SERVICIO DE APOSTILLA

Requirements for California Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificates

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Certified copies of these certificates should be obtained from the County Clerk’s office.  If a doctor has signed the certificate, it will require another step before it can be apostilled (additional $80 fee will be required.)  Currently the processing time of copies of vital record certificates is the same as an exemplification certificate. ​

What is an Apostille? 

In the modern world, countless documents are signed and sent between countries, many of them notarized or including the signature of some other public official. The challenge for individuals receiving the documents is knowing whether the Notary’s signature is legitimate. An apostille is a certificate issued by a government agency verifying the authenticity of the signature of a Notary Public or other public official. In other words, an apostille confirms that the seal and signature of the Notary on a document is valid, and the notarization can be accepted by the receiving agency in the foreign country.  They are specifically used for documents going to the 156 countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention.  Documents sent to countries that are not part of the Hague Convention may require additional certification from the U.S. Department of State.

What is an Apostille Agent?

An apostille agent assists for customers in obtaining apostilles or authentications.  However, it’s important to make one thing clear: You (the Notary) do not issue apostilles or attach them to documents. That is the role of the state agency authorized to issue apostilles, usually the Secretary of State’s office.  Only an authorized government agency can place the actual certificate of apostille on the document. But an apostille agent can provide other valuable services to assist customers in need of apostilles, as described below.  

Apostille Agent Functions:

Apart from notarizing the signatures on a document, an apostille agent can provide a variety of services. For example, an agent can provide courier services to deliver notarized documents requiring apostilles to the appropriate agency. This might entail sending the notarized document, a check for the processing fee, the apostille request form and a return mailing label to the apostille-issuing agency on the customer’s behalf. The agency would then process the request, attach the apostille and mail the document with apostille back to the Notary or the customer. Apostille agents also may contact the issuing agency on the customer’s behalf to request instructions related to obtaining an apostille. For example:  You might be asked to find out if the agency requires the customer to submit the original notarized document, or if the customer can provide a certified copy of the document instead. Please remember that not all states authorize Notaries to certify copies of documents, and Notaries are never allowed to certify copies of vital statistics documents such as a birth certificate, a death certificate, a marriage license or a divorce decree.  You also may be asked to confirm with a state agency if they will issue an apostille for a document notarized using remote notarization, or other details such as if the document requires translation, a cover page, or contacting a federal agency to ask if the receiving country will require additional documentation.

Because apostille services are not part of your duties as a Notary, the fees charged are not limited by the state Notary laws. 

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Obtaining an Apostille

Every apostille is issued by the government agency (usually the Secretary of State’s office) in the state where the document ORIGINATED. For example, let’s say our client went to school in California, now lives in Pennsylvania and needs an apostille for his California school diploma. Because the diploma was issued in California, the apostille must be obtained from the California Secretary State’s office.  The destination country may affect whether the customer needs authentication documentation instead of an apostille. In 1961, there were 120 countries that joined the Hague Convention, which allows expedited authentication of documents sent between member nations. Most countries in the world are members of the Hague convention, but some are not.  If the destination country is NOT a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, the document may require additional paperwork from the U.S. Department of State in addition to the apostille. In some instances, a client may also want you to present the documents to an embassy of the destination country on their behalf.

Please let us know:

What is the type of document(s) ?

Where did it originate?  (STATE OF ORIGINATION) 

Where will it be going?  (COUNTRY OF DESTINATION)