There are Different Types of Apostilles
We obtain Apostilles on your personal and commercial documents by submitting them to the Secretary of State offices or to the US Department of State in Washington DC. If you don’t want to deal with the trouble of learning a particular government office’s requirements or worry about missing something and potentially delaying your certifications, we’re here to make the process as easy as sending us your documents and simply waiting to receive the completed Apostille or Authentication. Our process is as efficient as it gets. Let us take care of the hassle while you continue to manage your other personal or business matters.
Apostille or Authentication: How to Determine Your Country Category
Depending on which country your document needs to be presented in, it will fall in one of the two categories below:
Apostille Service Process:
Apostille is a French word meaning certification. It is a one-page certificate issued by authorities at the state or Federal level validating the seal and signature of the official on the document. The certificate contains a seal by the Secretary of State or the US Department of State where applicable.
As per the Hague Convention of 1961, there is a list of countries which require a document to go through the Apostille process prior to being presented. If your document falls under the Apostille process, we will obtain the Secretary of State Apostille certification or the US Department of State Apostille in Washington DC, depending on the type of document.
Document Authentication Process:
For countries which are not signatories to the Hague Convention of 1961, documents are required to go through the authentication process certifying the authenticity of the document before being presented in the country of use.
Although the first steps are similar to the Apostille process, the authentication process does require an additional step of Embassy Legalization by the Embassy of the country in which the document will be presented. After obtaining the US Department of State certification, we will present your document to the Embassy of the respective country to obtain their authentication stamp. This will be the final step, completing the process.