Guides
The concepts behind the process — so the tools and the state pages make sense.
An apostille is a standardized certificate that verifies a public official's signature and seal on a document for use in the 130 Hague Convention countries.
An apostille is a one-step certificate for Hague member countries; authentication plus legalization is the multi-step chain for non-member countries.
The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention lets a public document from one of its 130 member countries be accepted in any other member with a single certificate.
Dual-citizenship applications usually need an apostilled birth certificate, marriage certificate, and FBI check. Learn the state vs federal split for each.
Teaching abroad usually needs an apostilled diploma and FBI background check. The diploma is a state job; the FBI check is federal. Run both at once.
State apostille turnaround ranges from same-day counter service to 20 business days by mail. Federal FBI apostilles take 5+ weeks. Plan the whole chain.
In states like New York, a notarized document must be certified by the county clerk before the state will apostille it. Vital records skip this step.
A certified copy for an apostille must be an official copy from the issuing agency; hospital souvenir certificates and plain photocopies get rejected.