Apostille and Full Legalization Process for Federally-Issued Document: Authenticating Federally-Issued Documents for use Across National Borders

Topics on this page:

• Document Authentication
• General Information on Legalization
• Determine if You Need an Apostille or Full Legalization
  • Private Documents
  • State and County Documents
  • Federal Documents
• Apostille and Full Legalization Processes for Federally-Issued Documents
• Requirements, Costs, and Addresses
• Model Apostille
• Additional Resources

Document Authentication

When using documents in a foreign country, you may need to have the documents authenticated to be accepted in the foreign jurisdiction. Authenticating a document verifies the document’s source so foreign countries can be sure the document is not fake. The traditional method for authenticating documents is called legalization.

Learn more about the Hague Conference on International Private Law.

This article discusses 2 types of document authentication for documents issued by U.S. federal agencies: the apostille procedure and the full legalization procedure. For information about legalizing Maryland documents, see the Maryland Apostille and Full Legalization Process.

General Information on Legalization

Legalization involves several steps of official authentications that can be slow and costly. To streamline the process numerous countries joined the 1961 Hague Convention. The Convention  eliminated the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. The convention reduces the process to a single authentication called an apostille (an authentication certificate). An apostille is issued by an authority designated by the country where the document was issued.

Determine if You Need an Apostille or Full Legalization

Do you need documents legalized?

Common reasons for seeking an apostille or a full legalization include:

• Studying, teaching or working abroad
• Applying for dual citizenship
• Getting married in another country
• Arranging for burial of a loved one in another country 

However, not all countries require certain documents to be legalized.  If you are unsure, you should check with the intended recipient of your document on their legalization requirements.

What country do you plan to use the documents in?

If you do need documents legalized, whether you need a full legalization or an apostille depends on:

• which country issued the document and
• which country you want to use the document in 

Apostilles can only be issued for documents that:

• were issued in a country that signed the Hague Convention and
• are to be used in a different country which also signed the convention.

To find out if your destination country accepts apostilles, you can check the Hague Conference website.  If the destination county is not a Hague Convention member, you will likely need full legalization.  

What type of document are you getting legalized?

There are three main types of documents that require authentications:

• private documents (individual or corporate);
• state/county-issued documents; and
• federally-issued documents.

Learn more about authentication requirements on the US State Department website.

The type of document determines which authority is designated to authenticate or apostille the document.

Private Documents:

Private documents can be personal (example: Power of Attorney) or corporate (example: Articles of Incorporation). Private documents may be issued an authentication or apostille by a designated authority. Generally, the designated authority is state Secretary of State’s office.

Examples of commonly authenticated private documents include:

• Affidavits 
• Agreements 
• Articles of Incorporation 
• Bylaws 
• Commercial Invoices 
• Copy of a U.S. Passport (identification page only) 
• Deeds of Assignment
• Diplomas 
• Home Study 
• Income Verification 
• Powers-of-Attorney 
• Single Status 
• Transcripts 
• Other business documents

State/County-Issued Documents:

State and county-issued documents receive an authentication or apostille from a designated authority. In most cases, the designated authority is the state Secretary of State’s office.

Examples of commonly apostilled and authenticated state/county-issued documents include:

• Birth Certificates 
• Death Certificates
• Divorce Decrees 
• Judgments in state court cases
• Marriage Certificates 
• Probate Wills 

Read more about Maryland-issued documents.

Federally-Issued Documents:

Federally-issued documents are documents signed by:

• American Consular Officer
• Foreign Consul Diplomatic Official registered with the State Department Office of Protocol
• Judge Advocate
• Military Notary
• U.S. Federal Officer

Examples of commonly authenticated federally-issued documents include:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Animal/Plant Certification
  • Animal Health certifications
• U.S. Department of Justice
  • FBI – Back ground check
  • U.S. Federal Court Documents
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court Documents
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Immigration Certifications
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Certificate of Foreign Governments
  • Certificate of Pharmaceutical/Export
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Trademark

Apostille and Full Legalization Processes for Federally-Issued Documents

Documents issued by U.S. federal agencies are issued an authentication or apostille by the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office. For federally issued documents, you should begin by determining which federal department issued the document.

1. Obtain a certified original document or a certified copy from the issuing U.S. federal agency. To be certified, the document must have the seal and authorized signature of the issuing department. 
2. For authentication or an apostille, the document then must be mailed or personally delivered to the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office in Washington, D.C.. For cost, requirements, and address, please see below.
   • If the document requires an apostille, this is the last step.  For federally-issued documents, the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office issues an apostille and the document is now ready to be used in foreign jurisdictions.
3. For a full legalization, the document then must be mailed or personally delivered to the foreign country’s consulate office nearest the customer for an authentication.  Costs, requirements and addresses depend on the consulate.

