An apostille is an internationally recognized form of authentication that certifies a signature on a public document for use in another country. The apostille process was created by the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. To date 97 countries are party to the Hague Convention and recognize apostilles as an alternative to a traditional legalization. This link

An authentication or apostille is not the same as a notarization, and it does not certify the content of the document to which it applies. The Secretary of State’s Office authenticates documents that are for use in other countries by adding a certificate to the document. The type of authentication required depends on the destination country of the document.

How Federal Certifications Can Be Apostilled Easily

The certificate is called an apostille or a Certificate of Authentication and includes the facsimile seal of the Secretary of State or his/her deputy. The apostille or Certificate of Authentication does not validate the document itself; it authenticates only the signature of the public official who signed the document. The document itself remains valid for use in the original country.

The fee for an apostille or Certificate of Authentication is $8 and may be completed by mail, by our walk-in counter in New York City, Albany or Utica or by a prescheduled appointment. You can pay by personal or business check or money order made payable to the “U.S. Department of State” or by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). Cash is not accepted for payment.