Apostille For Federal Licenses
For a document to be apostille for federal licenses, it must first be authenticated or certified by the government entity that issued the original document. For state documents, this is the “secretary of state” for the relevant state. For federal documents, this is the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications. We can help you determine who should apostille your document based on where it will be used (see this article). Some examples of documents that need to have an apostille attached include FBI background checks, State of Illinois background check, passport application, birth certificates and other vital records, divorce decrees, court orders and many others.
Apostille for Federal Licenses: How to Legalize for International Use
Apostille and authentication certificates are ways of verifying signatures, stamps or seals on important documents. They are often used when a document must be legally recognized in another country. The country where the document will be used determines whether an apostille or authentication certificate is required. If the document will be used in a country that is a member of The Hague Convention, an apostille is required. Otherwise, a more thorough process of authenticating the document is required (see this article for information about that).
Apostilles are simplified certifications for countries that are members of the Hague Convention. Authentication is a more complicated process for non-member countries. The requirements, fees and wait times for apostille and authentication vary widely by state and government agency. For example, some states require that documents be notarized before they can receive an apostille while other countries require that the apostille be followed by a full legalization of the document. For more information about apostille and authenticating documents for use overseas, see this article in the People’s Law Library.