# Legalization of a civil marriage certificate
Source: https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/document-legalization/legalization-of-a-civil-marriage-certificate/
Translation and legalization of a civil marriage certificate
La Fit Trans prepares Bulgarian and foreign civil marriage certificates for official use. We review the actual document, country, language and recipient instructions before proposing translation and any required authentication.
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A civil marriage certificate officially presents a registered marriage and is issued from the underlying marriage record. International use depends on the particular copy, issuing authority, spouses' details and the receiving body's rules. A single standard route cannot reliably cover every country and purpose.
## What does the certificate prove?
It confirms that a civil marriage was concluded and registered. A Bulgarian form normally shows the spouses' names, marriage date and place, surnames chosen after marriage, municipality, record number and issue date. The translation reproduces only the particulars and annotations actually shown.
## Are the marriage record and certificate the same document?
No. The civil marriage record is the primary register entry, while the certificate is issued from it for presentation. A full copy, extract and certified copy may contain different information. Their titles and functions are therefore translated without treating them as interchangeable.
## Do the original certificate and a duplicate differ?
The first certificate follows the creation of the record; a later issue is a duplicate. Details absent from an older underlying record may also be absent from a newly issued duplicate. A quotation is based on the supplied copy, not on assumptions about a standard form.
## Which details are checked before translation?
We compare names before and after marriage, identity-document spelling, date and place, municipality, record number and year, issue reference, signatures, seals and visible certification wording. When several documents belong together, recurring names and dates are rendered consistently throughout the set.
## Is it different from marital-status or capacity-to-marry evidence?
Yes. A marriage certificate records an event that has already occurred. A marital-status certificate describes status at a stated time, while non-impediment or capacity documents are used before a planned marriage. The receiving body should identify which evidence it needs.
## How are an apostille and other authentication selected?
The route depends on the issuing and destination countries, document form, applicable international arrangements and recipient practice. It may involve an apostille, another legalization method, a treaty exemption or only a suitable translation. We verify the case before including authentication in the quotation.
## How is a foreign marriage certificate handled for Bulgaria?
We establish the exact foreign record, issuer and intended Bulgarian use. Translating a certificate is not the same as registering a marriage concluded abroad in Bulgaria's civil register. Where registration is required, the document set must also follow the competent municipality's instructions.
## How do I obtain an exact price and timing?
Customers send a legible copy of every side and state the language, country, receiving institution, purpose, deadline and number of copies. After review, La Fit Trans lists translation, editorial checking, applicable authentication, outside charges and delivery separately, without assuming an unnecessary procedure.
## Question topics
- [Document Legalization 139](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/document-legalization/)
- [Online translation and legalisation of documents 12](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/online-translation-and-legalisation-of-documents/)
- [Offices for translation and legalization 5](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/offices-for-translation-and-legalization/)
- [Translation and legalization orders 5](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/translation-and-legalization-orders/)
- [Translation of documents 20](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/translation-of-documents/)
- [Specialized translations 2](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/specialized-translations/)
- [Quality process management 5](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/quality-process-management/)
- [Interpreting 10](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/interpreting/)
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## Related services
[Document translation](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/document-translation-services/) [Document legalization](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/document-legalization/) [Apostille](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/apostille/) [Online order](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/online-translations/) [Prices](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/translation-and-legalization-prices/) [Contacts](https://www.lafit-trans.com/en/translation-and-legalization-contacts/)
## Support for your particular case
The La Fit Trans team relates the general information to the specific document, language and receiving institution. The quotation then covers the necessary translation and certification, with a clear understanding of the agreed result.
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