Apostille Services
What is an Apostille?
An “apostille” is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. A list of countries that accept apostilles is provided by the US State Department.
If the country of intended use does not participate in the Hague Convention , documents being sent to that country can be “authenticated” or “certified”.
The Office of the Secretary of State provides apostille and authentication service to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on documents that will be used overseas. Types of documents include corporate documents such as company bylaws and articles of incorporation, power of attorney, diplomas, transcripts, letters relating to degrees, marital status, references and job certifications, home studies, deeds of assignments, distributorship agreements, papers for adoption purposes, etc. The U.S. State Department provides general information about document authentications and apostilles under the Hague Convention of 1961 .
Apostille/Authentication of Documents Service
Here are a few important requirements for the Texas Secretary of State in order to authenticate a notary public’s capacity and issue an Apostille/Certificate:
1) The signature of the affiant needs to be signed in the presence of the notary public.
2) The appropriate notarial acknowledgement, jurat, or other notarial certificate, completed by the notary public to reflect the date the individual who signed the document appeared before him/her. (Make sure the notary puts a date). Samples of acceptable acknowledgements are listed directly on the Secretary of State website for reference: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/forms/edinfo-sample-forms.pdfLink Opens in New Tab
3) The notary public’s seal of office, affixed to the document (Make sure the notary puts their stamp/seal on the document)
4) The notary public’s signature.
Obtaining an Apostille or Embassy Legalization
Obtaining an apostille can be a difficult process. In most cases, you will need to obtain an original, certified copy of the document you are required to apostille. Once obtained, the original document will have to be submitted to the issuing Secretary of State or the US State Dept for apostille. The biggest challenge in obtaining an apostille are the unique document and Secretary of State or State Dept requirements one must meet before the document is valid for apostille. This is why H-Mobile Notary Service offers a commitment free document review process that will ensure your documents meet all the requirements necessary for Apostille or Legalization. We will prepare, file and obtain your apostille on your behalf in the most convenient and professional manner.