Frequently asked questions about apostille and legalization

What is an apostille?

Apostille is French for “certification”. Apostilles (for countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention) or Certification (for countries that are not parties to the Hague Apostille Convention) authenticate the seals and signatures of officials on public documents such as birth certificates, notarials, court orders, or any other document issued by a public authority, so that they can be recognized in foreign countries.

What are the effects of an apostille?

An Apostille or Certification on a document does not confirm the validity of the document itself (rare exceptions apply). It only verifies that a document was signed by the appropriate official, his or her capacity in which they acted, and the identity of the seal placed on the document.

What is the Hague Convention?

The Hague Convention of 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents is an international agreement, which simplified the authentication process of public documents to be used in nations that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention. The United States signed this agreement on Oct. 15, 1981. Only those nations who are party to the Hague Apostille Convention recognize the apostille certification.

How do I know if the country where I am sending the documents is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention?

For an up-to-date information on a country’s status in the Hague Apostille Convention, you can check the official site of the Hague Conference here.

If you are not sure about the country’s status, please contact us for assistance by visiting Contact us page.

Do all apostilles look exactly the same?

No. Apostilles may vary in design, size and color as well as in any additional elements, from state to state.

I was told I needed to get a document authenticated. What is authentication?

It is a legal way to show to someone that a signature on a document is certified.

What documents can be apostilled/authenticated?

Practically any document issued within recent years (varies by state) can be apostilled/authenticated. Here are examples of documents that are signed by the following officials and that are commonly apostilled:

Registrar/Recorders
County Clerks
State Officials
Notaries Public

Personal Documents that can be authenticated include:

Marriage Licenses
Divorce agreements and Decree
Birth Certificates, Marriage and Death Certificates
Adoption papers
Certificate of Naturalization

Business and Corporate Documents include:

Articles and Certificate of Incorporation
Various Company Authorization letters
Power of Attorney
Sale Certificates
Business Letter of Invitation

Please click here to find a complete list of documents

Can Global Apostille help me order certified copies of documents?

Yes, we can assist in ordering certified copies of documents, whenever it is permitted. You can also order certificates of birth, marriage, divorce or death from most U.S. states on Vitalcheck.com and indicate our office address where the copies will be delivered. Not all states will allow shipping to a third party, in which case, you will need to indicate your mailing address and forward the documents to us once you receive them.

How to apostille a particular document?

Global Apostille provides apostille certification and document authentication for the documents issued in the United States for use in foreign countries. If you need to apostille documents, please inquire about our apostille services. We help apostille documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, FBI background checks and many more. Global Apostille is your source for apostille USA!

Please visit How to Apostille page to find this information or click on the links below to read about each document.

I have a U.S. birth certificate and I need to legalize it. What do I need to do?

If the birth certificate is issued by an official authority of the state where the birth took place (for example, the department of vital statistics, state registrar, etc.) and has an official seal, then usually no additional certifications are required (exceptions exist for certian states). However, prior to sending us the original document, we advise you to scan/take a photo of it front and back and email it to us for review so we can make sure the document has proper signature(s) and seal(s). Please visit Our Services page and follow instructions to begin the process of making your birth certificate legal in a foreign country.

After I send you my documents, how much time will it take for the documents to be processed and returned to me?

The processing time will depend on the type of document, on the state where the document was issued and the country for which the document is destined. We will start processing your documents as soon as we receive them. If the documents have proper seal(s) and signature(s), we will start processing them right away. In some cases, if the documents require additional certification, the process will take longer. If you can, please contact us in advance so we can review your scanned documents before you mail them to us and save processing time.

Can my document be rejected an apostille/authentication?

Yes, it is possible that your document may be rejected for a variety of reasons. Global Apostille will ensure that your documents have proper signature(s) and/or are properly notarized. If we find that your documents contain errors made by notaries, require additional certification, are not translated from a foreign language, are issued in another country or are going to be used in the US, we will contact you for clarification. If you can, please contact us in advance so we can review your documents before you mail them to us and save processing time.

Can you translate my documents to another language and then authenticate/apostille?

Global Apostille partners with companies and individuals who provide notarized and certified translation services. Please let us know if you would like to receive a translation quote. We will confirm if we are able to locate a qualified translator based on the target language.

I need a medallion signature guarantee. Do you provide this service?

No. That is a special signature guarantee for the transfer of securities and is provided by financial institutions.

I need my FBI background check authenticated. Do you provide this service?

You will need to request the background check directly through FBI. Once you receive the letter from FBI, follow instructions on Our Services page.

I need to add a page to a document that already has an apostille certificate. Can I remove the certificate, add the page and reattach the apostille certificate?

No. Do not remove the authentication or apostille certificate once it's attached. Removal will make the apostille/certificate invalid. Mail us the entire document once again and we will process it accordingly.

How much do you charge for your services?

Please see our rates here.

What are your Terms and Conditions?

Please see our Terms and Conditions here.

I would like to cancel my request for an apostille. How can I do it?

If you decide to cancel your request, please contact us in writing (by fax or email) to cancel it. If we have not started processing it, we will refund 100% minus the shipping charges if we ship your documents back to you. If we have begun the process, we will not be able to issue a refund or it can be issued partially (depending on how many services you have requested). To view our Terms and Conditions, please click here.

I want a refund. Can I get one?

We will only refund your fee if:
1. You contact us in writing (by fax or email) to cancel the request before we begin processing it. We will refund 100% minus the shipping charges if we ship your documents back to you.

OR

2. If your document is rejected an apostille due to our error.
To view our Terms and Conditions, please click here.

Which address should I use to send you my documents for authentication?

We recommend that you do not mail your documents via regular First Class mail. Please send your documents using a more secure method via USPS Priority Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx.

Please use our mailing address:

Global Apostille
3855 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Suite 300
Norcross, GA, 30092 USA
Tel: 770-447-0360

How can I contact you if I have any questions?

Please contact us during business hours 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM U.S. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except on major U.S. holidays.):

By using the web form to send us a message on the right side of the screen or on Contact Us page (preferred).
By phone: 770-447-0360 (please leave a message in case you are not able to reach us)
By fax: 770-447-0790
By scheduling an appointment at our office.

Can you mail my apostilled/authenticated documents to a foreign country?

Yes, we ship documents abroad. We prefer using DHL for shipping abroad and can provide you an estimated cost once we know the exact address in the foreign country. If you prefer another mail carrier (FedEx, UPS or USPS Priority), we can use them upon your request.

You can also provide us a “pre-paid” delivery service shipping label to use (not a label with an account number).

Third-party responsibilities & refund policies

- Global Apostille is not to be held responsible for loss or delays caused by Express services such as UPS, US Mail Service, FedEx, DHL or other delivery services.

- Global Apostille is not responsible for delays at the Secretary of State due to holidays, early closures or weather delays.

- Global Apostille is not responsible for errors of the Secretary of State.

There is no refund if your documents are rejected by the Secretary of State. Full charges will apply for second attempts to process your documents.

Apostille from anywhere in the U.S.

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