When applying for visas or citizenship in another country, you will often be required to have official federal paperwork affixed with an apostille. This process is designed to ensure that a document issued by the government of one country is recognized as authentic in another. Most countries that are part of the Apostille Treaty recognize these documents without any additional certification, but it is always best to double check with the country you plan on using a document in.

An apostille for official federal paperwork is a black and white certificate that is stamped and stapled to the document in question. The apostille is usually signed by the notary public or the county clerk who affixed the document. It is then certified by the apostilling agency of the state or department that issued the document. For example, a New York birth certificate or other public document would be affixed with an apostille by the NY Secretary of State’s Office of Authentications.

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For documents that require a more extensive authentication process, you will need to have a full legalization. This requires that the document be sent to a foreign country’s department of state or consulate for authentication. This process may require multiple authentication certificates depending on the requirements of the destination country.

Apostilles and full legalization processes can be complicated, so it is always best to double check with the specific country you plan on using a document in. It is also recommended that you have a lawyer take care of the entire process to avoid any errors. If you need help with any of this, contact us at Malakouti Law and we will be happy to assist!