A federal apostille for immigration documents is a special certification that authenticates documents signed in the United States for use in other countries. An apostille looks similar to a notarization, but it is designed for international use and can verify the signatures, seals or stamps of a government agency. If your document is being used in a country that has joined the 1961 Hague Convention, it will need an apostille to be accepted as valid.

If your document is being used in a state that is not part of the Hague convention, it will need to go through a different authentication process called legalization. This process is less straightforward and can be very difficult for individuals who are not familiar with the intricacies of each individual country’s requirements.

Federal Apostille for Immigration Documents: Step-by-Step Process

An apostille can be obtained by the government agency that issued the original document. Typically this will be the Secretary of State for each U.S. state, but it could also be a federal agency such as the Department of State’s office of authentications.

Tip: It is important to make sure that the apostille is from the agency that issued the document. The NDNY cannot issue an apostille for a passport, birth certificate, driver’s license or marriage license.

If you have any questions about whether your document will need a federal apostille or would like to discuss how Malakouti Law can help with your second citizenship case, book a consultation. We specialize in citizenship by descent and citizenship by investment for Americans.