US Department of State Apostille Processing Time During COVID-19

Do you need to apostille your documents through the US Department of State – Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.?

Note: For the most up-to-date processing time, please visit and bookmark the following link: Apostille Processing Time

An apostille is a certificate issued by the US Department of State which authenticates the official who has signed your U.S. Federal documents. Since 1980, the United States has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.

What was once a four-business day turn around to obtain a U.S. Department of State Apostille has now increased to an unheard of 8-12 weeks with no indication that the processing time will subside this year. Since March 20, 2020, the US Department of State – Office of Authentications has closed their in-person counter service thus eliminating the quick turn-around time most people and businesses have been accustomed to.

We can estimate that the U.S. Department of State will not reopen their in-person counter service until February 2021. We believe the delays are because of the ongoing health risks related to COVID-19, limited staff, potential delays in DC in the coming months, and the upcoming 2020 Presidential election.

The US Department of State requires all documents submitted to also include Form DS-4194. If you have questions on how to complete Form DS-4194, please contact our Washington DC apostille office.

Cost: As low as $75 for each apostille.
Office Hours: 8am – 7pm Monday – Saturday
Customer Support: 1-888-810-4054
EmailWashingtonDC@internationalapostille.com

Our order forms are currently being updated.  Please email or call us for the most up to date information.

Download our order forms:
Washington DC Apostille Order Form (PDF Format)
Washington DC Apostille Credit Card Authorization Form (PDF Format)

We also recommend that you download the following forms:
Schedule of State of U.S. Federal Fees (PDF Format)
Schedule of Embassy and Consulate Fees (PDF Format)
State Jurisdiction Forms (PDF Format)
Translation Request Form (PDF Format)

The most common document we apostille through the US Department of State is the FBI background check.  If you need to apostille your FBI background check, a good rule of thumb is to obtain a recent copy and immediately overnight or e-mail it to our office for processing. We can apostille a digital FBI background check in a PDF format or the hardcopy. Most countries will accept a background check issued within the past 90 days with an apostille. Please double check with your contact in the foreign country. We have also learned that the Consulates of Spain and Italy have been flexible in dealing with the delay of obtaining an apostille on the background check.

Here is a list of the most common documents we apostille through the US Department of State: FBI background checks, Social Security Income and Benefits Statement (SSA), US Patent and Trademark documents (USPTO), IRS Form 6166, Certificate of Free Sale (FDA), Certificate to Foreign Government (FDA), Certificate of Naturalization, and documents from the USDA and USCIS.

Obtaining an apostille can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

International Apostille Order Form PDFClick to download our International Apostille Order Form. Our Apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

IRS Form 6166 Apostille – US Residency Certificate Apostille

Do you need an apostille on IRS Form 6166?

At National Apostille Inc., we take the guesswork out of getting an apostille on your IRS documents.  Our trained and knowledgeable staff are available Monday – Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

U.S. treaty partners require the IRS to certify that the company or person claiming treaty benefits is a resident of the United States for the federal tax purposes. The IRS provides this residency certification on Form 6166.  This letter is typically referred to U.S. Residency Certification.

Form 6166 is a letter printed on U.S. Department of Treasury stationary certifying that the company or person is a resident of the United States for purposes of income tax laws of the United States. You may use this form to claim income tax treaty benefits and certain other tax benefits in Hague Apostille Countries.

Here is an example of IRS Form 6166:

If you are planning to teach in a country who has a tax treaty with the United States, you can possibly avoid being taxed twice.  We recommend that you contact the IRS to know if the country has a tax treaty with the United States.

Many business set up representation in foreign countries in order to conduct business in that country.  If the country has a tax treaty with the United States, the individual or company must provide proof to the foreign government in order to qualify for the reduced tax rate.  Form 6166 is also used to claim exemption from a VAT (Value Added Tax) imposed by a foreign country.

Tax treaties may allow residents of foreign countries to be taxed at a reduced rate.  This helps prevent double taxation or a reduction in taxes owed.

In order to obtain an apostille on Form 6166, you must first obtain this document by completing form 8802.  It is estimated that you will receive this form in a few weeks from the IRS.  Once you have received the form printed on the Department of Treasury stationary, you can then mail-in this letter to our Washington, D.C. office for processing through the U.S. Department of State.  Our processing time is four business days and we do provide FedEx 1-2 day return service.

Obtaining an apostille on your documents can be complicated and time consuming. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

International Apostille Order Form PDFClick to download our International Apostille Order Form. Our Apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

 

Washington DC Apostille

Do you need Washington DC Apostille Services?

At USA Apostille, Inc. we take the guesswork out of obtaining an apostille on your documents. Our trained and knowledgeable staff are available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

Secretary of D.C. – Documents originating from the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) are processed directly from the Secretary of D.C. office. Please note that your documents will receive an Apostille from the Secretary of D.C.

U.S. Department of State – Document issued from the U.S. Federal Government are processed through the U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.

