An Apostille For Business Documents

When a apostille federal agency forms plans to do business abroad, it must understand the process required to authenticate documents for use in foreign countries. The nuances involved can make or break the business’s ability to launch a global endeavor.

Depending on the country, it may be necessary to obtain an apostille or certification of authenticity of a private or public document. Apostilles are used for countries that participate in the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, while certifications are used for countries that do not. Typically, both types of authentications require that the document be notarized. Whether this occurs in a city, county or state office will vary by jurisdiction.

Federal Apostille vs. State Apostille: Key Differences

The apostille process seeks to simplify the authentication of documents for use in foreign countries that are parties to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State or equivalent in a signatory country, U.S. federal court clerks or the Department of State Office of Authentications. The apostille is either placed on the document itself or attached to a separate page called an allonge.

Each country has its own authentication requirements, so it is important to determine if the document is private or state/county-issued. The type of document will determine which authority designated to authenticate the document, generally a state Secretary of State’s office. Birth, death and marriage certificates that are signed by a county official or Department of Health must be certified by the County Clerk before they can be submitted for an apostille or certificate of authentication.