Apostille
What is the Apostille Definition and what it is used for?
It is considered as a statutory Seal permitting the use of documents overseas, including public and corporate documents.
It requires several authentications by particular governmental officials to obtain the international Apostille Seal.
Grasping this concept could be a little challenging with all legal operations requested by each agency, to get its verification. Especially for individuals who just wanted to certify no further than personal papers such as birth & death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees.
Apostille V.S. Notary
A notary is a totally different term than an apostille, as we discussed above, an apostille seal is made to facilitate the use of your documentations in other countries.
In order to use documents in the United States of America, you might need notarization from State Notary Public
Therefore, we can say that the apostille seal gives you international services overseas, on the other hand, Notarization gives you local authority to use the documents within the U.S.A.
Can you use the seal in a country that isn’t in the convention?
No. But you of course you can use the document abroad in a non-participating country if fulfilled the required actions by the embassy.
Usually, each embassy has its own terms and conditions.
You can have a glimpse of Hauge convention participating countries here.
Here are some documents you may have the seal on:
- Circuit Court documents.
- Birth and death documents.
- School transcripts.
- Marriage and divorce certificates.
- State criminal background checks.
- Power of attorney.
- Certificate of existence
- Certificate of Incumbency
- Patent Assignment
- Trademark Assignment
- Technical Data Sheet
- Certificate of Free Sale
- Certificate of Analysis
- an ISO Certificate,
How to Apostille US Corporate Documents
Before your order our fast apostille service,ensure that the company document is notarized by a notary public in the same State that issued the document or an original certified copy issued from the State business Division.
Notarized Corporate Document apostille
Documents signed by company owners or agents. The document’s signature must be certified in fornt of a notary public in the same State where the company is located before it can be apostilled from the Secretary of State office.
Examples of company documents that need prior notarization:
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- Company Bylaws
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- Corporate Agreement
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- Change of Agent
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- Power of Attorney
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- Affidavits
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- Business letter
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- Technical Data sheet
- ISO Certificate
Original Certified copies of Company documents
Documents filed with the Secretary of State office, Business division and bear the official State signature / stamp. You must order a certified copy of your document from the State office before you can apostille your document. No notarization is required.
Examples of Certified copies of Company document
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- Articles of Incorporation
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- Certificate of Formation
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- Certificate of Registration
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- Certificate of Good Standing.
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- Assignment
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- Corporate Dissolution
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- Merger
- Amendment
Apostille US department of State
One Day Apostille also provides expedited federal apostille service from the US Department of State in Washington DC for all documents issued by federal Agencies such as FDA, FBI, USDA, USPTO, IRS, Homeland Security and Social Security Administration
How to Apostille a Document | The Definitive Guide
How to Apostille a Document
Apostille is the official form of authentication that is required to validate the use of documents outside the United States. Your document must be affixed with an Apostille stamp from the correct designated authority to be valid for use in any Apostille convention participating countries.
What is an Apostille Convention
The Hague Apostille Convention was held in the Hague “ the Netherlands” in 1961, to facilitate the complicated legalization procedures of foreign documents and to replace it with the Apostille Stamp or” Apostille Certificate”. All the following countries have signed the Apostille treaty:
If you are going to use your document in any of those countries, you will need to affix your document with an Apostille to be valid for use abroad. There are 2 designated authorities in the United States, which are responsible for the issuance of Apostille certificates on documents destined for use in the Hague Convention Signatory Countries.
