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Relay Apostille
Service Package
Phoenix
Starting at $125 + Document & Filing
Next Day Turn Around
After Documents Are Received
Only Available to Notary Providers within the State of Arizona
Economy Apostille Service Package
Phoenix
Starting at $249 + Document & Filing
5 to 7 Day Turn Around
After Documents Are Received
Usually Completed Sooner, However, It May Take Up to 7 Business Days to Complete
Standard Apostille Service Package
Phoenix
Starting at $299 + Document & Filing
2 to 3 Day Turn Around
After Documents Are Received
Usually Completed Sooner, However, It May Take Up to 3 Business Days to Complete
Priority Apostille Service Package
Phoenix
Starting at $325 + Document & Filing
Next Day Turn Around
After Documents Are Received
Generally Booked by Businesses &
Working Professionals
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What type of document are you getting legalized?
There are three primary types of documents that require authentications: private documents (individual or corporate); state/county-issued documents; and federally-issued documents.
Private Documents:
Private documents can be personal (example: Power of Attorney) or corporate (example: Articles of Incorporation) and may be issued an authentication or apostille by a designated authority, general the state Secretary of State’s office.
Examples of commonly authenticated private documents include:
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Affidavits
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Agreements
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Articles of Incorporation
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Bylaws
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Commercial Invoices
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Copy of a U.S. Passport (identification page only)
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Deeds of Assignment
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Diplomas
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Home Study
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Income Verification
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Powers-of-Attorney
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Single Status
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Transcripts
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Other business documents
State/County-Issued Documents:
State/county-issued documents may be issued an authentication or apostille by a designated authority, generally the state Secretary of State’s office.
Examples of commonly apostilled and authenticated state/county-issued documents include:
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Birth Certificates
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Death Certificates
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Divorce Decrees
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Judgments in state court cases
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Marriage Certificates
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Probate Wills
Read more about Maryland-issued documents.
Federally-Issued Documents:
Federally-issued documents are documents signed by:
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American Consular Officer
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Foreign Consul Diplomatic Official registered with the State Department Office of Protocol
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Judge Advocate
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Military Notary
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U.S. Federal Officer
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Documents issued by U.S. federal agencies are issued an authentication or apostille by the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office. Requirements, costs and address are below.
Examples of commonly authenticated federally-issued documents include:
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U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Animal/Plant Certification
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Animal Health certifications
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U.S. Department of Justice
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FBI – Back ground check
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U.S. Federal Court Documents
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U.S. Bankruptcy Court Documents
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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Immigration Certifications
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Certificate of Foreign Governments
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Certificate of Pharmaceutical/Export
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What is an "Apostille" or certificate of "Authentication"
And Do I Need One in_______________ Arizona?
Phoenix
If you are traveling overseas, or sending documents for use in a foreign country, you may be required to have the documents certified by the Arizona Secretary of States Office. Depending on the country requesting the certificate, that certification may be called an "Apostille" or a certificate of "Authentication". An "apostille" or a certificate of "authentication" is issued to certify an Arizona notary public, court clerk, or state document custodian to a foreign country. These certifications have been adopted internationally by the Hague Convention (PDF) as a uniform way of verifying documents sent between countries. An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or death certificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or a notarial attestation). The Model Apostille Certificate is reproduced at the beginning of this brochure. Apostilles can only be issued for documents issued in one country party to the Apostille Convention and that are to be used in another country which is also a party to the Convention. You will need an Apostille if all of the following apply: • the country where the document was issued is party to the Apostille Convention; and • the country in which the document is to be used is party to the Apostille Convention; and • the law of the country where the document was issued considers it to be a public document; and • the country in which the document is to be used requires an Apostille in order to recognise it as a foreign public document. An Apostille may never be used for the recognition of a document in the country where that document was issued – Apostilles are strictly for the use of public documents abroad! An Apostille may not be required if the laws, regulations, or practice in force in the country where the public document is to be used have abolished or simplified the requirement of an Apostille, or have exempted the document from any legalization requirement. Such implication or exemption may also result from a treaty or other agreement that is in force between the country where the public document is to be used and the country that issued it (e.g., some other Hague Conventions exempt documents from legalization or any analogous formality, including an Apostille). If you have any doubts, you should ask the intended recipient of your document whether an Apostille is necessary in your particular case. An "apostille" or a certificate of "authentication" is issued to certify an Arizona notary public, court clerk, or state document custodian to a foreign country. These certifications have been adopted internationally by the Hague Convention (PDF) as a uniform way of verifying documents sent between countries. An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or death certificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or a notarial attestation). The Model Apostille Certificate is reproduced at the beginning of this brochure. Apostilles can only be issued for documents issued in one country party to the Apostille Convention and that are to be used in another country which is also a party to the Convention. You will need an Apostille if all of the following apply: • the country where the document was issued is party to the Apostille Convention; and • the country in which the document is to be used is party to the Apostille Convention; and • the law of the country where the document was issued considers it to be a public document; and • the country in which the document is to be used requires an Apostille in order to recognise it as a foreign public document. An Apostille may never be used for the recognition of a document in the country where that document was issued – Apostilles are strictly for the use of public documents abroad! An Apostille may not be required if the laws, regulations, or practice in force in the country where the public document is to be used have abolished or simplified the requirement of an Apostille, or have exempted the document from any legalisation requirement. Such implification or exemption may also result from a treaty or other agreement that is in force between the country where the public document is to be used and the country that issued it (e.g., some other Hague Conventions exempt documents from legalisation or any analogous formality, including an Apostille). If you have any doubts, you should ask the intended recipient of your document whether an Apostille is necessary in your particular case.
