Attesting US Documents (FAQs)

Yes - the United States is a member of the Apostille Convention.

US documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When US documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Zambia - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information see:
USA Apostille Services

Official documents that can be legalized in the United States with an Apostille stamp include birth, death, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, criminal record and police certificates, company registration and tax documents, court documents, university and academic diplomas, certificates signed by registered doctors etc., documents issued by government authorities. Other documents may require prior certification by a notary or other authority.

Documents required for submission to countries which have not acceded to the Apostille Convention will require additional attestation by the embassy of the recipient country

To confirm whether your document is eligible for legalization in the United States, contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge.

For further information, see:
USA Apostille Services

Birth, death and marriage certificates issued in the United States are authenticated at State level by the Secretary of State (e.g. California, Florida, Texas), or the U.S. Department of State when the certificate is issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate. Original copies of the certificate must be presented to obtain an apostille.

If presenting to a country that is not a member of Hague Apostille Convention, certificates will need additional authentication, by the US Department of State (certificates with State apostilles) and by the embassy of the destination country (e.g. United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Zambia - Qatar).

When certificates are needed for presentation in a country that does not have English as an official language, Certified Translation may be required.

New original copies of US Birth, Marriage, Death, Civil Partnership and Adoption Certificates suitable for apostille and authentication for use abroad can usually be obtained directly from the respective Vital Records Office or by using the VitalChek service.
Copies of certificates for births registered abroad at a US embassy or consulate (Consular Report of Birth Abroad) can be obtained from the U.S. Department of State: Replace a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).
To obtain a copy of a Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA), contact the State Department: Copies of a CRDA.

In most cases, only the person named on the certificate or close relative (e.g. parent or child) can apply for a replacement copy.

Each US State has different rules on validity for an apostille (e.g. age of the certificate, the official signing). Not all certificates are valid for apostille attestation and in some cases new certificates will have to be obtained (which can take time).

Please contact us in good time if you need an apostille for a US birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate for a free document pre-check to ensure validity and eligibility for an apostille.

Isarey can obtain apostilles for birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates issued by New York, New Jersey, Colorado, California, Illinois, Nevada and other US states. We work with local notaries to ensure a speedy and secure service, including worldwide collection and delivery of certificates by insured courier, embassy and consular attestation and certified translations into Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and many other languages.

Apply for an FBI Identity History Summary. The application can be submitted online from abroad and a digital certificate will be issued that can then be submitted for an apostille or attestation so that it can be presented abroad as evidence of a lack of criminal record in the United States.

Fingerprints must be provided using the FBI fingerprint form that must then be scanned and uploaded with the application. If you are outside the US, fingerprints can normally be taken at a local police station.
Applications: Apply for FBI Identity History Summary
Fingerprints: FBI fingerprint form (pdf)
FAQs: FAQs - FBI Identity History Summary

Isarey offers a quick and reliable apostille service for FBI background checks with worldwide delivery by secure courier. contact us for a quotation or for help obtaining your certificate.

In the United States, it is possible to obtain State police and even local police background checks certifying an absence of a criminal record (contact your local police force); these can then by certified by apostille in the State where they were issued.

However, many overseas authorities requiring a clean criminal record certificate as part of a visa or residency application will require a certificate from the FBI (Identity History Summary).

FBI certificates can be obtained online from within the United States or from abroad, and are available to US and non-US citizens. The FBI issues digital certificates that can then be certified by the US Department of State for use abroad.

For further information, see: FBI Background Checks

Depending on the State where the document was issued, Hague Apostilles in the United States can be obtained as quickly as one day, or it may take 2 – 3 weeks. Many states offer expedited services (although some have been suspended as a result of COVID-19). Federal documents, such as FBI Background Checks may take 2 to 3 weeks while counter services remain suspended due to COVID-19.

Allow at least 3-4 weeks to authenticate documents required for non-apostille countries such as the United Arab Emirates or China, where US Department of State and Embassy Attestation is required.

Some specific processes may take longer, see for example Saudi Arabia Degree Attestation

USA apostilles are issued by the individual US States and by the US Department of State (Office of Authentications), depending on whether the document is a State or Federal Document. Apostilles for state documents, including documents certified by notaries public, are affixed by the Secretary of State where the document is issued or notary registered (See for example: New York Apostilles, Florida Apostilles, California Apostilles). Federal documents, such as FBI Background Checks, are submitted directly to the US Department of State in Washington DC.

Documents issued in US overseas territories have separate procedures (See Puerto Rico Apostille Service, US Virgin Islands Apostille Service).