- US Department of State of State Apostille for Federal Documents
- Examples of Federal documents including:
| FDA Documents | FBI Document | Homeland Security Documents |
| Sanitation Certificate | Criminal Background Check | Naturalization Certificate |
| BSE- Free Certificate. | USPTO Documents | Social Security Documents |
| Certificate of Free Sale (CFS). | Patent | Social Security Benefit Letter |
| Certificate of Exportability. | Trademark | |
| Certificate to Foreign Government (CFG). | USDA Documents | |
| Certificate of Non-Clinical Research Use Only Materials Certificate. | Plant certificate | |
| Good Manufacture Practice Certificate (GMP). | Animal Health Certificate | |
| Certificate of Pharmaceutical products (COPP). | Phytosanitary Certificate | |
| Certificate of Pharmaceutical product- Foreign Manufacturer | IRS Documents | |
| Specified Risk Material of Bovine, Ovine, and Caprine Origin Materials. | Form 6166‐ US Tax Residency |
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How to get an Apostille from the US Department of State?
Your document must be an original document ( not a photocopy) and issued from one of the federal agencies in the United States and bear the federal stamp or signature. After you ensure that your document meet the previous requirement, prepare an envelope that contain the following items and send it to the US Department of State in Washington DC to get your document apostille. The envelope must include:
- The document that need to be apostilled.
- You payment: $8.00 per document, make your payment payable to the
“US department of State”. - Download and fill the order form then include it with your envelope
- Include a prepaid airway bill to return your documents
- Send your package to the Following address:
Office of Authentications
U.S. Department of State
600 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
- The process will take about 3- 4 Business days. After your receive your package from the US Department of State, your documents will be ready for use outside the United States.
- Secretary of State Apostille for Public State and Personal Documents
- Examples of Federal documents including:
| Corporate Documents | |||
| Minutes of Organizational Meeting of directors | Certificate of Incumbency | Power of Attorney. | Shareholder List |
| Restated Certificate of Incorporation | Certificate of existence | Certificate of Analysis | letter of Intent |
| Foreign Certificate of Registration | Agency Agreement | Letter of Resignation | Operating Agreement |
| Shareholder certificate of Interest | Business Letter | Distributor Agreement | Asset purchase Agreement |
| Foreign Certificate of Registration | Letter of Authorization | Amendment | Bill of Sale |
| Termination of foreign Corporation | Articles of Incorporation | ISO Certificate | Certificate of Formation |
| Shareholder Contribution Schedule | Certificate of Merger | Technical Data Sheet | corporate Consolidation |
| Agreement to Form a Corporation | Corporate Resolution | Affidavit | Change of Agent |
| Statement of Dissolution | Company Bylaws | Free sale Certificate | Consolidation Certificate |
| Stock Purchase Agreement | Business License | Stock Certificate | Certificate of Good Standing |
| Assignment | |||
| Export Documents | |||
| Commercial Invoice | Dangerous Goods Certificate | Shipper Letter of Instruction | |
| Certificate of Origin | Consular Invoice | Certificate of Analysis | |
| Packing List | Pro Forma Invoice | Pre-Shipment Inspection | |
| Bill of Lading (Air, Ocean, Truck, Rail) | Letter of Credit | Veterinary certificate | |
| Insurance Certificate | Export License | Sales certificate | |
| Halal Certificate | Bank Draft | Weight Certificate | |
| Kosher Certificate | Export Declaration | Fumigation Certificate | |
| Health Certificate | Phytosanitary Certificate | ||
| Educational Documents | Vital Records | ||
| School/ College Transcript | Birth Certificate | ||
| School/ College Diploma | Death Certificate | ||
| Teaching Credentials | Marriage Certificate | ||
| TESOL Certificate | Divorce Certificate | ||
| Bachelor Degree/ Certificate | Divorce decree | ||
| Graduate Record Examination GRE | Driver License | ||
| Doctorate Certificate | US Passport | ||
| Master Degree | |||
| Associate Degree | |||
| Doctorate Degree | |||
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How to get an Apostille from the Office of the SOS in your State?
Each State has a Secretary of State office, which is responsible for the issuance of Apostille Certificates on public state documents (the above mentioned documents). You will need to follow the requirement of your state in order obtain the Apostille timely and without any complications.
Stay tuned to our next article about how to obtain an apostille from the Secretary of STate Office
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