Apostille Certification
Obtain an apostille certificate to verify the authenticity of your documents so that you can conduct business internationally.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is a certification that authenticates the signature and/or seal of the issuing authority on a document. If a U.S. Corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC) wants to expand operations or transact business in other countries, an apostille certificate may be required for the international acceptance of its business documents, such as Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, or corporate bylaws. Similarly, if a foreign individual wants to start a Corporation or LLC in the U.S. or a foreign country wants to do business in the United States, they will need to obtain apostille certificates for certain documents. Apostille certificates must be obtained in the country where a business’s documents were issued.
Advantages of the Apostille Process
Certifying documents through apostilling saves time and eliminates red tape compared to legalizing documents through a more extensive authentication process. It’s a streamlined method of verifying the legitimacy of documents that’s available through and accepted by the United States and over 120 other countries that are members of the Apostille Convention, a convention within the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH).
In countries that do not participate in the Apostille Convention, businesses must undergo a more rigorous process to authenticate their documents. The requirements can vary from country to country.
Apostilles FAQ’s
What business documents may need to be apostilled?
Examples of the types of documents that a business may need an apostille certificate or authentication certificate for include:
- Business formation documents (e.g., Articles of Organization, Articles of Incorporation)
- DBA (fictitious name) certificates
- Business governance documents (e.g., corporate bylaws, LLC operating agreements, partnership agreements)
- Certificates of good standing
Where do I apply for apostille certificates for documents issued in the United States?
Public documents (such as articles of incorporation and articles of organization) issued by a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or other U.S. territory may be legalized with an apostille from the state’s Secretary of State office or other designated authority in the relevant jurisdiction.
Federal documents typically require an apostille certificate from the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
How does a U.S. company that wants to do business in a foreign country not participating in the Apostille Convention need to authenticate documents?
Although the U.S. is a member of the Apostille Convention, U.S. companies that will transact business in a non-member country must go through that foreign country’s process of authentication to legalize their U.S. documents. The requirements can vary by country, but the typical steps include notarization, authentication at the state level, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, and legalization at the foreign country’s embassy or consulate in the United States.
You can find the electronic form on the U.S. Department of State’s travel.state.gov website.
How can I find whether a country is part of the Apostille Convention?
You can find a current list of participating members of the Apostille Convention (formally known as the “Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents”) on the HCCH’s website.
What is Form DS-4194?
DS-4194, Request for Authentications Service, is the form used for requesting authentication or apostille certificates under the U.S. Department of State for documents to be used abroad. It has four sections for completion:
- Customer Contact Information
- Shipping Details
- Courier/Representative Contact Information
- Document Information
How long does it take to get an apostille certificate?
It can vary depending on your method of requesting an apostille and whether the issuing agency is experiencing a backlog. States’ apostille procedures and processing times can vary.
According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the U.S. Department of State’s typical processing times for obtaining apostille certification for federal documents are:
- Under 2 weeks for requests made by appointment
- 2-3 weeks for walk-in/pick-up requests
- Over 5 weeks for mail-in requests
How can CorpNet assist me?
CorpNet can help you file for an apostille for any documents issued through the Secretary of State (or comparable office) in any U.S. state. And if you require certified copies of any of your state-issued business documents, we can take care of that for you as well.
CorpNet Is Here to Help
If you are interested in having CorpNet™ apply for your company’s Apostille on your behalf, we can help by saving you both time and money with a service that is fast, reliable, and affordable in processing the documents required to issue the Apostille.
And remember, our services are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We make everything easy for you so that you can focus on what you do best – running your business!
