Apostille Questions, Answered
Everything you need to know about Apostilles, from what they are and what they cost, to how the Texas process works and how to get yours started.
What is an Apostille?
An Apostille is an official certificate attached to a public document that verifies the authenticity of the signature, seal, or stamp on it. Once a document carries an Apostille, it is legally recognized in every country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, without any further embassy or consulate step.
An Apostille does not certify the contents of a document. It confirms that the official who signed or sealed it had the authority to do so, which is what allows a foreign government, university, employer, or court to trust and accept it.
Where does the word "Apostille" come from?
The word Apostille comes from the French verb apostiller, which means to add a note or annotation in the margin of a document. Its deeper roots trace back to the Latin post illa, meaning "after those" words, referring to a note added after the main text.
The concept behind it is far older. For centuries, governments authenticated important documents with wax seals, embossed stamps, and signatures from officials, each meant to prove a document was genuine. The problem was that a seal from one country meant little to officials in another, so international documents had to pass through a long chain of certifications ending at a foreign embassy.
In 1961, a group of nations signed the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. It replaced that slow chain with a single standardized certificate, the Apostille, honored by every member country. What began as a marginal note evolved into the modern world's universal seal of trust for official documents.
What is the difference between an Apostille and legalization?
Both prove your document is authentic, but they apply to different destinations. An Apostille is used when the country you are sending your document to is a member of the Hague Convention. It is a single certificate and no further steps are needed.
Embassy or consulate legalization is used when the destination country is not a Hague member. In that case, the document is authenticated at the state level first, then legalized through the destination country's embassy or consulate. We handle both paths for you.
Which countries accept an Apostille?
129 countries accept Apostilles, including nearly all of Europe, Mexico, most of Latin America, and much of Asia. If your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, an Apostille is all you need. If it is not a member, your document will need embassy legalization instead, which we also handle. See our full list of Hague Apostille Convention countries to check your destination, or just ask us and we will confirm exactly what your country requires.
How much does an Apostille cost in Texas?
Our Apostille service starts at $200.00 per document for our Bronze tier, with faster Gold and Diamond Rush options available. Pricing is per document, not per order, so each document you need authenticated is priced at the tier you choose. You can see every tier and turnaround time on our pricing page.
Why is the state fee only $15 but your service starts at $200?
Great question, and an important one. The $15.00 is simply the Texas Secretary of State's filing fee to place the Apostille. It is not a service. It does not get you an appointment, and the state can be booked out for months. It does not prepare your document, notarize it, catch an error before it costs you weeks, offer any consultation, move at rush speed, or deliver anything back to you.
What you pay us is for the entire service around that stamp: guaranteed access, expert preparation, notarization, consultation, speed when you need it, and your finished document delivered to your hand. We pay the $15.00 filing fee for you. In short, $15.00 buys a government stamp if you can navigate the process alone and wait. Our service gets it done right, done fast, and done for you.
How long does it take to get an Apostille?
Turnaround depends on the tier you choose. Our Bronze service is 10 business days, Gold is 7 business days, and our Diamond Rush concierge service can be completed in as little as 1 to 5 days for urgent deadlines. If you have a hard deadline, tell us and we will match the right speed to it.
Do you offer rush service?
Yes. Our Diamond Rush concierge service is built for tight deadlines and can be completed in as few as 1 to 5 days depending on your needs. For the most urgent situations, faster options may be available. Because rush timing depends on the document and the deadline, the fastest way to confirm is to start your request or call us directly.
What documents can be apostilled?
Nearly any official document can be apostilled, one way or another. Common examples include birth, marriage, and death certificates, divorce decrees, FBI and background checks, diplomas and transcripts, powers of attorney, and corporate documents such as articles of incorporation and certificates of formation. Some documents are apostilled directly as public records, while others simply need to be notarized first. If you have a document that must be recognized abroad, there is almost always a path to authenticate it.
Do I need the official document, or is a copy okay?
It depends on the type of document. For a vital record or any state or county issued certificate, such as a birth, marriage, or death certificate or a divorce decree, you need an official certified copy from the issuing office, with the registrar's signature or seal. A plain photocopy, a scan, or a hospital souvenir certificate cannot be apostilled.
For documents you create yourself, such as a power of attorney, an affidavit, or school records you are submitting, a printed copy is fine. We notarize it here, which is what makes it eligible for the Apostille. If you are not sure which applies to your document, we will tell you before you do anything.
Can you apostille a birth certificate from another state?
Yes. Many of our clients live in Texas but were born elsewhere, or live out of state and need a document from their birth state authenticated. We accept certified birth certificates from across the country and handle the authentication for you, no matter which state issued it. Out-of-state documents are handled through our mail-in service.
Can you apostille an FBI background check?
Yes. An FBI background check is a federal document, so it is authenticated through the U.S. Department of State rather than the Texas Secretary of State. We handle FBI background check Apostilles regularly and manage the entire federal process for you, including documents needed for international employment, immigration, and residency.
Can you apostille a document issued in another country?
A U.S. authority cannot place an Apostille directly on a foreign-issued document. However, a certified translation of that document can be notarized and authenticated here in the United States. This is a standard, accepted path under the Hague Convention, and one we handle often. Ask us about our certified translation service.
Do I need to notarize my document first?
It depends on the type of document. Public documents issued by a government office, like a birth certificate, are already official and should not be notarized. Private documents you create yourself, such as a power of attorney or affidavit, must be notarized first before they can be apostilled. Getting this right is important, and it is exactly the kind of detail we handle for you so your document is never rejected.
How do I get started?
The easiest way to begin is to fill out our Apostille Start Form. Tell us what you need and where your document is going, and we will confirm exactly what is required, the price, and the timeline. If you prefer, you can also call us and we will walk you through it in minutes.
Can I mail my documents to you?
Yes. If you are not local to Houston, our mail-in service lets you send your documents from anywhere in the country. You start online, mail us your official documents with a trackable service, and we handle the rest. You never pay until your documents arrive and we confirm the details with you.
Do you offer pickup and delivery?
Yes. With our concierge service, we pick up your documents from your home or office anywhere in the Greater Houston area and deliver the finished work back to you. Hand delivery is available locally, and we also return documents by USPS, FedEx, or courier. This is especially popular with law firms, energy companies, and busy professionals.
Can you ship my finished documents internationally?
Yes. Once your Apostille is complete, we return your documents anywhere in the world by international courier. International shipping is a separately billed service. If your document is going directly to a recipient abroad, we can often ship it straight to them, which saves you time.
What if my destination country is not in the Hague Convention?
If your destination country is not a Hague member, the state Apostille is still your essential first step. From there, the document needs an added embassy legalization step, where it is authenticated through the destination country's embassy or consulate. We handle both parts of this process for you. Embassy legalization is a separate service, quoted case by case based on the country and document type, since each embassy sets its own requirements and fees.
Do you offer certified translation?
Yes. If your document is not in the language your destination country requires, we provide certified translation that can then be notarized and authenticated. Certified translation is priced per page, typically from $49.00 to $120.00 depending on the document. It is also the path used to authenticate many foreign-issued documents. Ask us about our certified translation service.
We are here to help.
If you did not find your answer, email us and we will tell you exactly what your document needs. Or start your request now and we will take it from there.