There may be particular requirements for certain federal documents so it would be best to double check with the issuing-agency. For example:

• Consular Reports of Birth, Death and Marriage of U.S. Citizens abroad are issued an authentication or apostille by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Services, Vital Records Section. You can find more information on the US State Department website.
• Documents issued by a U.S. federal court may be issued an authentication or apostille by the Clerks and Deputy Clerks of that federal court.

Requirements, Costs and Addresses

Visit he U.S. Department of State Authentication Office for address and contact information.

An authentication of a document is $20 (whether for an apostille or a full legalization) and may be completed in three different ways: by mail, in person by the Walk-In Counter, or in person by prescheduled Appointment.

Information on requesting authentication services can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s website. 

By Mail:

If the certification is completed by mail, you must include the following in your submission:

1. Check or money order for total cost of the apostilled or authenticated document(s): $20/document
   • The check may be a personal or business check; checks and money orders must be made out to the “U.S. Department of State”
2. Completed Request of Authentications Service (DS-4194) form
   • Be sure to specify the document’s country of use in Section 4; the document will not be processed without this information.
   • Form DS-4194 
3. The documents to be apostilled or authenticated
4. Self-addressed, pre-paid envelope for the return of the completed document(s)
   • Fed Ex (do not use FedEx Ground or FedEx Home), UPS, and Certified Mail are all accepted methods for sending and returning documents.

In person by Walk-In Counter Authentication Services (no appointment):

Unlike the Maryland Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State does not process your documents while you wait. If you use the Walk-In Counter, you will leave the documents to be processed and pick them up at a later date. Note that there are very limited hours for drop-off and pick-up (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.).

When you drop your documents off, you will receive a document receipt and a pick-up date. To claim your documents, you must return between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on that pick-up date. Documents accepted during the drop-off time will be processed and available for pick-up in about three business days.

You must include the following in your drop-off submission:

1. Completed Request of Authentications Service (DS-4194) form
   • Be sure to specify the document’s country of use in Section 4; the document will not be processed without this information.
   • Form DS-4194
2. The documents to be apostilled or authenticated
   • Customers are limited to fifteen (15) documents per submission and one submission for drop-off services per day. 

When you pick up the completed documents, you must have:

1. Check, money order, cash or credit card for exact total cost of the apostilled or authenticated document(s): $20/document
   • The check may be a personal or business check; checks and money orders must be made out to the “U.S. Department of State”.
   • Cash is accepted when picking up completed documents and the exact amount is required.
   • Credit card payments are accepted when picking up completed documents.  Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted. A photo ID must be presented when using a credit card.
2. Original document receipt/pick-up slip received at drop-off

In person by prescheduled Appointment:

If you are submitting your own personal documents and have an urgent/emergency reason for expediting your document request, you can schedule an appointment with the Authentication Office in advance by phone at 202-485-8000. Walk-in appointments are not accepted. There is a limit of one appointment per day and you must appear in person at the Office of Authentications at the specified time of your scheduled appointment. 

Individuals submitting documents for someone else are eligible to schedule an appointment in life-or-death emergency cases (such as serious illness, injury or death of individual or family member) or for other serious urgent/emergency reasons for expediting the document request.

Appointments are held between 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the U.S. Department of State’s physical location.

At your appointment, you should submit the following:

1. Check, money order, cash or credit card for exact total cost of the apostilled or authenticated document(s): $20/document
   • The check may be a personal or business check; checks and money orders must be made out to the “U.S. Department of State”.
   • Cash is accepted when picking up completed documents in person and the exact amount is required.
   • Credit card payments are accepted when picking up completed documents.  Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted. A photo ID must be presented when using a credit card.
2. Completed Request of Authentications Service (DS-4194) form
   • Be sure to specify the document’s country of use in Section 4; the document will not be processed without this information.
   • Form DS-4194
3. The documents to be apostilled or authenticated

Model Apostille

The apostille Convention has issued a Model apostille Certificate, but not all apostilles look exactly like the Model Certificate.

An apostille can be placed on the document itself or on a separate page. The separate page is called an allonge. Apostilles may be affixed with adhesives, rubber stamps, and seals.

Additional Resources

• The apostille Section of the Hague Convention website lists Competent Authorities and costs (if known) for any country that is party to the Convention; the website also provides a host of additional useful resources related to apostilles.
• Adams, James W. The Apostille in the 21^st Century: International Document Certification and Verification. 34 Houston Journal of International Law. 519 (2012).
• Apostille Prescribed by the Hague Convention. 6C Nichols Cyclopedia of Legal Forms §139:13.