The fastest and easiest way to attest education certificates and diplomas issued in the United States (including University Degrees, Course Transcripts, High School Diplomas, Registration Letters and other academic certificates is through a notarized true copy. In many cases, following verification with the awarding institution, the notary will make a true copy based on a good quality scan of certificate and obtain an apostille from the Secretary of State of Washington DC.

However, depending on the country of use and purpose, it may be necessary to certify the original certificate rather than a true copy. While it may be possible to certify some certificates directly through the Secretary of State in the State where the institution is based, in most cases the signature of the school official on the certificate will have to be witnessed by a notary, and you will need to contact the school to arrange this.#Once notarized, true copies and original certificates can then be certified by the State where the notary is registered, affixing a Hague Apostille or Authentication certificate (depending on the destination country). Where certificates are required for presentation in a non-apostille country, additional authentication is required from the US Department of State and by the foreign embassy or consulate.

Additional procedures apply when certifying academic documents for presentation in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

For further information, please contact us
or see: US Education Apostilles.

To certify American school records and certificates, including High School certificates, for presentation outside the United States, Apostilles and authentication certificates can be affixed to a notarized true copy or on the original. To obtain an Apostille from the Washington DC Secretary of State on a notarized copy, we generally only require a good quality scan. If an Apostille is required on the original document, contact the issuing school in order to obtain a notarized copy that can then be authenticated by the Secretary of State of the State of issue.

For assistance, see: US Education Apostilles.

To obtain an Apostille on a Power of Attorney or Affidavit executed in the United States, the person signing must have their signature witnessed by a US notary public. The Power of Attorney can then be certified by the Secretary of State of the State where the notary is commissioned. Documents can also be notarized by US consulates and Embassies.

Make it clear to the notary that the notarial declaration must be valid for an apostille, because some states have very specific rules on the notarial declarations that are acceptable and these are not always followed by notaries when documents are meant for use within the United States.

If you need to notarize a PoA, affidavit or other US document, but you are unable to appear before a US notary, for example because you are outside the United States, we can arrange a remote notarization, where the document is signed electronically and the notary verifies your identity online. A Power of Attorney can be certified by remote notarization and Apostille within 2 working days,

For information, please contact us.
Or see: Certify USA Documents

If you need to notarize a US document while abroad, then you can use remote notarization. If the document needs to be signed, e.g. a Power of Attorney or Affidavit, then we can arrange a secure online session with a US notary public. The procedure is quick, and allows for documents to be notarized and apostilled in the United States from abroad.

If the document does not need to be signed, and th notary is satisfied with it’s authenticity, then a true copy can be made from a good quality scan and certified by apostille – this is a quick and secure way of authenticating school diplomas and degree certificates.

It should always be confirmed with the receiving authority whether remote notarization or notarization of a true copy is acceptable. Vital record certificates (Birth, death, marriage) cannot be notarized. Many Federal documents, including FBI Background Checks cannot be notarized for Apostille.

See: US Notarization and Apostille Services

Apostilles on vital records and notarized documents are issued by the Secretary of State in the state of issue. For more information see information per state: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Washington DC

If you need to Apostille a divorce judgement issued in the United States, in most cases, it is necessary to obtain a copy of the respective judgement from the court. In most states, we can do this for you - we just need the details of the court and case number.
Please contact us for information.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
• ISAREY reviews on Google

To apply for an FBI Identity History Summary Check, you will need to provide a set of fingerprints, these must be submitted using the FBI's fingerprint form:
FBI fingerprint form (pdf)

In the United States, fingerprints can be taken and submitted electronically at any participating post office. If you are abroad, it is normally possible to have your fingerprints taken by the local police.

• Fingerprints for FBI certificates - Switzerland
• Fingerprints - UK (Metropolitan Police)
• Fingerprints - UK (Thames Valley Police)
• Fingerprints - UK (Greater Manchester Police)
• Fingerprints - UK (South Wales Police)
• Fingerprints - UK (South Yorkshire Police)
• Fingerprints - Ireland
• Fingerprints - Spain
• Fingerprints - France
• Fingerprints - Germany (PDF)
• Fingerprints - Qatar
• Fingerprints - UAE
• Fingerprints - India
• Fingerprints - Hong Kong
• Fingerprints - Portugal
• Fingerprints - Greece
• Fingerprints - Bahamas
• Croatia: at an administrative police station
• Greece: Police Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Fingerprinting Department, at 2-6 Antigonis Street & Leoforos Athinon in Kolonos area, Athens

Hungary: Fingerprints can be taken at the Criminal Technique Division of the Budapest Police HeadquartersLI#