What Is an Apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that confirms the signature and seal on a U.S. public document are genuine, so the document will be accepted in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention. It certifies who signed the document and in what capacity. It does not certify that the document's contents are true.
The apostille is a standard certificate. Its form comes from the Hague Convention of 1961, and every member country issues it in the same basic format, so a document apostilled in the United States can be read and accepted in any other member country without further proof of the signature.
Who issues an apostille in the United States
For a document issued by a state, such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or court order, the apostille is issued by the Secretary of State of the state that issued the document. For a federal document, such as an FBI background check, it is issued by the U.S. Department of State. There is no single national apostille office, which is why the state that issued your document matters.
When do you need one
A foreign government, school, employer, or court usually asks for an apostille when a U.S. document has to carry legal weight in that country. The most common reasons:
Applying for dual citizenship or residency abroad
Marrying in another country
Taking a job overseas, including background checks for an employer
Enrolling in a foreign school or university
Buying or selling property abroad
Handling an estate or a court matter in another country
Opening a business or a bank account abroad
Apostille or legalization
An apostille only works between countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. If the destination country is not a member, the document cannot be apostilled. It goes through authentication and embassy or consulate legalization instead, a longer chain that ends at that country's embassy or consulate. We explain the differences in detail in Apostille vs. Authentication vs. Legalization vs. Notarization.
Documents that commonly need an apostille
Birth, marriage, and death certificates; FBI background checks; divorce decrees; powers of attorney; academic transcripts and diplomas; and corporate records such as certificates of good standing. The full list of what we handle is on our apostille services page.
Common questions
Is an apostille the same as notarization?
No. Notarization covers the signing of a document in front of a notary. An apostille is a government certificate that authenticates the signature and seal on a document for use abroad. Some documents need both. Certified copies of vital records, such as birth certificates, usually need only the apostille.
Does an apostille expire?
The apostille itself does not expire. The authority receiving your document abroad can still require the document itself to be recent, and some do, so the document's issue date can matter even though the certificate does not age out.
Does an apostille prove a document is true?
No. It proves the signature and seal are genuine, and that the person who signed the document held the office claimed. Whether the contents are accepted is up to the authority receiving the document.
Do all countries accept apostilles?
Only countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention, which is more than 120 countries, including the United States. Countries outside the Convention use embassy legalization instead.
Working with American Apostille
American Apostille handles apostilles and embassy legalization for U.S. documents from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and federal agencies. You send documents you already have. We review each document before filing and ship the completed apostille worldwide. Payment is due after the work is done.
Email jared@apostillellc.com or message us on WhatsApp at +1 848 467 7740 with the type of document, the state it comes from, and the country where it will be used. We will tell you whether it needs an apostille or legalization and what happens next.
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