Traveling Notary Apostile Information

What is an Apostille?

In 1961, the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of
Legalization for Foreign Documents resulted in many nations
adopting a simplified method of legalizing documents for
universal recognition. These nations are referred to as
member nations of the Hague Legalization Convention.

An Apostille is a seal which, when affixed to a document,
certifies it has undergone specific procedures established by
the Hague Legalization Convention to prove the document¹s
legality and authenticity for use in a foreign country.

An Apostille is internationally recognized by all member
nations and documents sent between Hague Convention
countries may be submitted to the member nation without
further action.

Documents sent to non-member nations require a
Certification of the officials signature rather than an Apostille.
This is performed at the state level. The document may then
need to be transmitted to the U.S. Department of State in
Washington D.C., and then on to the specific embassy. This
process is referred to as Legalization of the documents.
Requirements for preparing international documents

Overall, the Apostille is a certification issued by the State
Government, a page attached on top of your original
document, to verify that your document (such as a Birth
Certificate for example), and the signature of the
County Official who signed the certificate, are legitimate, and
therefore it can be accepted internationally by governments
of foreign countries.

Who issues an Apostille?

The Apostille certification is from the office of the Secretary
of State, after reviewing the document's signature. It is an
official state government certificate.

What can I provide for you?

Our company is a private service company with experience
providing Apostille services to the public. We offer
convenience and knowledge to obtain the Apostille on your
documentsfrom the goverment without the need for you to
travel to the state government offices. We save you time,
money, and headaches from potentially incorrect document
presentation which could cause rejection. We go to the state
government offices with your documents, stand in line,
complete any applications, pay the Apostille fees and wait
until it is completed. Our service is both cost-effective and
time-saving. You can track your return order with Fedex
online, and even make payment to us for the services with a
Credit Card or electronic check, online, from the comfort of
your home or office.

Is an Apostille different for different countries or
different documents?

All Apostille certificates will look the same for all the
countries you send the Apostille to. There is no difference
between an Apostille which will be used for Mexico and an
Apostille for Russia. Similarly, there is no difference between
an Apostille for a Birth Certificate and an Apostille for a
Marriage Certificate, or a Power of Attorney or a Court
Divorce Decree. The Apostille will look the same. However,
a few countries have a different requirement other than an
Apostille, and your document would receive a Legalization
Certificate instead.

What are the steps involved?

For Hague Convention Nations:

The document must be acknowledged before a notary public

The notary¹s signature and seal must be authenticated by the
clerk of the county
in which the notary is commissioned.

The apostille is affixed to the document by the Secretary of
State of the state in which the document is executed.

Non-Hague Nations.
The document must be acknowledged before a notary public.
The notary¹s signature and seal must be
authenticated by the clerk of the county in which the notary is
commissioned. The certification is affixed to the document by
the Secretary of State of the state
in which the document is executed. The U.S. Department of
State may need to authenticate the document. The document
must be legalized by the appropriate embassy.