Previously, all documents exchanged between countries were subject to legalization through the Embassy, Apostilles were created in 1961 in order to eliminate embassies and facilitate the exchange of documents between countries.

As more countries join the Hague Convention, the Apostille section is becoming available for use in international legalization.

Apostilles serve primarily to verify the authenticity of signatures on documents (i.e. State Registrar, County Clerk, Judge, Vital Records Officer, or Notary Public).

As well as confirming the capacity in which the person who signed the document acted, an Apostille also confirms the identity of any stamp or seal on the document. It is necessary to obtain an apostille in the state in which the document was issued, or to have it notarized. The apostille is a one-page document that is embossed with a state’s Great Seal (see sample image) and contains a facsimile signature of the apostille.

Currently, hundreds of countries are members of the Hague Convention, and many more will join the Apostille Section in the near future in order to recognize Apostilles for international legalization of documents.

Almost every kind of document including: Birth Certificates, Adoption Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Divorce Decrees, Death Certificates, Powers of Attorney, School Diplomas and/or Transcripts, Corporate Documents, Affidavits, Identity Documents, Passports, Deeds and Wills, Agreements, Bills of Sale, Proofs of Ownership, Private Documents.

Please contact us at: service@apostilla.com for expedited apostille services for documents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. 

We will help you getting your US issued documents apostilled in 3 simple steps:

1- Please fill out the form from this link: https://www.apostilla.com/us-states/

2- We’ll check if your document qualifies and we’ll let you know if your document is ready.

3- We’ll confirm the address to ship us your document for apostille.

Email us to get started: service@apostilla.com

The fastest way to get apostilled is through a notarized copy. Simply upload a scanned copy of your documents and we’ll get you an apostille in one to three days: https://www.apostilla.com/rush

Standard Apostille Services: Originals and copies can be apostille’d within 1-10 days, depending on the state.

For example:

California issued documents: 1 to 3 business days.

Texas issued documents: 1 to 5 business days.

Florida issued documents: 1 to 3 business days.

Pennsylvania issued documents: 1 to 5 business days.

New York issued documents: 10 to 15 business days.

Federal documents: 10 weeks+

Economy Apostille Services: Available for original documents and copies in 2 to 4 weeks.

Rush Apostille Services on Photocopies: 1 to 3 days.

Email us to get started: service@apostilla.com

Standard Apostille Services: $295 USD plus shipping.

Economy Apostille Services: $195 USD plus shipping.

Rush Apostille Services on Photocopies: $370 USD plus shipping.

Additional fees may apply:

+$25 USD for notarizing documents.

+$125 USD for documents that require a County Clerk Certification.

Email us to get started: service@apostilla.com

Yes, we have agents all over the country, so we provide services to all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

We also process apostilles in any state within Mexico.

Yes we offer US Certified and Mexican Sworn Translation Services, please write us to: translations@apostilla.com to get a quote or visit this link: https://www.apostilla.com/translation-services/

Yes, we can apostille documents in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil and Legalize documents in Canada.

For more information please contact us at international@apostilla.com

Our company, Documents International, LLC, began processing apostilles and translating US issued documents in 2005. The company was founded as a small family business in New York City that processed documents for individuals and companies. We now have a headquarters office in Texas, as well as offices in Washington, DC, California, Florida, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Mexico City for receiving documents. Many individuals around the globe have trusted Apostille, Embassy and Translation Services for decades. Among our clients are individuals, lawyers, and corporations seeking dual citizenship, studying abroad, getting married abroad, selling foreign property, obtaining a visa for living abroad, and conducting international transactions.

From the moment you contact us, we will provide you with a custom-made solution tailored to meet your particular needs, whether you require an apostille, legalization, or translation of documents.

You can reach us by email at service@apostilla.com

By Whatsapp to +1-212-810-2124

Please expect a prompt response from us.

We offer the following services:

APOSTILLE SERVICES: Authentication of documents for international use within Hague Convention countries. Available for documents issued in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

RUSH APOSTILLE ON COPIES: Apostilling PDF documents in a hurry: rush@apostilla.com

EMBASSY LEGALIZATION: Legalization of documents for international use within non-Hague Convention countries. Available for documents issued in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

US CERTIFIED TRANSLATION: Notarized and Certified Translations for pretty much any language.

MEXICAN SWORN TRANSLATIONS (PERITO TRADUCTOR): Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Arabic.

DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SUPPORT SERVICE: We offer limited document retrieval services in the US (based on state and type of document), as well as Mexican and Puerto Rican document retrieval services.

You can pay different ways:

– Credit card (American Express, Visa, Master Card or Discovery).

– Bank transfer or deposit into our Chase Account in the US.

