What is an Apostille (pronounce ah-poh-STEEL)?

Most people can go their whole life without ever needing to know this term let alone what the process actually entails. In the most simple terms an apostille is a method by which Hague member countries recognize foreign documents for use within their country. This is a very simply idea, however it has many complexities and pitfalls that can manifest along the way for those unfamiliar with the process. It is my hope that through reading this brief entry you will come to understand the details of how this process came to be, The types of documents that may require such a service, as well as knowing that you can trust The OC Notary to accurately process your documents for use in a foreign country.

On October 5th 1961 in Holland the Hague convention passed a vote to abolish the requirement of Legalization of foreign public documents. This international treaty that became effective on January 14th 1965 allowed member nations the ability to certify documents for legal purposes in other signatory states. This was a monumental decision that freed member nations by granting the ability to circumnavigate the previous modality of document legalization. The Apostille Convention eliminated the need to have documents double- certified. Double certification called for having the document notarized, then authenticated by the state that employed the notary in question. The document would then Travel to Washington D.C. to be Authenticated by the US Department of State. Once the document had been Authenticated it would then need to be delivered to the receiving countries US based Consulate for final Legalization. This was as it sounds a very cumbersome process that was finally abolished for participating countries.

The apostille process as we know it today has been streamlined. This vital procedure has now been granted a reduction in cost and time necessary for processing both corporate and personal documents for use abroad. The requirements today entail a simple notarization by a Notary in good standing, and secondly an Authentication from the employing state of the Notary public who executed said document. This is a much preferred method preparing documents for use abroad. With the help of The OC Notary we can offer your same day service for something that used to take 2-3 weeks to perform. This is extraordinarily advantageous for our customers whom are often in a hurry to process their important documents for their intended purpose for your overseas.

Common documents that require an apostille differ greatly, these will include:

1. Adoption Documents – any and all documents pertaining to an adoption of a child from a country outside of the U.S.A.

2. Power of Attorney – often times our clients have a property in their home country that have a pending transaction or sale, thereby requiring a POA.

3. Patent Registration – Tech and Medical industries regularly file Intellectual patents abroad in order to protect their products.

4. University Degrees and School Transcripts – Students applying to schools abroad will require this service, without it institutions will not recognize the authenticity of the records.

5. Affidavit of eligibility to marry – for those that have found the love of their life in a partner that maintains foreign citizenship, you will need this service. If you intend to marry in a foreign country you will without question need to provide this document to the requesting agency, The OC Notary is happy to help you with this.

6. Back Ground check from local police department – when you are applying for a job or applying for a business licence abroad more often then not the requesting agency will require you to have a background check performed including notarization and apostille.

7. Financial institutions such as banks are prime examples of why and how the apostille treaty was established. Whenever you open a bank account overseas  you will inevitably need to have your personal effects processed with an apostille in order to create these foreign accounts.

As you can see there are many reason both business and personal that you may require you to seek out apostille services. It is important that seek out professional services that have a proven track record of success in processing these vital documents. These are not matters that are to be taken lightly or be trusted to cut rate services. The OC notary has thousands of satisfied customers that have placed their trust in our team to execute their documents in a accurate, timely and professional manner. At this time you might be wondering how exactly do we get this done.

What steps do we take to ensure that your documents are completed accurately and efficiently in the time frame required?

Our process is designed to take the pressure off of you so you can focus on other equally important tasks that require your attention. We start our process by verifying the particular detail of your individual case. Each client is unique and often has their own individual requirements of document and country that requires the utmost level of care and attention to detail. Once we have fully qualified your needs. We will then move forward with our plan of action and be able to give you an accurate turn around time as well as a price quote. We will schedule a traveling notary professional to meet you at your home, office or mutually agreed upon meeting place. At this time our mobile notary public will either Acknowledge your document or simply pick them up for further processing whatever the need my be. We will then expediently process your document with the California Secretary of State where it will receive the apostille designation for those countries that are participating members of the huge convention. The current list of HCCH Members are:

Albania,  Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, People’s Republic of, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, European Union, Finland,            Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Republic of, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco,  Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia.

This list is subject to change so for a complete and current list please refer to the HCCH official website. What about those non-participating countries you may be asking yourself? If your document needs to be legalized for on of the countries not on the list we are also happy to assist you with this complicated process. This is a different matter altogether and a explanation best provided in a separate article.

What to do if you find that you infarct do need apostille services for your family or business?

I hope that I have provided a modicum of insight as to what an apostille is and why you many need to have one performed for your personal or business life. In the event that you do require such services to be executed, we hope that you will place your trust in The OC Notary to accurately and ethically provide you with the best service in the industry. Simply call The OC Notary at 714-253-7618 now to reach our 24/7 helpline or submit an online request for service form and we will be in touch immediately! Upon completing your request you will receive a confirmation text or email. A traveling notary professional will contact you to verify the particular points of your service request to ensure that we are exceeding all your expectations as well as to inform you as to our requirements.