Questions we get all the time

An apostille is an official certificate that authenticates a public document for use in another country. It is issued under the Hague Apostille Convention, which more than 120 countries have joined. The apostille verifies the signature or seal of the official who signed the original document, so the receiving country knows it is genuine. Learn more on our What Is an Apostille page.

It depends on where your document will be used. If the destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you need an apostille. If the country is not a member, you typically need authentication followed by embassy legalization instead. Check our Countries We Serve page to see whether your destination is a Hague member.

We apostille documents that were issued in Pennsylvania or signed by a Pennsylvania notary. This includes birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, powers of attorney, single status letters, diplomas, transcripts, and business documents. If you are not sure whether your document qualifies, contact us before you order.

It depends on the document type. Vital records issued directly by a county or state office (such as certified birth certificates) typically do not need notarization. Personal documents like powers of attorney or affidavits usually do need to be notarized by a Pennsylvania notary before we can apostille them. We are a courier service, not a notary. Your document must already meet the state requirements before you mail it to us.

We offer three service speeds. On Standard, we take your documents to the Pennsylvania Department of State within about 5 business days of receiving them. On Expedited (our most popular option), we deliver within 48 to 72 hours. On Rush, we deliver same or next business day. If your documents arrive on a weekend or while the office is closed, that window starts the next business day. After we hand them over, the state works at its own pace, which is outside our control. See our Pricing page for a full breakdown.

We offer three flat-rate service speeds. Standard is $149 for the first document and $89 for each additional document. Expedited is $189 and $119. Rush is $249 and $149. Each additional signature on any document is $25. Shipping both ways is included in every order. There is no international upcharge. Your exact total is shown at checkout before you pay. See our Pricing page for full details.

Yes. It does not matter where you are. As long as your document was issued in Pennsylvania or notarized by a Pennsylvania notary, you can order from anywhere in the world. You mail your document to us using the prepaid label we send, and we ship your apostilled document back to whatever address you provide at checkout.

After your apostille is complete, we pack your documents and ship them back to the address you gave at checkout. The return shipment is tracked so you can follow it the whole way. You do not need to do anything after you drop off your envelope.

If the Pennsylvania Department of State cannot accept your document, we contact you right away to explain why. Common reasons include missing or improper notarization, an expired document, or a certification that does not meet state requirements. We will send the documents back to you so you can fix the issue and reorder. In most cases this is avoidable if you review the requirements before you mail anything.

We treat your documents carefully throughout the process. We do not keep copies of your documents. Once the apostille is complete and your documents have shipped back to you, we do not retain them. We are a courier, not a storage service.

Yes. We offer three service speeds you choose at checkout: Standard (about 5 business days), Expedited (48 to 72 hours, our most popular), and Rush (same or next business day). Each speed sets how quickly we take your documents to the Pennsylvania Department of State after they reach us. None of the speeds up the state itself, only our handling time on our end. See our Pricing page for current rates.

FBI background checks are federal documents, which means they are not apostilled by Pennsylvania. Federal documents are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. We do not currently handle federal apostilles. See our FBI Background Check Apostille page for more information and to explore your options.