Apostille Translation Service

1
What is Apostille?
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Apostille is a type of a certificate, used by the
countries who are members of The Hague
Convention titled Abolishing the Requirement of
Consular Legalization for Foreign Public
Documents of 1961. Under this Convention,
member countries agree to facilitate the exchange
and verification of documents, and one such
instrument is an apostille essentially an
international certification of a notarized
document in any country that participates in the
convention.
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Apostille is affixed by competent authorities
designated by the government of a country which
is party to the convention. Apostille is done
for personal documents like birth, marriage,
death certificates, affidavits, educational
documents like degrees, diplomas, secondary
level certificates etc. Apostille stamp is a
square shaped computer generated sticker, pasted
on reverse of the original documents. Apostille
stamp is a unique sticker having a unique
identification number, through which any member
country of The Hague convention can check its
authenticity online. Under normal circumstances,
once the document has been Apostilled, it does
not need to be attested any more from the
concerned foreign embassy.
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Only countries belonging to The Hague Convention
can issue and accept apostilles. In the United
States, all 50 states and the Federal Government
can issue apostilles. However, an apostille can
only be obtained for the correct jurisdiction.
So, if your original document is from New York
State, then the New York Secretary of State
apostilles it.
The apostille itself is a separate certification.
It gets attached to your original document
usually by a staple, a rivet or a ribbon. It may
contain a raised seal, a gold seal, a ribbon, or
any other design elements agreed upon by its
issuing body.
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Do I Need Apostille?

• You will need an apostille when your document
  will be used
• in a foreign country. You will also need an
  apostille when your
• document will be used in a foreign consulate
  within your home
• country.
• If you are translating and notarizing a document
  in the USA that is going overseas to the country
  that is part of the convention, you do need the
  apostille. If the destination country is not a
  member of the convention, you dont need to
  obtain the apostille certification, because it is
  not going to be recognized anyway.
• There is a growing need for apostille
  translations and Apostille services for
  documents to be used abroad.
• In fact, certified translations of apostille
  documents are required in many international
  situations including marriage, citizenship,
  adoption, business transactions and legal
  proceedings.

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How Do I Get a
Do I Need to Translate Apostille?
Document Apostilled? The Office of the Secretary
of State for each state is empowered to place
the stamp on documents for use in foreign
countries. The website of the secretary of state
is the best place to find information on the
process, as it can vary somewhat from one state
to the next. Youll need to have all of
Yes, we recommend that you obtain certified
translation of the apostilled document, as well
as the certified translation of the apostille
certificate attached to it.
your documents in order. This means youll need
original copies of your state-issued documents,
notarized within that state and made
official. Youll also need the name of the
country requesting that document, so your notary
can double check the document requirements due
to the fact that each country has their own set
of specific guidelines regarding document
apostilles. Any vital records must come from
their country of origin. You can request an
apostille online or in person, and youll need to
go through
the appropriate channels, per your state
guidelines, to get to the right department and
request the apostille. The applicant sends the
form, the original document that requires the
stamp and a fee to the secretary of state for
processing. The time frame could be up to seven
days, so give yourself some flexibility if you
need an apostille you may not be able to get it
immediately.
6
How Much Does an Apostille Cost?
The total cost of getting an apostille may
include getting copies of all necessary
documents. Depending on the county, some vital
records offices may charge 10 and up per copy,
for documents like birth or marriage
certificates. Factor in the cost of a signing
service, as well as the apostille itself, and
youll have the total amount. To request an
apostille from the Secretary of State, its
generally 15 per copy, unless the apostille is
for adoption proceedings, in which case the cost
drops down to 10 per apostille.
What About Documents Written in A Foreign
Language? If you need documents apostilled that
are not written in English, youll need to have
the papers translated by a translator, then the
notary signs on the translated documents. The
notary would need to witness the translation as
well as the translator signing the papers, then
both the untranslated and translated copies
would be turned in to receive the apostille. All
apostilles require a legal signature and official
seal of the participating agency. Documents that
are apostilled require no further certification
upon entering another country, including Embassy
or customs certification. Check with state
guidelines to ensure you have everything you need
to request an apostille as well as the
appropriate forms and notarized documents to
expedite the process.
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Where Can I Get My Document Translated and
Apostilled?
You may contact Universal Translation Services
with all your certified document translation and
apostille needs in any foreign language and
English. The Apostille must be affixed at the
government agency in the country which issued
the original document in the foreign language.
If that foreign country is a member of The Hague
convention, then you will be able to easily
locate the contact information for the
appropriate authorities in the pertinent foreign
country on The Hague Conventions website.