An apostille from the Secretary of State authenticates the signature of a public official on a document that is going to be used in another country. The apostille from the Secretary of State proves that the signature of the public official who signed the document is legitimate and that when they signed the document, they acted in a capacity that gave them the authority to authorize or create the document. What the seal does not validate are the contents of the document.
You will need an apostille if the country that your document will be used is on the 1961 Hague Convention member list. This will be used on documents, including vital records, that have been issued by the United States. Federal documents will need an apostille from the US State Department. It is important to note that an apostille is not used for recognition of a document in the country where the document was issued. It can only be used for public documents used abroad.
The apostille will need to have particular information, including the country of issue, the individual who signed the document, and the capacity of the individual who signed the document. Additional information includes details of any sealift on the document, the date of issue, the place of issue, and the issuing authority. It will also include the apostille certificate number, the signature of the representative of the issuing authority, and the stamp of the issuing authority.
Learn more about the use of an apostille and see the role US Authentication Services has in handling document apostille when you visit the following website Usauthentication.com.