Processing time: 1-2 business days through the Secretary of D.C. or
4 business days through the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. (Estimated)
Cost: As low as $75 for each apostille.
Office Hours: 8am – 7pm Monday – Saturday
Customer Support: 1-888-903-7446
EmailWashingtonDC@internationalapostille.com

We can process the following U.S. Federal documents:

US Department of Agriculture – USDA
– Animal/Plant Certifications
– Animal Health Certifications

U.S. Food and Drug Administration – FDA
– Certificate of Free Sale (Can also be issued by the local Chamber of Commerce or State office)
– Certificate of Origin (Can also be issued by the local Chamber of Commerce or State office)
– Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product – FDA

US Department of Health and Human Services – HHS
– Certificate to Foreign Governments
– Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product
– Certificate of Free Sale
– Certificate of Export

US Department of Justice – DOJ
– FBI Back ground check
– U.S. Federal Court Documents
– U.S. Bankruptcy Court
– Petition for Name Change

US Department of Treasury – TRE
– Certificate of Free Sale / Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – USPTO
– Trademark / Patent

U.S. Department of Homeland Security – DHS
– Certificate of Naturalization
– Certification of Documents – Form G-24
– Certification of Nonexistence of Record

Environmental Protection Agency – EPA

Social Security Administration – SSA
– Income and Benefits Letter

Office of Personnel Management – OPM

Internal Revenue Service – IRS
– Form 6166 Apostille
– Federal Tax Return Apostille
– W2 Forms

U.S. Department of Transportation – DOT

Federal Aviation Administration – FAA

National Archives and Records Administration – NARA

Apostilles can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

International Apostille Order Form PDFClick to download our International Apostille Order Form. Our Apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

US Federal Apostille

US Federal Government ApostilleDo you need an apostille on a US Federal Government Document?

Documents issued by the US Federal Government can only be apostilled through our Washington, D.C. office.  The current processing time with the U.S. Department of State is four business days and we do provide FedEx return shipping at no additional cost.  In order for the U.S. Department of State to accept your document, you must mail in the original document you received in the mail.  In some instances, you may receive your documents in a digital format (FBI Background Check, Certificate of Free Sale) from the Government.   You can forward documents received in a digital format to our office in Washington, D.C. for processing.

We can apostille documents issued from the following U.S. Government Departments and Agencies:

US Department of Agriculture – USDA
– Animal/Plant Certifications
– Animal Health Certifications

U.S. Food and Drug Administration – FDA
– Certificate of Free Sale (Can also be issued by the local Chamber of Commerce or State office)
– Certificate of Origin (Can also be issued by the local Chamber of Commerce or State office)

US Department of Health and Human Services – HHS
– Certificate to Foreign Governments
– Certificate of Pharmaceutical/Export
– Certificate of Free Sale
– Certificate to Export

US Department of Justice – DOJ
– FBI Back ground check (FBI Apostille)
– U.S. Federal Court Documents
– U.S. District Courts
– U.S. Bankruptcy Court
– Petition for Name Change

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – USPTO
– Trademark / Patent

U.S. Department of Homeland Security – DHS
– Certificate of Naturalization

Environmental Protection Agency – EPA

Social Security Administration – SSA
– Income and Benefits Letter

Office of Personnel Management – OPM

Internal Revenue Service – IRS
– Form 6166
– U.S. Federal Tax Return Documents

National Archives and Records Administration – NARA

In addition to our apostille service, we can also certify and legalize documents for none Hague Apostille Member Countries.   Countries who are non-members will require documents to be legalized at their Embassy.  The most common Embassies we legalized documents are for: China, Brazil, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Chile, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and more!

International Apostille Order Form PDF SmallClick to download our International Apostille Order Form. Our Apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

US District Court Apostille

Do you need an apostille on a document issued form the United States District Court?

The United States District Courts are the trial courts of the U.S. Federal Court system.  Authenticating documents issued by the Federal Courts is a two-step process. The documents must first be authenticated by the Justice Department before the documents can be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State.

Here is an example of the authentication letter issued by the U.S. Justice Department prior to being eligible for an Apostille from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Documents issued by the U.S. District Court must be certified documents.  A certified document will typically have an embossed seal, a stamped seal of the U.S. District Court, signature of the Deputy Clerk, and the date the document was certified.

If your documents are not a certified copy, you must contact the District Court and obtain a certified copy.  We can only help you with documents mailed into our Washington, D.C. office.  We do not have access to obtain certified documents on you behalf.

Common documents we receive from the U.S. Department of Justice are:

  • Petition for Name Change
  • Bankruptcy Documents
  • U.S. Federal Court Documents
  • *FBI Background Checks

*To request an FBI Background check, we recommend that you contact an FBI Approved Channeler. FBI background checks do not require Justice Department authentication prior to being apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

We can also authenticate documents issued from the:

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Social Security Administration
  • Office of Personal Management

Document issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia will be authenticated through the Secretary of the District of Columbia.  Washington DC Apostille

International Apostille Order Form PDF SmallClick to download our International Apostille Order Form. Our Apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.