Apostille Service

An apostille most often authenticates the origin of a public document. Hence the term Apostille Service. The Apostille is attached to a notarized document and cannot be removed.  This includes items such as birth certificates and court orders. In other words, when a document needs to be recognized by a foreign country. In an ever expanding global marketplace, the need for Apostille grows and will continue to grow.

For instance, there are currently 117 countries who participate in  the Apostille Convention. In 1961 The Hague Convention abolished the requirement of legalization of Foreign Documents. So, this simplified the certifying of public documents. In addition, The United States became part of the Hague Convention.

A notary cannot certify any of the documents listed above. This is because a notary in New York State cannot certify a copy of an original document. Hence, since the documents mentioned are copies of an original they are outside the realm of a notary’s charge. Thus, Apostille Service is necessary. For more information on a notary, or becoming a notary, visit our About the Course page.

For more information on Apostilles, visit the New York Department of State.

Examples that require an Apostille:

• International business transactions
• Foreign legal actions
• International adoption
• Enforcing of intellectual property rights
• International marriages
• Certain foreign investments
• Death certificates

These are just a few examples. Similarly, there are an endless number of situations that demand an Apostille. Above all, the document needs to be recognized by a foreign country.

For instance, a standard Apostille contains a seal and ten mandatory references, which are:

• The name of the country where the document originates
• The name of the signer
• In what capacity the signer is acting
• In an unsigned document, the name of the authority that affixed the seal
• The place and date of the certification
• The authority issuing the certificate
• The certificate number
• The seal of the authority issuing the certificate and their signature

Such a topic could appear on the New York Notary Exam. To see some exam sample questions, go ahead and read our bog article on it.