– Bank Transfer or deposit into our Santander or BBVA Mexican Accounts.

– PayPal, please send your payment to: https://paypal.me/apostilla

Please write us to accounting@apostilla.com to get more details.

No. The Apostille Convention provides a model apostille certificate and Apostilles should comply with this model certificate to the greatest extent possible.

• An Apostille must be identified as an Apostille and must include the following title: Convention de la Haye du 5 octobre 1961.

• The apostille must contain a box containing the 10 numbered standard informational items. 

• Additionally, an apostille may provide additional information, including information on the public document to which it pertains, a reminder of the limited effect of an Apostille, a link for verifying its authenticity, or the requirement that the document not be used in the country in which it was issued.

• Additional information must be included outside the box containing the numbered standard informational items.

• Although Apostilles issued by different Competent Authorities should conform as closely as possible to the model certificate, in practice they differ. 

• Variations may include changes in design, size, and color, as well as any additional elements mentioned outside the box that holds the 10 numbered standard informational items.

• The intended recipient cannot refuse an Apostille on the basis of such variations in appearance.

   

  This text was extracted from “The ABC of Apostilles” by the HccH (Hague Conference on Private International Law.

Apostilles must be placed on the public document itself or on a separate page (called an allonge). Apostilles can be affixed with rubber stamps, self-adhesive stickers, impressed seals, etc. Apostilles can be attached to public documents by gluing, grommets, staples, ribbons, wax seals or anything else the authorities may want. The Convention allows all of these means, but Competent Authorities should use more secure methods of affixation to make sure the Apostille is authentic. It’s not a basis for refusing an Apostille if it’s not attached in a certain way. Never detach an Apostille, whether it’s directly on a document or on an allonge.

Different states affix apostilles in various ways to documents in the United States. US Apostilles are usually on separate paper that comes with the document, attached in different ways. Some states staple them to the documents, others use gold rings, and some others use multi-colored ribbons.

In terms of apostille seals, some use rubber stamps, wax seals, impressed seals, self-adhesive stickers, or just a facsimile.

As an example, California uses a black and white apostille page attached by staples and places a red seal between it and the document and Massachusetts uses a gold stamp on top of a blue ribbon.

Apostilles can’t be rejected based on these variations.

An apostille only certifies the authenticity of a signature and the capacity that it was signed.

Apostilles don’t certify the content of the public document.

Apostilles are strictly for use of public documents abroad.

The issuing authority has to keep a registry of apostilles, including the date and serial number.

Apostille recipients can contact the corresponding authority to confirm the authenticity of an apostille, which is usually verified through the serial number.

No. It only takes an Apostille from a Competent Authority to prove a signature or seal on a public document is genuine, and to prove the authority of the person or authority who signed or sealed it.

There’s no need to add any requirements to authenticate a public document (ie: Embassy Legalization).

Documents shouldn’t be rejected because of an apostille; some countries require an Embassy Legalization on top of the apostille, but that shouldn’t be the case as the main purpose of an apostille was to avoid Embassy Legalization.

On October 5, 1961, many nations teamed up to simplify the process of legalizing documents.

They came up with the Apostille Section of the Hague Convention.

All member nations recognize an Apostille as an international document.

You can find the official site for the Hague Conventio at: www.hcch.net

Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and, the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United, States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela.

A variety of public documents including: Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Certificates, School or University Diplomas, Power of Attorney and other notarized documents, Single Status Certificate, FBI Records, Invoices, Corporate Documents, Passport or ID copy, Bill of Sale, Deeds and Wills, Trademark Assignments, IRS and Social Security documents, Certificates of Naturalization, Certificate of a US Citizen Born Abroad, among many others.

The Embassy Legalization process is needed if the country where you’re using your documents doesn’t belong to the Hague Convention Apostille Section. Documents International, LLC provides expedited Embassy Legalization services for US documents from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa & Guam. Contact us at: service@apostilla.com

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, China, People’s Republic of, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, East Timor, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea – Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan , Tanzania , Thailand , Togo, Tunisia , Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Almost every kind of document including: Birth Certificate, Adoption Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, Death Certificate, Power of Attorney, School Diploma and/or Transcripts, Corporate Documents, Affidavits, Identity documents and/or Passports, Deeds and Wills, Agreements, Bills of Sale, Proof of Ownership, Private Documents.

$745 USD + shipping and includes the following:

– Notary (if required).
– State Legalization.

– US Department of State Authentication (if required).

– Embassy Legalization.

Some Embassies have high fees which will be charged separately. For example: The UAE Embassy charges a $600 fee for corporate documents.

The turnaround time depends on the state of origin of your document, the process we should follow and the Embassy, to find out more please email us to: embassy@apostilla.com