If you have a legal document issued in the United States that needs to be used abroad, it may need a process of verification called an apostille. The apostille is a certificate that confirms the authenticity of the signature(s) or seal on the document, and where it was signed. The apostille was introduced to replace the old process of legalization that was required by many countries that were not members of the Hague Convention of 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. URL

Legal Document Apostille for U.S. Federal Government Use

An apostille certifies the signature of the signatory and states that he or she is a public official with the authority to sign documents. The apostille also indicates the date of signing and contains other information that makes the document identifiable. An apostille should only be attached to a document that has been already authenticated by another means.

The apostille is used for public documents and is the final step in the authentication process. Documents that have been authenticated by a notary, court or county clerk should be re-authenticated with an apostille before being sent to a foreign country.

If you have a federal document that needs an apostille, check with the agency in charge of the document for the proper procedure. Each state designates a Competent Authority that issues the apostille. You can find information on the apostille and full legalization process by visiting the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office website for costs, requirements and addresses.