Embassy Legalization
Some countries are not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an Apostille alone will not work. These documents need full embassy legalization. We handle the entire process for you, from state authentication through the embassy or consulate, so your documents are accepted where you are sending them.
How Embassy Legalization Works
For a non-Hague country, legalization is a three-part chain. Your document moves through each authority in order, and we manage every step for you.
State Apostille
U.S. Department of State
Embassy Legalization
State-level Apostille
We first confirm your document is the correct official or certified version, and notarize it if needed. It is then authenticated at the state level through the Texas Secretary of State, which verifies the signature and seal are genuine.
U.S. Department of State authentication
Next, the document is authenticated at the federal level by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Nearly every embassy requires this federal step before they will legalize a document.
Embassy or consulate legalization
Finally, the document is submitted to the embassy or consulate of your destination country for their official legalization seal. Each embassy sets its own requirements, fees, and processing times.
Which Countries Require Legalization?
If your destination country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your document needs embassy legalization instead of a standard Apostille. Common destinations that require it include:
*Saudi Arabia is now a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, but in practice many Saudi authorities and institutions still request full embassy legalization for certain documents. We handle whichever your recipient requires.
Not sure if your country is a member? Check our complete list of Hague Apostille Convention countries. If your destination is on the list, you need an Apostille. If it is not, you need embassy legalization, and we handle both.
See the Full Country ListWe handle every step for you.
Tell us your document and destination country, and we will confirm exactly which steps are required and take care of the entire process from start to finish.