Everything About Apostilles & Legalization

It depends on where your document is going. If the destination country is a member of the 1961 Hague Convention (125+ countries including Spain, USA, Canada, Germany, Mexico), you need an apostille. If it is not a member (UAE, Qatar, China pre-2024), you need consular legalization. See our country-by-country guide at /countries/.

Contact us with three pieces of information: (1) what document you have, (2) the country that issued it, and (3) the destination country and purpose. That is enough for us to give you a complete assessment and quote — no commitment required.

No. Our entire process is remote. You send scanned copies for free review, then mail originals by courier. We return apostilled documents by express delivery. No office visits required.

An Apostille is a specialized certificate issued by a government authority that authenticates the seals and signatures of officials on public documents. Under the 1961 Hague Convention, a document with an Apostille is automatically recognized as valid in 125+ member countries — without any further verification.

An apostille is a single-step certification for documents used in Hague Convention member countries. Legalization (also called consular legalization or chain-of-authentication) is a multi-step process required for non-member countries like China, UAE, and Qatar. It involves authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the destination country's embassy.

Any public document can be apostilled: birth, marriage, and death certificates; criminal background checks; university degrees and transcripts; court records; notarized documents; powers of attorney; company registrations. Private documents (personal letters, tax returns, private contracts) cannot be apostilled unless notarized first.

No. An Apostille can only be issued by the competent authority of the country that originated the document. An FBI background check must be apostilled in the USA. A Mexican birth certificate must be apostilled in Mexico. We coordinate with the correct authority in the origin country on your behalf.

The apostille stamp itself has no expiration date. However, the underlying document may expire. A police background check is typically only accepted by immigration authorities if issued within 90 days of your application. A marriage certificate apostille remains valid indefinitely. Always check the receiving country's specific requirements.

Yes, in many cases. A notarized "true certified copy" of a document can be apostilled. However, for background checks and vital records (birth, marriage, death), most destination countries require the original document or a certified original copy from the issuing authority — not a photocopy.

No — the apostille authenticates the document as-is. Translation happens separately. The correct sequence is: apostille the original document first, then have a certified translator translate both the document and the apostille certificate. We handle both steps as a complete package.

Standard apostille: 5–10 business days depending on the issuing authority and country. Rush service: 24–72 hours for eligible documents. Some US states and UK authorities offer same-day service. We quote a specific timeline after reviewing your document.

No. Our entire process is remote. You send us scanned copies for a free review, mail the originals by certified courier, and we return the apostilled documents by express delivery. No office visits, no travel.

Yes. We offer 24–72 hour rush processing for most document types. Rush service requires the originals to arrive at our office before 10 AM. Contact us first to confirm availability for your specific document and origin country.

Any public document can be apostilled: birth, marriage, and death certificates; criminal background checks; university degrees and transcripts; court records; notarized documents; powers of attorney; company registrations. Private documents (personal letters, tax returns, private contracts) cannot be apostilled unless notarized first.

No — apostilles are placed on original certified documents, not photocopies. If you only have a photocopy, you must obtain a new certified copy from the issuing authority first. Some countries allow a notarized copy of a certified original, but this is not universal.

No. Notarization is performed by a licensed notary who witnesses signatures and certifies copies. Apostille is issued by a government authority (Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, etc.) and certifies the authenticity of the official seals and signatures on a public document for international use. They are two separate processes — notarization often comes before apostille.

Usually yes. When a university closes, its records transfer to a successor institution, the Ministry of Education, or a national archive. We locate the correct current authority for each case. Expect longer processing time.

China rejoined the Hague Convention in November 2023. As of March 7, 2024, apostilles are now accepted for most document types in China, replacing the previous 3-step consular legalization chain. However, some document types and use cases still require legalization. We confirm the current requirement for your specific situation.

Countries not in the Hague Convention that still require full consular legalization include: UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt (partially), Morocco (partially), Pakistan, and Vietnam. This list changes as countries join the Convention — we always verify current requirements before processing.

Spain is a Hague Convention member, so apostilles from any member country are accepted. For documents used in Spanish immigration or university admissions, Spain may also require a sworn translation (traducción jurada) by an officially appointed Spanish sworn translator. We provide both.