General
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a standardized authentication certificate issued under the Hague Convention of 1961. It verifies that a public document is genuine so it can be legally recognized in another country without further authentication. In the United States, apostilles are issued either by a state’s Secretary of State office (for state documents) or by the US Department of State (for federal documents).
Why would I need an apostille?
An apostille is required whenever you need to use a US government document in another country that is a member of the Hague Convention of 1961. Common situations include immigrating abroad, getting married in a foreign country, enrolling in a foreign university, applying for dual citizenship, working overseas, and adopting a child internationally. For countries outside the Hague Convention, a legalization process is required instead.
What is the difference between an apostille and legalization?
The end result is the same: using your document in a foreign country. The difference is in the process. An apostille is a single certificate accepted in all 120+ Hague Convention member countries, issued in one step by one authority. Legalization is a multi-step chain process required for countries outside the Hague Convention — it involves US Department of State authentication followed by the destination country’s embassy or consulate, and can require up to three certifications per document.
Which countries accept a US apostille?
There are 120+ countries that accept a US apostille, as they have signed the 1961 Hague Convention. If a country is not a signatory of the Apostille Convention, it will only accept full legalization instead.
What documents can receive an apostille?
Any document bearing the signature or seal of a government official can receive an apostille. Common examples include birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, divorce decrees, court orders, FBI background checks, National Archives records, powers of attorney, notarized affidavits, and federal agency correspondence such as USCIS Certificates of Non-Existence. Both wet (handwritten) and digital signatures qualify at the federal level; state-level acceptance of digital signatures varies.
Who can issue an apostille?
Only the authority that has jurisdiction over the signing official can issue an apostille. For state documents, that is the Secretary of State in the state where the document was issued. For federal documents, that is the US Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, DC. A state Secretary of State cannot apostille a federal document, and the Department of State cannot apostille a state document.
What is the difference between a state apostille and a federal apostille?
The issuing authority depends on which government issued the original document. State documents — birth, marriage, and death certificates, court orders, notarized documents — must go to that state’s Secretary of State office. Federal documents — FBI background checks, NARA records, naturalization certificates — must go to the US Department of State. Using the wrong authority results in automatic rejection. See our state apostille and federal apostille pages for details.
How long is an apostille valid?
The apostille certificate itself does not expire. However, some underlying documents have their own time limits set by the receiving country or institution. FBI Identity History Summary (background check) documents, for example, are commonly required to have been issued within the past 6 months for immigration, employment, or visa purposes. Always confirm the currency requirements with the receiving authority.
Documents
How do I get an apostille for a birth certificate?
You must submit a certified copy of your birth certificate to us via physical mail. Birth certificates always require a state apostille from the state that issued them. Learn more on the birth certificate page.
How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?
FBI background checks can be emailed or uploaded instead of mailed physically, because the original is a digital file. Once submitted, we print it and process it through the federal pathway, which takes about 2 weeks — versus 6–8 weeks for standard mail-in. See the FBI background check page for details.
How do I get an apostille for a marriage certificate?
You must submit a certified copy of your marriage certificate to us via physical mail. Marriage certificates require a state apostille from the state where the marriage was registered. Learn more on the marriage certificate page.
How do I get an apostille for a death certificate?
You must submit a certified copy of the death certificate to us via physical mail. Death certificates require a state apostille from the state where the death was registered. Learn more on the death certificate page.
How do I get an apostille for a diploma or academic transcript?
Diplomas and transcripts receive a state apostille. Because most are issued by a school rather than a government office, the document usually needs to be notarized first — most often by the registrar or a notary affirming the copy is true — before the state apostille can be issued. See the diploma and transcript page for details.
How do I get an apostille for a power of attorney?
A power of attorney is typically already notarized by a notary public and can proceed directly to that state’s apostille process. Apostille fees are charged per authentication, so a document with signatures from two different notarized steps may require two separate apostille fees. Learn more on the power of attorney page.
Can a photocopy or scan be apostilled?
No. Only the original or a certified copy can be apostilled. The one exception is documents that are originally digital, such as an FBI background check — these can be reprinted and the printed result retains the document’s original status. Photocopies or scans of these are still not acceptable.
Can a translated document be apostilled?
No. Get the apostille before translating the document. An apostille cannot be issued on a document that has been modified from the version originally issued, including translations.
Process & Shipping
Do I need to send original documents or can I email them?
It depends on the document. Documents originally issued on paper — birth certificates, marriage licenses, court orders, notarized instruments — must be mailed as originals. Photocopies and scans cannot be apostilled. Documents originally issued digitally — FBI background checks, certain federal correspondence — can be submitted electronically via email to info@apostille50.com or through the upload portal on your order confirmation page.
How do I send physical documents to Apostille50?
Mail originals using a trackable service (USPS Priority Mail Preferred). Do not fold the documents. Send to: Apostille50, PO BOX 160, Germantown, MD 20875. You will receive an email confirmation when your documents arrive.
Is return shipping included?
Yes. Return shipping via USPS Priority Mail (2–3 business days) is included in every order at no extra charge. International return shipping is available for an additional fee — contact info@apostille50.com to arrange it.
How long does an apostille take?
Federal apostilles through Apostille50 take approximately 2 weeks, versus 6–8 weeks for standard DIY mail-in. State processing times vary by state, typically ranging from a few business days to several weeks.
What happens after I place my order?
After you place your order you’ll receive an email with instructions about mailing documents, if your order requires it. Once your documents are received, we confirm receipt and send updates as they’re submitted for apostille, received back, and returned to you via trackable mail.
Can I track my order?
There is no order tracker tool, but you’ll be informed by email at each stage as your documents move through the apostille process.
Pricing
How much does an apostille cost?
Apostille50 charges a flat $50 base service fee per order, plus the applicable state fee per apostille ($16–$65 depending on the state). Federal apostilles are $75 per document with no base service fee for federal-only orders. Return shipping is always included. See the exact cost before checkout on the Build-A-Cart page.
Is the base service fee waived for federal apostilles?
Yes. If your order only includes federal apostilles, there is no base service fee — you pay $75 per document. If you add one or more state apostilles to the same order, the standard $50 base service fee applies.
What if my destination country is not in the Hague Convention?
Countries outside the Hague Convention require consular legalization rather than a simple apostille. This is a multi-step chain certification involving US Department of State authentication followed by the destination country’s embassy or consulate. Apostille50 handles legalization as well — a federal legalization fee of $75 per document applies in addition to the standard base service fee. The Build-A-Cart tool flags non-Hague countries automatically.
Are apostille fees refundable?
If you contact us before your documents have been submitted to the relevant authority, we will make every effort to halt the process, return your documents, and issue a refund less return shipping. Once a document has been submitted, there is no way to cancel or refund that document’s fee. If you made a purchase in error or selected the wrong type of apostille, we are happy to refund the difference between what you paid and what you should have paid.
About Apostille50
Why use Apostille50 instead of submitting directly?
Apostille50 expedites federal submissions in-person, cutting typical federal processing times from 6–8 weeks down to approximately 2 weeks. For state documents, we manage all routing, fee payments, and compliance checks across all 50 states and DC — so you submit once and we handle the rest. Every order includes real-time email updates and free return shipping.
Is Apostille50 a law firm?
No. Apostille50 only assists in preparing documents for international use. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.
Is my personal information kept private?
Yes. Documents you upload and information you provide are kept in an encrypted database hosted by Cloudflare. Payment information is processed by Stripe — Apostille50 never has access to your card details. Full details are in our Terms, Privacy & Data Policy.
