What Is An Apostille
An ‘apostille‘ is just a fancy word to describe a government-issued certificate that authenticates a U.S. document for legal use in another country under the “Hague Apostille Convention.”
It confirms that a notary’s signature or a government office’s seal is genuine, that’s all. But it can be extremely important for certain goals.
Most cross-border immigration, legal, and business matters require this exact certificate, correctly matched to whether the underlying document originated at the state or federal level.
It confirms that a notary’s signature or a government office’s seal is genuine, that’s all. But it can be extremely important for certain goals.
Most cross-border immigration, legal, and business matters require this exact certificate, correctly matched to whether the underlying document originated at the state or federal level.
Federal Vs. State Apostille
The only difference between a federal apostille and a state apostille is the issuing authority and jurisdiction, which are determined entirely by who originally issued your document. Both carry identical legal weight internationally for countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Federal Apostille (Dept. of State)
For documents issued by federal agencies: FBI Identity History Summaries, federal court records, IRS and various other federal agency documents.
State Apostille (Secretary of State)
For documents notarized or issued at the state level: birth, marriage, & death certificates, notarized powers of attorney, state court documents.
Sending a document to the wrong office is one of the most common (and most costly) mistakes in this process. Getting it right the first time is a large part of what I do.
Documents I Coordinate
|
Document Type |
Examples |
|---|---|
|
Vital Records |
Birth, marriage, and death certificates |
|
Federal Records |
FBI Background Checks / Identity History Summaries |
|
Legal Documents |
Powers of Attorney, affidavits, court orders |
|
Corporate Documents |
Formation records, board resolutions, commercial contracts |
|
Academic Documents |
Diplomas and transcripts for work or study abroad |
If you have a document that isn’t listed here, there’s still a high chance I’ll take care of it for you, please feel free to inquire at cgotschall@veritasonthegosolutions.com
How It Works
I go into the details of how it all works on the home page, so you can see the full process breakdown here.
If notarization hasn’t been completed, I coordinate it via remote online notarization or a vetted local network. And it’s matched to your timeline, not a scheduled house call.
If notarization hasn’t been completed, I coordinate it via remote online notarization or a vetted local network. And it’s matched to your timeline, not a scheduled house call.
Pricing
My pricing is simple and straightforward.
Cost per document depends on complexity… most clients pay between $200 and $300 per document, but each case is individual, so please reach out and we’ll discuss.
For an exact quote, book a short strategy call.
Cost per document depends on complexity… most clients pay between $200 and $300 per document, but each case is individual, so please reach out and we’ll discuss.
For an exact quote, book a short strategy call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a few common questions about my apostille services.