In which countries does the Apostille Convention apply?
The Apostille Convention only applies if both the country where the public document was issued and the country where the public document is to be used are parties to the Convention. A comprehensive and updated list of the countries where the Apostille Convention applies, or will soon apply, is available in the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website – look for the link entitled Status table of the Apostille Convention. The Status table of the Apostille Convention has two parts: the first part lists countries that have joined the Apostille Convention and are also Members of the Hague Conference (i.e., the Organisation that developed the Convention); the second part lists countries that have joined the Apostille Convention but are not Members of the Hague Conference. In other words, a country does not need to be a Member of the Hague Conference to be party to the Apostille Convention. When checking the Status table of the Apostille Convention, always keep the following in mind: 1 Check if both the country where the public document was issued and the country where the document is to be used are listed in either part of the Status table. 2 It does not matter whether a country appears in the first or the second part of the Status table – the Convention applies equally to Members and nonMembers of the Organisation. 3 Check the date of entry into force of the Convention for both countries. Look for the column entitled ‘EIF’ – only after that date can the relevant country issue and receive Apostilles. 4 There are different ways for a country to become a party to the Convention (ratification, accession, succession or continuation), but these differences have no impact on how the Convention operates in a country. 5 If one of the countries has acceded to the Convention, check that the other country has not objected to that accession; to find out, see the column entitled ‘Type’ next to the acceding country’s name and check if there is a link entitled ‘A**’ – if so, click on it and check whether the other country is listed. 6 Check whether the Convention applies to the entire territory of a country or only to parts of it; to find out, see if there is a link in the columns entitled ‘Ext’ and ‘Res/D/N’ – if so, click on it and read the relevant information
What do I do if either the country where my public document was issued or the country where I need to use my public document is not a party to the Apostille Convention?
If your public document was issued or is to be used in a country where the Apostille Convention does not apply, you should contact the Embassy or a Consulate of the country where you intend to use the document in order to find out what your options are. The Permanent Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague Conference does not provide assistance in such cases.
To which documents does the Apostille Convention apply?
The Convention only applies to public documents. Whether or not a document is a public document is determined by the law of the country in which the document was issued. Countries typically apply the Convention to a wide variety of documents. Most Apostilles are issued for documents of an administrative nature, including birth, marriage and death certificates; documents emanating from an authority or an official connected with a court, tribunal or commission; extracts from commercial registers and other registers; patents; notarial acts and notarial attestations (acknowledgments) of signatures; school, university and other academic diplomas issued by public institutions. The Apostille Convention does not apply to documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents. The Convention also excludes from its scope certain administrative documents related to commercial or customs operations.
Where do I get an Apostille?
Each country that is party to the Convention must designate one or several authorities that are entitled to issue Apostilles. These authorities are called Competent Authorities – only they are permitted to issue Apostilles. The list of all Competent Authorities designated by each country that has joined the Apostille Convention is available in the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website. Some countries have designated only one Competent Authority. Other countries have designated several Competent Authorities either to ensure that there are Competent Authorities in different regions of the country or because different government entities are responsible for different kinds of public documents; in some federal systems, the national Government may be responsible for certain types of documents whereas a component state or local government may be responsible for others. If a country has designated various Competent Authorities, make sure you identify the relevant Competent Authority for your request. Most Apostilles are issued on the same day they are requested. The Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website provides full contact details of most Competent Authorities, including links to the websites of Competent Authorities where available.
What do I need to know before requesting an Apostille?
Before you approach a Competent Authority about getting an Apostille, you should consider questions such as: • Does the Apostille Convention apply in both the country that issued the public document and the country where I intend to use it? • If the country that issued the public document has designated several Competent Authorities, which one is the relevant Competent Authority to issue an Apostille for my public document? • Can I get an Apostille for my public document, i.e., is my document considered a public document under the law of the country where it was issued? • Can I request an Apostille by mail or must I appear in person? This is particularly relevant if you are living in a country other than the country that issued your public document. • If I have multiple documents, will I need multiple Apostilles? • Are there other documents (in addition to the public document) or additional information that I need to provide to get an Apostille (e.g., a document establishing my identity or a stamped envelope in the case of requests by mail)? • How much does an Apostille cost and what forms of payment are available? • How long will it take to get the Apostille?
How much does an Apostille cost?
The Apostille Convention is silent on the cost of Apostilles. As a result, the practice among competent Authorities varies greatly. Many Competent Authorities do charge for Apostilles; when they do, the prices vary greatly. For practical information on the prices that individual countries charge, see the information available in the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website
Do all Apostilles have to look exactly the same?
