cost. In general, the cost to the United States is between $8-$35. For international shipments, the cost will depend on the country where the document is going (via FedEx® or UPS®).

The answer will depend on the number of Certificates or documents that need to be apostilled. One (1) Apostille is required for each Certificate or document. For example, if you have two (2) Certificates or documents, you should make sure that your order indicates "2" Apostilles. Remember that the cost is for each Apostille.

Depends. As attorneys, we can shorten the processing time for Puerto Rico Demographic Registry Certificates to only 3, 5 or 10 business days, depending on the document and the option you choose at the time of payment. Each document we offer has detailed on its respective page the processing time.

In addition, the shipping time will depend on the mailing service. For USA or PR, we use the United States Postal Service ("US Postal Service") for which you can choose Priority or Express. For the rest of the world, we use FedEx® or UPS®. Finally, please remember that processing time, as well as shipping time, may be affected in case of any situation beyond our control: storm, earthquake, power outage, government systems failure, strike or any other similar situation. Therefore, we recommend that the sooner you can place your order, the better.

For your convenience and security, we accept all major credit and debit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. We also accept PayPal® and, if necessary, WesternUnion®. Payment in advance is required. All transactions are secure as we have the highest standards of data transmission.

Generally when one applies for a Certificate it is for oneself. However, there are occasions when it is necessary to request a Certificate from another person, such as a Death Certificate. This, like other Certificates, cannot be issued to just anyone. The following are the persons who are entitled under the law to apply for a Certificate from the Vital Statistics Registry (such applicants are referred to in the law as "interested parties"): "INTERESTED PARTY.- Shall mean the registrant, if eighteen (18) years of age or older, his father, his mother, his legal representative, legal custodian or guardian, or the registrant's heirs."

No, just by exception. To ensure the most accurate processing, and that the information you provide about your credit or debit card and shipping address is the most secure, the recommended method for placing your order is online. Our page has been programmed to make the process a safe, simple and easy to use one. However, if you have any special situation, you can contact us to let us know.

We use the United States Postal Service ("US Postal Service" or "USPS") to send documents. For international shipments, we use FedEx® or UPS®. Your shipment will arrive in a cardboard envelope to protect the contents. As these are sensitive documents, we can send you their tracking number so that you can monitor their delivery, if requested.

Processing time will depend on the service you choose at checkout: Normal (10 business days), Express (5 business days) or Super Express (3 business days).

In addition, shipping time will depend on the country where the documents are being sent and the courier service you choose.

For PR, shipping time is only 1-2 days. For USA, via Priority usually takes 3-4 additional days, while Express takes 1-2 days. Remember to add to this the processing time indicated above.

For the rest of the world, we use FedEx® or UPS®, with alternatives that you can select at checkout.

These are estimates, which may vary depending on your address or exceptional situations such as weather, power outages or pandemics.

If it is a Certificate from the Demographic Registry of PR, and it is already in your hands, it is important that you have the Date of Issuance of the Certificate. July 1, 2010 onwards. After payment, you will automatically see on the screen the address where you should send us the original. If you still do not have the document you need to apostille, remember that as legal representatives, we can get your Certificate of Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Single status, etc. If you prefer to send us your Certificate for apostille, you must use the federal mail ("US Postal Service"), via "Priority." o "Express.". If you are in another country, you can use any of the main delivery services (FedEx, UPS or DHL). It is recommended that the envelope you use to send the document is a cardboard one, so that it will have more protection during the shipment. When you send us your document, we ask you to refer us to our email a photo of the envelope with the tracking number, or tracking, in which our delivery address is shown, so that we can follow up with you.

We can send your Apostille to the address you specify, in any country in the world. This includes shipping to a country other than the one you are currently in. You only need to specify that shipping address on your order. Make sure the address is correct.

As a general rule, the Apostille must be applied to the original of a document. This is particularly so for Certificates of Demographic Registration (e.g. Birth, Marriage, etc.). These documents are considered "vital". There are a few countries that allow copies to be apostilled , but, nevertheless, in order to do this we would have to have the original first, in which case you will need to put your order in first and then send us the document to be apostilled by regular mail.

No. In Puerto Rico, the Apostille can only be issued on paper. The PR Apostille has a special embossed stamp and a special rivet or clip that attaches the Apostille to the document. This is for security reasons, to prevent fraud. However, there are some countries that already issue the Apostille in electronic format. This technological advance is not yet available in Puerto Rico or in the vast majority of U.S. jurisdictions.

The "Hague Convention" of 1961 is the international treaty that adopted the Apostille system. Currently, most of the countries of the world are signatories to this Convention. When we process your Apostille, we verify if the country where the document is going to is a signatory of the Convention. If it is not, for example, Cuba, then what is known as a "Certification" is applied. Both processes (Apostille and Certification) have the same purpose: to legalize the document for international use.

We are the main provider of this type of service in Puerto Rico. We personally go to the agencies and make the arrangements for you. In addition, we are the fastest service on the internet. The other sites can take 2-8 weeks. In most of the procedures, we process your documents in 1 week from the time you complete your order or in 72 hours in some cases (for an additional cost). Our site is designed to make your experience an easy and effective one. So you won't have to waste valuable time. We speak your language, Spanish and, if necessary, also English. You can check the comments or ratings of our previous clients as they appear on the pages of each of the documents we provide. The owner of this website (Abogado Notario Online) is a licensed attorney in Puerto Rico and New York.

Due to the volume of work, for a better and more efficient handling of orders, we recommend that the entire process be online. Our system is programmed so that from the comfort of your computer or smartphone, you can place your order easily, quickly and securely. This way, you will have better control of the process of your order, which being automated, will automatically send your receipt to your email. The website is available 24 hours a day, all year round.

At Abogado Notario Online we offer different types of documents and services. Being notary lawyers, we specialize in "Notary Law", which includes everything from affidavits to wills. In addition, we also handle inheritance cases. For a complete list of services available, you can go to our home page above.

As it is an online service, we can attend to our clients 24 hours a day, if necessary. However, if you do not find an answer to your question in this FAQ section, or under the corresponding page in our website, then you can contact us to try to help you.

A copy of your ID, with photo and signature, is required in order to order a certificate from the Registro Demográfico de Puerto Rico. However, if your ID is expired, as legal representatives we can still process your order.

In the case of married women, when placing your order for a certificate from the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry, if your ID appears with your spouse's last name, you must also include a copy of your Marriage Certificate in order to evidence the change of last name.

No. However, to be on the safe side, you should check with the government or entity requesting the document to confirm whether it is required to be from the last 30, 60, 90 days or any other term that may be required.

An Apostille does not certify the content of the apostilled public document. The Apostille does not relate in any way to the content of the apostilled public document. While the public nature of the document itself may imply that its content is true and correct, the Apostille does not enhance or add any legal significance to the legal effect that the signature would produce without an Apostille. The effect of an Apostille is limited. It only authenticates the origin of the attached public document, so that it can be used internationally. It does so by certifying the authenticity of the signature on the document, the capacity in which the person signing the document acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp affixed to the document.