Frequently Asked Questions About Apostilles Made Easy
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.
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.
For 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.
No. Apostilles may vary in design, size, and color as well as in any additional elements, from state/county to state/county.
It is a legal way to show to someone that a signature on a document is certified and authentic.
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/authenticated:
- Registrar/Recorders
- County Clerks
- State Officials
- Notaries Public
Personal documents that can be authenticated include:
- Marriage Certificates/Licenses
- Divorce Decree
- Birth/Death Certificates
- Notarized Power of Attorney's
Business and corporate documents include:
- Texas Articles and Certificate of Incorporation
- Texas Certificate of Fact Status
- Notarized Power of Attorney's
- Notarized Business Letter's
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 certain states). However, prior to sending us the original document, we advise you to scan/take a photo of it (front and back) and email/upload it to us for review so we can make sure the document has proper signature(s) and seal(s).
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 and on additional shipping fees.
Yes, it is possible that your document may be rejected for a variety of reasons. Apostilles Made Easy 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.
Apostilles Made Easy 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.
You will need to request the background check directly through the FBI. Once you receive the letter from the FBI, you would need to send it to us for processing.
No. Do not remove the Apostille/Authentication certificate once it's attached. Removal will make the Apostille/Authentication certificate invalid/voided.
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, so that you can track it.
Please use our mailing address:
Apostilles Made Easy
600 West 9th Street. Suite B Austin, TX, 78701 USA
Tel: (512) 263-7578
Yes, we ship documents International. We prefer using FedEx International for shipping and can provide you an estimated cost once we know the exact address in the foreign country. If you prefer another mail carrier (DHL, UPS, or USPS Priority), we can use them upon your request.
You can also provide us a “prepaid” delivery service shipping label to use (not a label with an account number).
Please see our Terms and Conditions (Disclaimer) here.
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.
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.
For 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.
No. Apostilles may vary in design, size, and color as well as in any additional elements, from state/county to state/county.
It is a legal way to show to someone that a signature on a document is certified and authentic.
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/authenticated:
- Registrar/Recorders
- County Clerks
- State Officials
- Notaries Public
Personal documents that can be authenticated include:
- Marriage Certificates/Licenses
- Divorce Decree
- Birth/Death Certificates
- Notarized Power of Attorney's
Business and corporate documents include:
- Texas Articles and Certificate of Incorporation
- Texas Certificate of Fact Status
- Notarized Power of Attorney's
- Notarized Business Letter's
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 certain states). However, prior to sending us the original document, we advise you to scan/take a photo of it (front and back) and email/upload it to us for review so we can make sure the document has proper signature(s) and seal(s).
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 and on additional shipping fees.
Yes, it is possible that your document may be rejected for a variety of reasons. Apostilles Made Easy 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.
Apostilles Made Easy 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.
You will need to request the background check directly through the FBI. Once you receive the letter from the FBI, you would need to send it to us for processing.
No. Do not remove the Apostille/Authentication certificate once it's attached. Removal will make the Apostille/Authentication certificate invalid/voided.
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, so that you can track it.
Please use our mailing address:
Apostilles Made Easy
600 West 9th Street. Suite B Austin, TX, 78701 USA
Tel: (512) 263-7578
Yes, we ship documents International. We prefer using FedEx International for shipping and can provide you an estimated cost once we know the exact address in the foreign country. If you prefer another mail carrier (DHL, UPS, or USPS Priority), we can use them upon your request.
You can also provide us a “prepaid” delivery service shipping label to use (not a label with an account number).
Please see our Terms and Conditions (Disclaimer) here.