Apostille Request

Documents originating in the United States may require authentication before they can be accepted by a foreign government, university, court, business, consulate, or other organization.

For countries participating in the Hague Apostille Convention, eligible U.S. documents generally receive an apostille from the appropriate state or federal authority. Documents intended for countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention may require a different authentication and legalization process.

The appropriate authority depends largely on who issued the document.

State-issued and locally issued documents are generally processed through the appropriate state authentication authority. Federally issued documents may require authentication through the U.S. Department of State. Certain privately executed documents may first require proper notarization before they are eligible for authentication.

Our role is to help clients understand these distinctions and determine the appropriate path for their documents.

California remains at the heart of our service area. Apostille Southern California assists clients throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and communities throughout California with apostille and document authentication needs.

We work with a wide variety of California documents, including certified vital records, notarized documents, educational records, corporate documents, powers of attorney, affidavits, and other documents intended for international use.

For documents requiring notarization before apostille processing, mobile notary assistance may also be available in select Southern California service areas.

Clients frequently contact us when they are facing an international deadline and are unsure whether their document is ready to be apostilled. Because the correct procedure depends on the document and issuing authority, we recommend verifying the requirements before notarizing, altering, or ordering replacement documents unnecessarily.

Whether your document is being sent to Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, or another international destination, we can help determine the appropriate authentication process.

Not every document can be apostilled by a Secretary of State.

Certain documents issued by the United States federal government follow a federal authentication process. Examples can include FBI background checks and documents issued by certain federal agencies.

Federal documents may require authentication through the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, depending on the document and destination country.

This distinction is important. Sending a federal document through a state-level apostille process when federal authentication is required can result in delays or rejection.

If you have an FBI background check or another federally issued document, contact us with information about the document and the country where it will be used so the appropriate authentication process can be determined.

Apostille and authentication requests involve far more than birth certificates. We assist clients with a broad range of personal, legal, educational, and business documents intended for international use. 

Common requests include:

Birth Certificates — Frequently required for dual citizenship, immigration matters, marriage abroad, inheritance, residency, and other international applications.

Marriage Certificates — Often needed for citizenship applications, international residency, name changes, immigration matters, and recognition of a marriage overseas.

Death Certificates — May be required for foreign estates, inheritance matters, property transfers, insurance, pensions, and other international legal proceedings.

Divorce Documents — Certain divorce judgments and related court records may need authentication for recognition or legal proceedings abroad.

We also assist with documents such as:

• Powers of Attorney 
• Affidavits 
• Authorization Letters 
• Parental Consent Documents 
• Single Status Documents 
• Travel Consent Forms 
• Estate and Inheritance Documents 
• Notarized Statements 
• Certified Copies when eligible 
• Court-related documents 

Requirements vary significantly, particularly for privately executed documents. Some documents must be properly notarized before apostille processing, while others should not be notarized because they must be obtained as certified records from the issuing authority.

Students, graduates, educators, and professionals may need authenticated academic documents for employment, immigration, professional licensing, or continued education abroad.

These may include:

• Diplomas 
• Degrees 
• Academic Transcripts 
• Enrollment Verification 
• School Records 
• Letters from Educational Institutions 
• Teaching Credentials and Certifications 

Educational documents can have additional certification or notarization requirements depending on the issuing institution and destination country

Companies conducting business internationally may need apostilles or authentication for corporate records and commercial documents.

Common requests include:

• Articles of Incorporation 
• Certificates of Formation 
• Certificates of Good Standing 
• Corporate Resolutions 
• Business Agreements 
• Powers of Attorney 
• Commercial Documents 
• Board Resolutions 
• Corporate Authorization Documents 

Because business transactions often involve deadlines, overseas counsel, financial institutions, or government authorities, confirming the authentication requirements early can prevent unnecessary delays.

Dual citizenship is one of the most common reasons clients require multiple apostilled documents.

Citizenship-by-descent applications may require applicants to obtain certified records for themselves, parents, grandparents, or even earlier generations. Depending on the country and individual case, documents can include birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce records, naturalization records, and other supporting documentation.

Countries such as Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Poland and other nations may have different document and authentication requirements.

The apostille is only one component of many citizenship applications. Applicants may also need certified copies, translations, amendments, or other supporting documentation depending on the requirements of the relevant foreign authority or consulate.

Starting the document preparation process early is particularly important when multiple generations of records are involved.

Planning a wedding abroad can involve considerably more paperwork than couples expect.

Foreign authorities may request U.S. birth certificates, divorce decrees, death certificates from prior spouses, single-status declarations, powers of attorney, or other supporting documents before allowing a marriage to take place or be officially registered.

Some of these documents may require an apostille before the destination country will accept them.

Because requirements vary by country and local jurisdiction, clients should obtain the current document requirements from the foreign authority handling their marriage before beginning authentication.

Once you know which U.S. documents are required, we can help determine the appropriate apostille or authentication process for those documents.

International transactions can require U.S. companies to authenticate corporate documents before they will be recognized abroad.

Businesses may need apostilled documents when opening foreign bank accounts, establishing overseas subsidiaries, appointing international representatives, entering foreign contracts, participating in international litigation, purchasing property, submitting tenders, or completing regulatory filings.

Attorneys, corporations, entrepreneurs, and other professionals can contact us regarding the authentication requirements for their U.S.-issued business documents.

When multiple corporate documents are involved, reviewing the entire document package before processing can help identify potential certification or notarization issues before they cause delays.

 One of the most common sources of confusion is determining where an apostille should come from.

The answer generally depends on the authority that issued or certified the document.

A state or local document typically follows the authentication procedure of the appropriate state. A federally issued document may instead require federal authentication. A privately signed document may first need to be properly notarized before it becomes eligible for state authentication.

For example, a California-issued vital record and an FBI background check are not processed through the same authority.

This is why we recommend having unfamiliar documents reviewed before beginning the process. Choosing the wrong authentication route can result in unnecessary delays, additional expense, or documents being rejected by the receiving authority.