APOSTILLES & AUTHENTICATIONS

What's an Apostille?

An Apostille is simply the name for a specialized certificate, issued by the Secretary of State. The Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the other countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, a multilateral treaty to which the United States is a party. The Apostille is issued by the Secretary of State in which the document originated or notarized.

What's the purpose of an Apostille?

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An apostille certifies the document(s), so the document can be recognized in foreign countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty.

What's an Authentication?

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Authentication certificates are issued by the U.S. Department of State or the Secretary of State for the same purpose as Apostilles but for use in countries that are not members to the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty.

Documents that can be apostilled includes the following.