The Apostille Certification ProcessThe Apostille Certification Process
Many times when individuals have public documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses or educational transcripts that need to be used in another country, it will require an official certification process known as an apostille. This process ensures that the signatures and seals on these documents are authentic and can be accepted internationally. The process can seem complicated and confusing, but it can be simplified with careful preparation. Find out
The first step is to determine whether the document needs a full legalization or simply an authentication. This will be determined by the document itself and also by the country that it will be presented in. For documents issued by the United States federal government, it is important to determine which department the document was issued by, as there is only one standard way to authenticate or apostille a federal document.
Everything You Need to Know About the Apostille Certification Process
Once the required documentation has been prepared, it will need to be submitted along with a request for authentication or an apostille. The form can be completed online or in person at the office. It is very important to correctly complete the form, as failing to do so can cause a delay in processing and potentially rejection of your documents.
The document will then be sent to the United States Department of State Authentications Office for processing. If it is being used in a country that is part of The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (1961), it will receive an apostille, otherwise, it will be issued a Certificate of Authentication.
…