Same Day Apostille Services – Everything You Need to Know about Apostilles

Let’s face it, when it comes to paperwork and admin, most people struggle. When dealing with official documentation, you never know when you may need to have them authenticated, which is where apostille services enter the picture.

You see, a large number of countries require additional validation of official documents, which is known as legalization.  

Notarizing documents which are going to be sent to other countries overseas requires what is known as an apostille. The problem is that you need to actively seek out apostille services from qualified individuals.

Lately, we’ve seen an increase in the amount of same day apostille services in Washington DC and Maryland. But what exactly is an apostille, what does it do, why would you need one, and who provides them? Well, that’s precisely what we’re going to be looking at right now.

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What is an apostille?

It may sound technical but in reality, an apostille is quite simply a form of authentication which is issued to documents to be used in other countries which participate in what is known as the ‘Hague Convention of 1961’. Incidentally, the US became a subscriber of the Hague Convention back in 1981.

If the country where the document is intended to be used in does not participate in the Hague Convention, any documents being sent to that country can instead obtain what is known as a Certificate of Authentication.  

The apostille itself is a form of numbered fields which helps make the data easier for the receiving country to understand, regardless of any potential language barriers.

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What exactly does an apostille do?

An apostille is designed to eliminate the requirement of consular or diplomatic legalization for foreign public documents. A completed apostille certifies the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, the authenticity of the signature, plus it also identifies the stamp/seal that the document possesses.

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What kind of documents might you need an apostille for?

We’ve looked at what an apostille is and what it does, but what kind of documents might you need an apostille for? Well, according to the Hague Convention, public documents are defined as the following:

·       Administrative documents

·       Notarial acts

·       Documents originating in a clerk of a court, a court, a public prosecutor or process server

·       Official certificates placed on documents  

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Just to give you a few examples of which types of documents you would need an apostille for, the aforementioned public documents could be any of the following:

·       Birth certificates

·       Death certificates

·       Divorce decrees

·       Marriage licences

·       School transcripts and diplomas

·       Degrees

·       Articles of incorporation

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How to obtain an apostille

Okay, so assuming you do indeed need an apostille, you may be wondering how you would go about obtaining one? Well, you can make a request for an apostille either via the mail, or in person. It is also worth noting that appointments are also required when obtaining an apostille. If you require a same day apostille, appoints usually need to be scheduled early in the day as well, but we’ll look at that in more detail a little further on.

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How long does it take to obtain an apostille?

Obtaining an apostille is generally not a quick process as, on average, it takes two days. There are of course exceptions to this, as sometimes it may take slightly longer, and sometimes it may take less time.  If you, the client, are not in possession of the document which needs to be apostilled, time must also be taken into consideration for obtaining the document in question.

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What exactly does an apostille look like?

In case you were wondering what an apostille looks like, the certificate itself is actually printed on a piece of paper approximately 15cms square. It is then permanently affixed to another document before an embossing mechanism or the apostille stamp or apostille seal is then used to emboss the document with an official government crest.

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Is apostille the same as notary?

Some people often make the mistake of assuming that apostille is the same as notary, when in fact, there are key differences.  A notary is basically the act itself of witnessing and verifying an official document being signed. Notarized documents are typically used throughout the US. An apostille however, is a certificate issued by a Secretary of State which authenticates the document for use outside of the United States of America.

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Why choose same day apostille services in Washington DC and Maryland?

We mentioned previously how apostilles can take, on average, 2 days to be issued. This is all well and good, but what about for people who need an apostille right away? Well, the good news is that you can obtain an apostille in one day. Our same day apostille services in Washington DC and Maryland are hugely popular as we can provide you with a hassle-free way of obtaining an apostille in a hurry. In fact, on average we can get the necessary documents apostilled for you in just 1 – 2 hours. If you do wish to make use of our same day apostille services you must ensure that you schedule an appointment BEFORE 11AM (Eastern Time).