Obtaining citizenship in a foreign country often involves assembling multiple documents that need to be authenticated. Completing a Criminal Background Check is likely to be one of those documents. Some countries are stricter than others when it comes to the authentication process but most have similar procedures and requirements.

When driving in a foreign country with a U.S. issued driver’s license, you still must show that your license is valid to be used outside of the country. Due to the recent terrorist attacks around the world, showing proof of who you are when driving abroad is critical and an apostilled copy of your driver’s license can provide that validation.

Documents issued in the United States must be legalized when they are intended to be used in a foreign country.

When getting an Apostille, the document’s destination is important.

The Secretary of State issues two types of authentications for foreign documents – certified or apostilled. The United States is a member of the Hague Convention, which allows member countries to verify and exchange documents between each other that are submitted through the Apostille process.