APOSTILLE SERVICE FLORIDA

• An “apostille” refers to a certification issued for documents in countries that follow the 1961 Hague Convention. It authenticates public documents abroad, such as marriage licenses and diplomas. The apostille confirms the signature of the official and a Competent Authority grants it. In Florida, the Secretary of State acts as the Competent Authority. If your document requires international use, a State or Federal Government Agency will authenticate signatures, granting you an Apostille or Legalization.

• The Secretary of State of the originating document certifies the notarization by verifying the Notary Public’s valid license and the authenticity of the Notary Certificate.

  Once this certification is complete, the Secretary of State issues an Apostille.

  Subsequent Government Agencies then certify the prior agency’s certification.

  Whether a country accepts the apostille certification depends on its adherence to the Hague Treaty. The Hague Treaty is an international agreement to recognize the Secretary of State’s signature from each state without requiring U.S. Secretary of State certification. Countries that signed the 1961 Hague Treaty acknowledge the Apostille certification. The “EIF” column (Entry in Force) indicates the treaty’s effective date.

Authentication, a broad term, often involves confirming or “authenticating” the source of a public document. People sometimes use “Authentication” and “Legalization” interchangeably, and “Authentication” might also describe the Apostillization process.

• The 1961 Hague Convention aims to eliminate the need for legalization and facilitate the international use of public documents.

  Legalization involves certifying the authenticity of the signature, seal, or stamp on a public document through a series of official confirmations, ultimately recognized by the destination state for legal validity.

  For countries not part of the 1961 Hague Convention, documents must undergo a series of authentications, culminating in the foreign Embassy’s final authentication (legalization) for use in their country.

  Documents require processing through the relevant Secretary of State for Apostille, the U.S. Department of State for Authentication, and the appropriate foreign Embassy for Legalization.

  Although the legalization process varies between states, it generally results in a complex, time-consuming, and expensive procedure.

  Countries charging high embassy legalization fees include Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, and more. Typically, Embassy Legalization can take 8 weeks or more to finalize.

• It is the seat of government of the Netherlands. It is famous for being the permanent home of the United Nations’ International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. It is also a leading center for international conferences.
• The Hague Country – Concluded on May 29, 1993 in The Hague, the Netherlands, the Convention establishes international standards of practices for intercountry adoptions. The United States signed the Convention in 1994, and the Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008.

If the document is going to be sent to a country that is not a party to the “Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents”, an Apostille or certification by the Secretary of State’s Office will not be sufficient. These documents will also require a certification to be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, and the corresponding Embassy/Consulate Legalization.

• The certificate is issued on security paper, which cannot be photocopied. Photocopies will have the word “VOID” displayed throughout. 
• Each certificate is assigned a unique identification number displayed on the back of the certificate in the lower left hand corner.
• The Florida Department of State will verify the certificate’s authenticity. 

• For notarization: In some states, notaries can notarize foreign language documents if they understand and communicate fluently in the foreign language without relying on potentially inaccurate third-party interpreters. However, the notary’s statement, usually in the notarial certificate, must be in English.

  For Apostille and Authentication: Most states accept multilingual documents as long as the notarization is in English. Yet, agencies like the U.S. Department of State have different rules—non-English documents aren’t accepted. Foreign language documents must be translated by a certified translator and notarized as accurate.

  For international use in non-English speaking countries, prepare documents like powers of attorney, agreements, wills, etc., in both English and the local language. Sequential notarization and certification can prevent U.S. rejection and ensure foreign comprehension.

  The translator must not also be the notary. Your Apostille Agent can help translate and notarize your documents.

• The following State/Agency requires both English translations of foreign documents and subsequent notarization.

•  U.S. Department of State, Washington D.C
• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina

• Unlike certified documents, exemplified copies are solely produced and authenticated by the issuing body. Additionally, they cannot be a reproduction of a prior copy. “Exemplified” can also refer to an authenticated legal pleading copy.

  An exemplified copy (or exemplification) is an attested copy of a public instrument, made under a court’s seal and original signature. It bears the sovereign’s name, such as “The People of the State of Oklahoma.”

  It’s a duplicate of official court documents like divorce decrees, obtained from the courthouse clerk.  Endorsed copy with the clerk’s signature and an official seal or stamp to confirm its authenticity.

• Not required. A document notarized in any U.S. state is valid in any U.S. Territory.
  The U.S. has 16 Territories: 5 inhabited—Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa; and 11 uninhabited—Bajo Nuevo Bank, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, Serranilla Bank, Wake Island.
  Apostilles are solely for use outside the United States and its territories. A notarial act or certified copy suffices within American territories or possessions.

Background checks issued and signed by the FBI goes immediately to the U.S. Department of State for Authentication.