An apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) is a certificate issued by the Secretary of State or other Notary regulating agency that proves the authenticity of a Notary’s signature and seal. The apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

The Hague Apostille Convention was a conference held in 1961 in which many countries joined together to create a simplified method of “legalizing” documents for universal recognition.  Members of this conference adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that would be recognized by all member countries.  Apostille only pertains to public documents such as marriage, birth, and death certificates and other court documents, patents, or even diplomas.

The United States of America has been a part of the Hague Convention since October 1981.  Getting documents apostilled can be a challenging task, especially if it’s your first experience with the document authentication process.  Fortunately, our team at Washington Express Visas is happy to guide you through the process.  Contact us today for assistance!