About Federal Document Authentication Service
Almost any legal federal apostille processing service , report or recorded document can be used in foreign countries if it is authenticated. The authenticity of the document is verified by an authentication certificate (an apostille). The purpose of this process is to allow for the simplified certification of public documents, including notarized documents, for use in countries that are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.
A document is deemed authenticated under the convention when this certification is attached to the original document. The chain of official authentications can be lengthy and expensive, which led to the creation of this convention.
Federal Apostille for Adoption Papers
The types of documents that require an authentication vary by country. The document’s issuer determines which authority can authenticate the document. Private documents, such as power of attorney or corporate records, are authenticated by a designated authority, generally the secretary of state’s office. State/county-issued documents, such as a marriage license or birth certificate, are authenticated by the agency that issued the document. For federally-issued documents, the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office issues an apostille, which is the last step in a full legalization process.
A completed and signed order form for each document, as well as the original documents to be authenticated or apostilled. A check or money order payable to the Department of State (no cash). A prepaid return envelope and pre-addressed return label for your authenticated documents.