Apostille in USA

We at Roca Authentications LLC in Washington DC (WDC) provide highly professional services for apostille, authentication, and legalization of documents to be used abroad in foreign countries.

We undertake document authentication on behalf of the client, significantly reducing the turnaround time and making the entire process fast, efficient and effortless. Having dealt with hundreds of personal and business authentication cases we use our experience to review the requirements for each document. We have established a solid working relationship with many foreign embassies and government offices located in Washington, DC. We have developed a reputation of reliability, professionalism and personal attention.

For documents that will be used outside of the US there are two types of certification. If the documents are going to be used in a country that is a signatory of the Hague Agreement, the process is called Apostille. On the other hand, if the document is going to be used in a country that is not a signatory of the Hague Agreement the process is called Embassy Legalization.

The Apostille process is usually completed at the Secretary of the State where the document was notarized or issued. For example, a birth certificate from the State of Maryland must be Apostilled at the Maryland Secretary of State Office in the city of Annapolis. A document from Texas will have to be Apostilled at the Secretary of State Office in Austin. However, if the document was issued by a US Federal Office, it must be Apostilled at the US Department of State in Washington DC.

Examples of countries that use the Apostille systems are most European nations, Russia, India, Israel, South Africa, South Korea, Mexico, etc.

We can Apostille documents in all 50 states. State documents that are vital records (Birth, marriage, divorce, etc.) have to be recently issued, certified original documents. Federal documents also have to be original documents. Examples of federal documents are: FBI police criminal history reports, certificates of naturalization, certificates of free sale, Social Security documents, etc.

Some documents from any state that require notarization by a Public Notary can be done here in Washington DC and Apostilled by the District of Columbia Authentication Office. For example, a university degree issued in California could be notarized and Apostilled here in the District of Columbia. Notarizing and certifying documents in DC when possible can save time and money.

Embassy Legalization

On the other hand, if the document is going to be used in a country that is not a signatory of the Hague agreement, it will first need certification at the Secretary of State level (except federal documents), then authentication by the US Department of State, and finally legalization by the Consular Section of the Embassy. Examples of countries that require Embassy legalization include China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.

Types of Documents

Legalizing a document in the US varies depending upon whether it is a federal, state or a notarized document. A more detailed explanation is as follows:

Documents Issued by Federal Courts:
Documents issued under the seal of a federal court should be preliminary certified by the Justice Department in Washington DC. After the authentication of the Justice Department is on the document, it is presented to the U.S. Department of State for authentication. The final step is to obtain the seal of the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States.

Documents Issued by Federal Agencies:
Documents issued under the seal of a federal agency can be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. The original document is required. The final step is to obtain the seal of the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States. Example of these documents include: FBI Criminal History Reports, Certificate of Free Sale, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate to Foreign Government, etc.

State Documents:
Documents issued by state agencies or courts must be apostilled or authenticated by the Secretary of the State (SOS) of the issued state. After the SOS (California, Texas, etc.) certifies the document then it is presented to the US Department of State for authentication. The last step is the embassy or consulate legalization.

Examples of State documents include all vital records (birth, marriage, divorce, death, etc.). For certification of vital records an original, recently issued document is required. There are also some other state business/legal documents such as: Certificate of Formation, Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Amendment, Certificate of Merger, Certificate of Dissolution, Certificate of Trust, Power of Attorney, etc.

Notarized Documents:
The procedure for authenticating documents executed before a notary public such as affidavits or acknowledgments varies from state to state. In some states, legalizing them requires contacting the clerk of the court of the county where the notary is licensed, and obtaining an authentication of the notary’s seal. In some cases we can notarize the documents here in Washington DC and have them certified by the District of Colombia Office of Authentication. Doing it here in most cases saves time and may end up being more economical. After the document is certified by the state where the document was notarized then it is presented to the US Department of State for authentication. The last step is the embassy or consulate legalization.

Document Retrieval

We can retrieve copies of public records that have been filed in a federal, state, county, city or any other government office. The following list includes just some of the documents we are able to retrieve in all 50 states and from the federal government. Please let us know if the document you need is not mentioned below and we will discuss the best course of action to obtain the document you require.

For Business:
Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation, Certificate of Amendment, Certificate of Merger, Certificate of Dissolution, Certificate of Trust, Power of Attorney, Miscellaneous state certificates, Court documents, etc.

Personal documents:
FBI Criminal Background Check, State or local police reports, Proof of Single Status, Marriage License or Certificate, Divorce Degree, Birth Certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, etc.

Processing instructions:

When sending your documents make sure to include your name and contact information. Send all documents to Roca Authentications LLC to the address outlined below.