An apostille is a certification that verifies the authenticity of a document for use in countries that are part of the Hague Convention of 1961. It simplifies the process of international document verification, allowing documents to be recognized in other member countries without needing further authentication.
Documents that commonly require an apostille include:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Academic degrees
- Business documents
To obtain an apostille, you typically need to contact the appropriate authority in your country or state that handles apostille services. This often involves submitting the original document along with any required forms and fees, but the original is not always needed. Do you need information on a specific process or type of document? Do you need help figuring out where your document needs to be apostilled? Do you know if your document needs to be notarized? Do you know how a correct notarization is defined by the Secretary of State? Do you know if certified/notarized translations are required? There are many facets to the understanding the process to get your documents apostilled correctly the first time to avoid unnecessary delays, the need for resubmission, and additional costs for the process.
Mindy Strum is a Certified Apostille Agent with 10+ years as a notary public in the state of Florida. Florida Notary Public, LLC DBA Apostille FLA provides apostille services from each state and the USDOS.
