Apostille certificates are a streamlined verification attachment that’s verified by upto 110 countries worldwide. These verification steps vary everywhere but the plain legal concepts of verifying and attesting the documents stay the same.

Apostille services generally include simple government agency authentication, legalization which requires multiple agency verification.

What are Apostille services?

Understanding how, where and what to file for in a foreign country especially in the U.S with its extremely rigorous checking of documents for every purpose is a bit too tiresome for people. It is also extremely challenging as every procedure has different requirements, fees and political considerations around the world.

Apostille is a French term meaning certification. The word came to use when the 1961 Hague Convention abolished the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. Apostille services refer to the process of legalization of these documents to be used anywhere internationally. The Apostilles basically authenticate the signatures and seals of officials on public documents such as court orders, birth certificates, marriage/divorce certificates, or any other certificates issued by a public authority. The US Department of State only issues Apostilles for federal documents to be used only in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention.

Apostille services vary depending on the document location and type. They may include:

• Standard background checks, 
• Corporate documents, 
• FBI background check, 
• Affidavits, 
• Adoption papers, 
• Birth/death certificates, 
• Transcripts, 
• Diplomas, 
• Marriage certificate, 
• Real estate documents

When do you need an Apostille?

You will almost always need an Apostille if you want to legalize a procedure in any country that is a) not the country of your nationality, b) is subject to the 1961 Hague Convention; For instance, Sarah decided to file for a divorce in the US however, she has officially the nationality of Portugal – which means she has to get Apostille services for her marriage certificate by a U.S. Apostille in order to be able to file for a divorce in the US.

The general rules of thumb when applying for an Apostille include the following:

• The country where the document was issued is statutory to the Hague Convention’s Apostille Laws;
• The country in which the document is to be used (US) is party to the Hague Convention too;
• The country in which the document was issued has laws stating clearly considering it as a public document;
• The country in which the document is to be utilized requires an Apostille in order to recognize it as a foreign public document;
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**Remember, a U.S. Apostille is not usable anywhere in the U.S. or in any of its territories and possessions – It is strictly meant to be  used abroad (in countries subject to the Apostille Convention).

At KICPC, we provide services mentioned above, in addition to any other certification required for use in another country. You can seek our Apostille services in California if you require any of the legalization Apostille services for international use.