In the event that you are required to travel internationally, or you are conducting business with international partners, it is likely you will need to have documents apostilled and/or legalized for use in the country where you are visiting. This process is governed by The Hague Convention and must be done through the US Department of State for every document you submit. These requirements can be time consuming, complicated and expensive.

In order to ensure your documents are properly certified for use abroad, we recommend you visit our Authentication office in person with a notary public present. The staff in our Authentication office is experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to the requirements for federal apostille and will be able to answer all of your questions.

Requirements for Federal Apostille: Documents, Fees, and More

We are unable to provide a price quote for the process over the phone or through email due to the wide variety of documentation that may require an apostille. The most common document types include FBI background checks, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, school transcripts/degrees, and corporate records for corporations. We encourage you to check with the embassy of the country where your documents will be used to see if they require an apostille or full legalization.

All documents submitted for apostille must be originals and contain a notarized signature. Adding any additional marks, stamps or signatures to the original document will invalidate it and make it ineligible for an apostille or full legalization. If your document is an FBI background check, the ink signature on the FBI report must be clear and legible and cannot be notarized again.