Apostille

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Apostille Agent

American Notary & Signing Services offers full, end-to-end facilitation of the document Apostille, Authentication, and Embassy Legalization process. Our expertly trained staff will save you time, stress, wasted expenses and guesswork of knowing the confusing requirements of various government agencies. Please contact us for details.

What is an Apostille?

An Apostille is a document that verifies the authenticity of the signature on a document; the capacity in which the person signing the document acted; and the identity of any stamp or seal affixed to the document. The Apostille is a specific form of authentication for countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.

An Apostille does not certify the contents of the document to which it relates. It is issued by a country that is a party to the Hague Convention of 1961 to be used in another country which is also a party to the Convention.

NOTE: If the destination of the document is to a Non-Hague country, a more complex process for legalization at the federal level involving Department of State, consulates and/or embassies is required. 

American Notary stands ready to serve as your trusted Apostille agent. 

Authentication Certificate Requirements

Before submitting documents requiring authentication, you must:

Notarize each document in front of a notary public:

If you do not have the correct notarization(s) before you submit your documents your request will be rejected by the respective governmental entity.

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All seals and signatures must be originals

Document copies are not acceptable unless they are “true certified copies” from a notary public. Please note that birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, court documents, and federally-issued documents cannot be certified by a notary public as “true copies.”

Requirements also vary based on the type of document you submit. Select the type of document below to learn more.

State and Local Documents

Examples of state and local documents include:

Requirements for state and local documents include:

Federally-Issued Documents

Examples of federally-issued documents include:

Requirements for federally-issued documents include:

Documents issued by the District of Columbia Superior Court and Court of Appeals

Examples include:

Requirements:

Other Documents

Examples of other documents include:

Apostille Requirements

If you do not have the correct notarization(s) before you submit your documents your request will be rejected by the respective governmental entity.

All seals and signatures must be originals

Document copies are not acceptable unless they are “true certified copies” from a notary public. Please note that birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, court documents, and federally-issued documents cannot be certified by a notary public as “true copies.”

U.S. Department of State-Issued Apostille Requirements

Federally-issued documents for use in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention may need to be authenticated with an apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State. Documents signed by the following officials require an apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State:

Note:  All certifications must include a legible signature of the official's name, title, and seal of the agency.