No. An Annex to the Apostille Convention provides a Model Apostille Certificate (which is reproduced at the beginning of this brochure). Apostilles should conform as closely as possible to this Model Certificate. In particular, an Apostille must: • be identified as an Apostille; and • include the short version of the French title of the Convention (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961); and • include a box with the 10 numbered standard informational items. An Apostille may also provide additional information. For example, an Apostille may: • provide extra information about the public document to which it relates; • recall the limited effect of an Apostille (i.e., that it only certifies the origin of the public document to which it relates); • provide a web-address (URL) of a register where the origin of the Apostille may be verified; or • specify that the Apostille is not to be used in the country that issued it. However, such additional information must be outside the box that holds the 10 numbered standard informational item
How are Apostilles affixed to public documents?
An Apostille must be placed directly on the public document itself or on a separate attached page (called an allonge). Apostilles may be affixed by various means, including rubber stamps, self-adhesive stickers, impressed seals, etc. If an Apostille is placed on an allonge, the latter can be attached to the underlying public document by a variety of means, including glue, grommets, staples, ribbons, wax seals, etc. While all of these means are acceptable under the Convention, Competent Authorities are encouraged to use more secure methods of affixation so as to safeguard the integrity of the Apostille. Failure to affix an Apostille in a particular manner is not a basis for refusing the Apostille
What are the effects of an Apostille?
An Apostille only certifies the origin of the public document to which it relates: it certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of the person or authority that signed or sealed the public document and the capacity in which this was done. An Apostille does not certify the content of the public document to which it relates. Apostilles are not grants of authority and do not give any additional weight to the content of underlying documents. An Apostille may never be used for the recognition of a document in the country where that document was issued – Apostilles are strictly for use of public documents abroad. It is up to the country where the Apostille is to be used to decide how much weight to give to the underlying public document
Once I have an Apostille, do I need anything else to show that the signature or seal on my public document is genuine?
An Apostille only certifies the origin of the public document to which it relates: it certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of the person or authority that signed or sealed the public document and the capacity in which this was done. An Apostille does not certify the content of the public document to which it relates. Apostilles are not grants of authority and do not give any additional weight to the content of underlying documents. An Apostille may never be used for the recognition of a document in the country where that document was issued – Apostilles are strictly for use of public documents abroad. It is up to the country where the Apostille is to be used to decide how much weight to give to the underlying public document
If the recipient of my Apostille wants to verify my Apostille, what should I suggest?
Each Competent Authority is required to keep a register in which it records the date and number of every Apostille it issues, as well as information relating to the person or authority that signed or sealed the underlying public document. Recipients may contact the Competent Authority identified on the Apostille and ask whether the information on the Apostille corresponds with the information in the register. In order to verify a particular Apostille, recipients may contact the Competent Authority. Contact information for the Competent Authorities, including phone numbers and website information, such as the URL of e-Registers where applicable, is available in the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website. Many Competent Authorities have started to operate online electronic Registers (e-Registers). These e-Registers allow for easy online queries to verify the origin of an Apostille without Competent Authorities having to answer these queries individually by phone, e-mail or otherwise. If a Competent Authority operates such an e-Register, the web address of the e-Register is mentioned on the Apostille. While the Permanent Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague Conference provides a broad range of services to support Contracting States in the effective implementation and practical operation of the Apostille Convention, it does not issue any Apostilles, does not maintain any register of Apostilles and does not keep any copies of Apostilles.
Can Apostilles be rejected in the country where they are to be used?
Apostilles issued in accordance with the requirements of the Convention must be recognised in the country where they are to be used. Apostilles may only be rejected if and when: • their origin cannot be verified (i.e., if and when the particulars on the Apostille do not correspond with those in the register kept by the Competent Authority that allegedly issued the Apostille); or • their formal elements differ radically from the Model Certificate annexed to the Convention. While an Apostille should conform as closely as possible to the Model Certificate annexed to the Convention, in practice Apostilles issued by different Competent Authorities vary in design, size and color as well as in any additional elements that may be included on the Certificate. Such variations in appearance are not a basis for refusal of an Apostille. Failure to affix an Apostille to the public document in a particular manner is not a basis for refusing the Apostille. The mere fact that an Apostille has been affixed by a method that differs from the method(s) employed by the country where it is to be used is not a reason for the rejection of the Apostille. Additional text on an Apostille outside the box with the 10 numbered standard informational items is not a basis for rejection of an Apostille. ‘Apostille Certificates’ issued by countries that are not party to the Convention must be rejected in all other States as being contrary to the Convention
What about electronic Apostilles and electronic Registers of Apostilles?
The Convention does allow Competent Authorities to issue Apostilles in electronic form (e-Apostilles) and to maintain electronic registers of Apostilles (e-Registers). Many Competent Authorities are developing and implementing e-Apostilles and e-Registers, as suggested by the Permanent Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague Conference under the electronic Apostille Pilot Program (e-APP). For more information about the e-APP in general, and on whether a particular Competent Authority issues e-Apostilles and/or maintains an e-Register, see the e-APP website at www.e-APP.info (in particular the Status of the e-APP