US Department of State (USDOS) Authentication

The USDOS is the highest level of authentication provided in the US. It is similar to what in foreign countries is called “Foreign Affairs Certification”. The USDOS document authentication office is located in Washington, D.C. (WDC) and provides the following services:

Apostille
Documents issued by federal agencies that will be used in countries signatory of The Hague Convention Treaty (France, Bahrain, Mexico, etc.). Examples of these documents are: FBI clearances, naturalization certificates, free sales, etc.

Authentication
Documents that are going to be used in Non-Hague Convention countries (Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Vietnam, etc.) require the following process:

Notarized by a public notary
Certified by the secretary of the state where the public notary is commissioned (Texas, California, etc.)
Authenticated by the USDOS in WDC
Embassy Authentication (Legalization)

Note on Authentications:

Vital records are documents issued by each state and do not require notarization by a public notary
Almost all documents (except some commercial documents) that will be used in a non-Hague Convention country require authentication by the USDOS.

What services do we provide?

We provide the USDOS authentication service to individuals or corporations that require their document be expedited using the walk-in services in WDC. 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 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 WDC. We have developed a reputation of reliability, professionalism and personal attention.
As soon as the document is ready we send it back to the client or submit it to any foreign consulate to continue the legalization process.

Who hires us? 

We provide service to individuals or corporations. We act as a sub-contractor for many public notaries and document brokers throughout the US and overseas.Due to our expertise many document brokers and corporations look for our service, as it is fast and reliable. Among those companies are: law firms, document authentication brokers, universities, corporations, registered agents, etc.

Turnaround Time and Fees 

Current USDOS turnaround time is three working days. For consular services it varies depending upon each country. For individuals or corporations with multiple documents requiring authentication we provide discounted fees. Please call or email us and will send you a quote.

We would like to be your contact in Washington, DC.