What is an Apostille?

International Apostille Services, Inc.A common question we are asked is, “What is an Apostille?” and “Why do I need an apostille?”

An apostille is a long form certificate issued by the Secretary of State that authenticates the public official’s signature who signed your document.  The official can be a public notary, County Clerk, State Registrar, Judge, Medical Doctor, Health Department, Deputy Clerk of the Court, and more.  An apostille does not authenticate the content of the document but the public official who signed it. That’s why it’s important to review your documents for accuracy once you receive them and before you mail them to our office for processing.

A document issued from the State must also be apostilled from the same U.S. State.  Another words, you cannot apostille a California birth certificate in Nevada.  The State of Nevada does not have the official signature of the public official who signed your document.  This holds true for notarized document.  For example, a document notarized in California cannot be apostilled in Maryland.  Please be be careful of companies who are promising to authenticate your document from another State office.

All U.S. Federal Government documents can only be processed through our office in Washington, D.C. Common U.S. Federal documents we apostille are: FBI background check, Social Security letters, U.S. District Court Documents, and more!  You can also have your signature notarized at a US Embassy or US Consulate by a Federal notary.  Please contact us if you are in another country and need your documents apostilled.

At International Apostille Services, Inc., we take the guesswork out of getting an apostille on your documents.  We can apostille documents issued from all 50 U.S. States including the U.S. Federal Government.  These documents include: Birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, notarized documents, divorce decree, business documents, and more!  We have provided a page which provide you step by step instructions.  How to Apostille

The very first step is to contact our apostille office.  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.

When you call, we will ask you the following question:

  1. What US State is your documents from?
  2. What type of documents do you need apostilled?
  3. What country is requesting your documents?

Before you mail in your documents to our office, we recommend that you find out what documents are being requested from the other country.  We cannot advise you on what you need but can can give you an idea based on what we have seen other people authenticate in similar situations.  For example, if you are getting married in another country, you will most likely be asked to apostille your birth certificate and a single status affidivit.  If you have been divorced, you will also need to obtain a certified copy of your divorce decree.

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