International Notarization & Apostille FAQs

An apostille is a standardized certification issued by a Secretary of State (or other designated authority) that authenticates a notary's signature and seal for use in another Hague Convention country. You need one when submitting a U.S. document — like a birth certificate, power of attorney, or diploma — to a foreign government that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention.

As of 2024, over 120 countries are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, including most of Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, India, and China (Hong Kong and Macao SAR). Countries NOT in the Hague Convention (like Canada and many Middle Eastern countries) require full diplomatic legalization rather than an apostille.

The notarization step can be completed online via a remote online notary. However, the actual apostille must be issued by your state's Secretary of State office (or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents). Many document preparation services can coordinate this after your notarization — but you do not get the apostille itself from the notary.

Yes, in most cases. U.S. notaries can only notarize documents in a language they can read. If you have a foreign-language document, you typically need a certified translator to translate it into English, and then the translator's certification (not the original document) is what gets notarized.

It depends on the destination country and the specific use case. Most Hague Convention countries that accept apostilles will recognize a properly apostilled RON document. However, some countries still require wet-ink (traditional) notarizations. Check with your country's consulate or an international documents expert for your specific situation.

Apostille processing times vary by state. Rush processing can be completed in 1–3 business days for an additional fee. Standard processing usually takes 5–15 business days. Federal apostilles from the U.S. Department of State can take several weeks. Plan ahead if you have a deadline.