Liberty Apostille

Liberty Apostille is the #1 apostille services in the USA!

Apostille, Inc.
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You are here: Home / What is an Apostille?

What is an Apostille?

An Apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) is a French word meaning certification.

An Apostille is simply the name for a specialized certificate, issued by the Secretary of State. The Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention (see below).

In the United States, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Government (US Department of State – Office of Authentication) can issue an Apostille.  In total, the United States can issue 52 different apostilles.

In 1961, many countries joined together to create a simplified method of “legalizing” documents for universal recognition. Members of the conference, referred to as the Hague Convention, adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that would be recognized by all member countries.

Since October 15, 1981, the United States has been part of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

The Apostille Convention provides the simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries that have joined the convention. Documents destined for use in participating countries and their territories should be certified by one of the officials in the jurisdiction in which the document has been executed.

The Apostille Convention requires that all Apostilles be numbered consecutively, with individual numbers applied to each Apostille issued. The recognized standard Apostille contains a seal and 10 mandatory references: name of country from which the document emanates, name of person signing the document, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, in the case of unsigned documents, the name of the authority that has affixed the seal or stamp, place of certification date of certification, the authority issuing the certificate, number of certificate, seal or stamp of authority issuing certificate and signature of authority issuing certificate.

Prior to the introduction of Apostille certificates the burden on international courts and authorities to judge foreign documents as authentic was quite considerable. On the October 5, 1961 the Hague Convention abolished the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. The Convention reduces all of the formalities of legalization to the simple delivery of a certificate in a prescribed form, entitled “Apostille”, by the authorities of the State where the document originates. This certificate, placed on the document, is dated, numbered and registered. The verification of its registration can be carried out without difficulty by means of a simple request for information addressed to the authority which delivered the certificate.

The following 126 countries are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents destined for these countries require only an apostille from the Secretary of State. To begin, click on the country requesting your documents.

List Updated: June 2024

Albania Luxembourg
Andorra Macau (China)
Antigua and Barbuda Macedonia
Argentina Malawi
Armenia Malta
Australia Marshall Islands
Austria Mauritius
Azerbaijan Mexico
Bahamas Moldova
Bahrain Monaco
Barbados Mongolia
Belarus Montenegro
Belgium Morocco
Belize Namibia
Bolivia Netherlands
Bosnia and Herzegovina New Zealand
Botswana Nicaragua
Brazil Niue
Brunei Norway
Bulgaria Oman
Burundi Pakistan
Canada Panama
Cape Verde Paraguay
Chile Peru
China Philippines
Colombia Poland
Cook Islands Portugal
Costa Rica Romania
Croatia Russia
Cyprus Rwanda
Czech Republic Saint Kitts and Nevis
Denmark Saint Lucia
Dominica Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Dominican Republic Samoa
Ecuador San Marino
El Salvador Sao Tome and Principe
Estonia Saudi Arabia
Fiji Senegal
Finland Serbia
France Seychelles
Georgia Singapore
Germany Slovakia
Greece Slovenia
Grenada South Africa
Guatemala South Korea
Honduras Spain
Hong Kong (China) Suriname
Hungary Swaziland
Iceland Sweden
India Switzerland
Indonesia Tajikistan
Ireland Tonga
Israel Trinidad and Tobago
Italy Tunisia
Jamaica Turkey
Japan Ukraine
Kosovo United Kingdom (UK)
Kazakhstan United States (USA)
Kyrgyzstan Uruguay
Latvia Uzbekistan
Lesotho Vanuatu
Liberia Venezuela
Liechtenstein
Lithuania

The following 52 countries listed below are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention.   Documents requested by these countries will require several steps to complete (legalization process).  These steps include State certification, US Department of State certification, and Embassy or Consulate legalization.  This three-step process is commonly known as the “Legalization Process”.  Please Contact Us for the estimated breakdown in cost and processing time.

List Updated: June 2024

Afghanistan Mauritania
Algeria Mozambique
Angola Myanmar (Burma)
Bangladesh Nepal
Benin Niger
Burkina Faso Nigeria
Cambodia Palestine
Cameroon Qatar
Congo Republic Sierra Leone
Congo Democratic Sri Lanka
Cuba Sudan
Egypt Syria
Eritrea Taiwan
Ethiopia Tanzania
Ghana Togo
Guinea Thailand
Haiti Turkmenistan
Iran United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Iraq Uganda
Ivory Coast Vietnam
Jordan Yemen
Kenya Zambia
Kuwait Zimbabwe
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali

We can process documents issued from all 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, and the U.S. Federal Government. 

