American expat smiling at an international express envelope at a cafe, representing apostille from overseas

How Americans Living Abroad Can Get a US Document Apostilled From Overseas

54 minutes ago

6 min read

You live overseas, and a foreign authority wants an apostilled US document: a birth certificate, an FBI background check, a power of attorney, a court decree. The apostille has to come from the United States, and the paperwork has to physically move across the ocean at least twice. Most delays happen in the handoffs, not in the government offices. This guide walks through the workflow from abroad, step by step, including notarization, shipping, return labels, and timing.

Short answer: U.S. embassies and consulates do not issue apostilles for U.S. documents. Those come from the Secretary of State of the state that issued or notarized the document, or from the U.S. Department of State for federal documents. You can do it from abroad. Get the right original or notarization, mail it to the correct office with a prepaid return label that works for an international address, and allow time for transit in both directions. Many Americans abroad use a U.S. based representative or service for the handoffs.

Who issues apostilles for U.S. documents

The HCCH lists the U.S. competent authorities as the Department of State's Office of Authentications for federal agency documents, clerks of the federal courts for documents issued by those courts, and designated state authorities, generally the Secretary of State, for state and local documents. Embassies and consulates are not on that list. Their role is notarial services, covered below.

Which route fits your situation

Situation	Example	Route
A U.S. record issued to you	Birth, marriage, or death certificate, court decree	Order a certified copy shipped to a U.S. address, then apostille from the issuing state
A federal document	FBI Identity History Summary, certificate of naturalization	U.S. Department of State
A private document you must sign while abroad	Power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter	Notarize it, then get the apostille from the notary's state. A document signed before a U.S. consular officer is authenticated by the Department of State

Step 1: Get the right underlying document

For a vital record or court record, order a certified copy from the issuing office and have it shipped to a U.S. address you control, such as a relative, a trusted friend, a mail forwarder, or the service handling your apostille. Some offices ship internationally and some do not, so ask. Read long form vs short form birth certificates before you order, and check the age limit in does an apostille expire.

For an FBI background check or other federal documents, see our guide to the FBI background check apostille.

Step 2: Notarization from abroad, for private documents

You have three realistic options:

A U.S. embassy or consulate. The Department of State says embassies and consulates provide notarial services like a notary public in the United States. You must appear in person, you must not sign the document before your appointment, you may need to bring a witness, and they do not offer remote or virtual services. The fee is fifty dollars for each consular seal. A document signed before a consular officer is authenticated by the Department of State.
A remote online notary commissioned in a U.S. state. The Department of State notes that some states allow remote notarization and may limit it to documents notarized within their physical jurisdiction, so check with the state and with the foreign country. Apostille offices differ. Delaware's Division of Corporations, for instance, says it will not accept remotely or electronically notarized documents for apostille. See remote online notarization for American expats abroad.
A local notary in your country of residence. This works only if the destination accepts a foreign notary's act. A U.S. apostille office cannot authenticate a foreign notary, because an apostille is issued by the authority of the country that issued the document. The apostille on a local notarization would come from that country's own authority.

Step 3: Send it to the right office, with a return plan

For a state apostille:

Mail the original or certified document, the state's request form, the fee, and a prepaid return envelope or label to the Secretary of State of the correct state.
Offices differ on return shipping. An Indiana Secretary of State form requires a prepaid return envelope for any international return and recommends expedited shipping with a prepaid label. South Dakota's office says it cannot accept or send documents via DHL.
Scans and emailed copies are not accepted. South Dakota, for example, says all original documents must be mailed.
Ask a U.S. based person to hand deliver the package where an office allows it. California's Secretary of State explains that someone else can take your document to the office and submit the request on your behalf.

For a federal apostille from the Department of State:

Include Form DS-4194 showing the country where the document will be used, the document, and a nonrefundable fee of twenty dollars per document.
Send it with trackable USPS mail and include a self addressed, prepaid USPS or UPS return envelope. The Department says not to use FedEx for the return.
Mailed requests are processed within five weeks of receipt, and processing starts when the package arrives in Washington. Walk in service is available for people in the area, which does not help from abroad.
The practical approach from overseas is to have a U.S. address receive the return, then forward it to you.

What to expect on timing

Stage	What to expect
Certified copy ordered and shipped	Varies by office
County clerk certification, if required	Varies by county. See county clerk certification
State apostille	Varies by state. Ask the office
Federal apostille	Mailed requests are processed within five weeks of receipt. Walk in requests, seven business days
International return	Varies by carrier and customs

Add shipping time in both directions and build a buffer of several weeks if you have an appointment or deadline.

Step 4: Translation and delivery

Many destinations want a certified translation after the apostille is attached, so the translator can include the apostille page. Confirm the order with the receiving authority. When the apostilled originals reach you, deliver them by a trackable method, and keep scans for your records. A scan is not a substitute for the original.

Using a representative or service

An apostille service or a trusted person in the United States can receive the document, deliver it to the right office, and ship the result to you. If someone else handles your originals, ask for tracking, a written list of what they are sending, and how they will protect the package. Our guide to getting someone else to get an apostille for you covers what to hand over.

Problems we see most often

The document ages out while it crosses the ocean.
The wrong carrier is used for the return, or the label is not prepaid.
No U.S. address is available to receive the package.
The embassy is treated as an apostille office.
A foreign notary is used for a document that needs a U.S. apostille.
The notarization was remote, and the state does not accept remote notarization for apostille.

Frequently asked questions

Can the U.S. embassy apostille my document?

No. Embassies and consulates provide notarial services. Apostilles for U.S. documents come from a state office or the Department of State.

Can I get an apostille without going to the United States?

Yes. You can mail documents, use a representative, or use a service in the United States.

Do I have to appear in person at the embassy?

For consular notarial services, yes. The Department of State says you must appear in person and that it does not offer remote services.

Can a friend submit my documents for me?

In some states, yes. California's Secretary of State describes someone submitting a document on another person's behalf. Other offices differ.

How long will it take?

It depends on the issuing office, the apostille office, and shipping. Plan on several weeks and ask each office for its current turnaround.

Need help getting this apostilled?

American Apostille handles state and federal apostilles for clients across the United States and abroad. Contact us with your document and destination country, and we will confirm the route before we start. Pay after it's done. No upfront payment.

Related guides

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026. Requirements change and vary by state, agency, and destination country. This article is general information, not legal advice.