Apostille Service
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is when a document is to be used in another country. It informs other countries that the document is legitimate and that there is a trusted signature and seal on the document. This permits the document to be used effectively in foreign countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention (1961). Examples of documents that are frequently authenticated by the Department of State are birth, marriage, death certificates, and more. An apostille is a special certificate attached to a public document that verifies the authenticity of the issuing official's signature and seal.
Example: If you have a document issued in the US and need to use it in Mexico, the Mexican authorities might only recognize if the document has gone through the apostille process. An apostille assures Mexico that the document is genuine, trusted, and issued by a certified official.
List of member countries part of the Hague Apostille Convention
Albania
Andorra
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Canada
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
European Union
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Tunisia
Türkiye
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Viet Nam
Zambia
Keep in mind
For New York City records, other than divorce certificates, please contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or the New York City Marriage Bureau. For NYC birth and death certificates, when ordering your record you will also need to request a “Letter of Exemplification.” The fastest way to obtain a “Letter of Exemplification" is by visiting www.vitalchek.com. Be sure to select "Apostille/Authentication" for the reasons. The turnaround is usually about 2 - 3 weeks and sometimes sooner.
Birth, Death, and Marriage certificates and Certificate of Divorce issued by a local or county official or county Department of Health must first be certified by the County Clerk of the county where the document was issued.
For educational documents, please contact the school, college or university that you attended. The document must be certified by an official at the educational institution stating that the document is an official record or a true copy of the original document. Notaries cannot make certified copies.
Notarized Copies
An apostille will be provided to you for a notarized copy of any document. This also includes legal documents such as Power of Attorney, Divorce, Contract, etc. Please keep in mind that in New York State, notaries are not allowed to make certified copies.
Birth Certificate in NY
Birth Certificate outside NY
Marriage Certificates
Educational Documents
We perform apostille service for birth certificates issued in other areas of New York State outside the five boroughs of New York City. Those birth certificates can come from the Vital Records Bureau of the New York State Department in Albany or the local county registrar. A letter of exemplification will be required. Visit www.vitalchek.com to obtain the letter.
An apostille may be provided to you for birth certificates outside of New York. However, there may be some exceptions.
An apostille for Marriage Certificates issued by the New York City Marriage Bureau and the New York State Health Department in Albany can be provided to you. We also offer apostille marriage certificates from other states.
We offer apostille services for your high school/college/university diploma, transcript, or a verification letter for foreign use. Please note, the document will have to first be authenticated by the school.
Non-recordable Documents
We offer apostille service for non-recordable documents that cannot be filed with the county clerk's office to become part of the public record. An apostille can be used to certify the signatures and seals of non-recordable documents. Non-recordable documents include personal letters, contracts, agreements, receipts, invoices, school transcripts, diplomas, medical records, passports, etc. However, there may be some exceptions.
Turnaround Time
It's usually about 2 - 5 business days to complete the Apostille service. At times it may take a little longer depending on the type of document that requires Apostille. Keep in mind that we will hand deliver the Apostille document(s) to you once everything is finalized.
Payment Process
We collect a deposit of half the total price for the Apostille service. The remaining balance is due on the day that we are ready to hand deliver the Apostille document(s) to you. Please note, payment must be made prior to us handing the Apostille document to you. If you prefer we deliver the document to you via mail, then there will be an additional charge of $50+. We accept cash or card.
Please request an appointment here
Disclaimer
We are not an attorney licensed to practice in New York State, and we may not give any legal advice or accept fees for legal advice.
*No Refunds - All sales final.