What US State are your documents from?

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Apostille, Inc.

Apostille, Inc. is the leader in U.S. document authentications. We can process documents issued from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Federal Government.

Our offices are strategically located in: Washington State, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and New York

Please call us for the most up to date processing time and availability!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 Star Excellent Service

Office Hours:
Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm

Toll-Free: 1-800-953-3971
support@libertyapostille.com

         

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Hague Apostille Member Countries
Hague Apostille Member Countries

USA Apostille
USA Apostille

Embassy Consulate Legalization
Embassy Consulate Legalization

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Apostille Processing Time
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 Type of Documents
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To check the status of a preexisting order, click here.

Recent Blog Posts:

  • DD214 Apostille
  • Kuwait Embassy Authentication
  • Jordan Embassy Authentication
  • New York County Clerk Apostille
  • TEFL TESOL Apostille
  • UAE Embassy
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  • California Apostille | List of California Counties
  • FBI Apostille for Spain | How to Apostille your FBI Background Check for Spain

Tags

Apostille California Apostille FBI Apostille for Kuwait Apostille for Mexico Apostille for South Korea Apostille Your Driver's License Birth Certificate Apostille for Mexico California Apostille Criminal Record Apostille DD214 Apostile Department of State Apostille Diploma for Kuwait Drive in South Korea FBI Apostille FBI Apostille for Croatia FBI Apostille for Spain Federal Apostille Happy Holidays 2024 Holiday Hours IRS Apostille IRS Form 6166 Apostille Jordan Embassy Jordan Embassy Washington DC Kuwait Apostille Kuwait Consulate Kuwait Embassy New York City Apostille New York County Clerk Authentication NY Apostille NYC Apostille Philippines Apostille Power of Attorney Apostille San Diego Apostille Social Security Apostille Social Security Apostille for the Philippines Social Security Income and Benefits Statement Apostille SPA Apostille for Philippines Special Power of Attorney Philippines Teach English Second Language Apostille UAE Attestation UAE Embassy UAE Embassy Legalization United Arab Emirates Embassy US Department of State Apostille Washington DC Apostille

Do you have a question or comment?  Please complete the form below…
To check the status of a preexisting order, click here.

Apostille, Inc. is the leader in U.S. document authentications. We can process documents issued from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Federal Government.

Our offices are strategically located in: Washington State, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and New York

Office Hours:
Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm

Toll-Free: 1-800-953-3971
support@libertyapostille.com

         


Free FedEx Return Shipping

To check the status of a preexisting order, click here.

Bookmarks

  • Apostille Services Near Me
  • Download Our Order Forms
  • Embassy / Consulate Legalization
  • Example of State Apostilles
  • Hague Apostille Countries
  • How to Pay for Apostille Services
  • Our Offices
  • Press Releases
  • Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and Conditions
  • Translation Services
  • USA Apostille

Recent Blog Posts:

  • DD214 Apostille
  • Kuwait Embassy Authentication
  • Jordan Embassy Authentication

Recent Blog Post

DD214 Apostille

May 1, 2025

Do you need to apostille your DD214 (Report of Separation) from the Department of Defense? In order to apostille your DD214, you'll need to contact the Department of Defense or the National Archives.  The National Archives … [Read More...]

Kuwait Embassy Authentication

February 18, 2025

Do you need your documents certified and legalized through the Kuwait Embassy or Consulate office? We provide Kuwait Embassy and Consulate legalization services in the United States.  If you will be moving to Kuwait for a … [Read More...]

Jordan Embassy Authentication

January 20, 2025

Do you need your documents certified and legalized through the Jordan Embassy in Washington, D.C.? We provide Jordan Embassy and Consulate Legalization services in the United States.  If you will be moving to … [Read More...]

Documents We Process:

  • Birth Certificates
  • Marriage Certificates
  • Death Certificates
  • Divorce Decree
  • Single Status
  • Background Checks
  • Power of Attorney
  • Transcripts
  • Diplomas
  • Passports
  • Driver’s License
  • Utility Bill
  • US Federal Documents
  • and more!

Apostille, Inc.

Apostille, Inc. is the leader in U.S. document authentications. We can process documents issued from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Federal Government.

Our offices are strategically located in: Washington State, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and New York

Please call us for the most up to date processing time and availability!

Office Hours:
Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm

Toll-Free: 1-800-953-3971
support@libertyapostille.com

         

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 Star Excellent Service

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