Apostille Series # 3: Where Can I Obtain an Apostille Certification?
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So far, our blog series on Apostilles has addressed four common questions regarding Apostille certification: What is an Apostille? What documents can receive Apostille certification? When does a document need an Apostille? And where is the Apostille Convention in effect? Herein we will answer one final question: Where can I obtain an Apostille certification for my document?
Every nation that is a party to the Apostille Convention has established at least one agency with the power to issue an Apostille certification in their jurisdiction; these are known as Competent Authorities. Some counties have only a single Competent Authority while others have multiple agencies that can issue an Apostille.
To be eligible for Apostille certification, a document must be certified by a public official, or notarized if it is a document that is not issued by a public official. To obtain an Apostille certification for your certified or notarized document, you will need to submit it to the appropriate Competent Authority based on the source of the original document. The Hague Convention website has a good resource for identifying the proper Competent Authority. The fee for the Apostille certification varies by Authority, but most charge between $15-25.
For help in obtaining Apostille Certification for your document, contact a service provider with experience in securing authentications for documents to be used abroad.