An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document — such as a birth certificate, diploma, or FBI background check — that verifies the signature and seal on it are genuine, so the document is legally accepted in another country. Here's how apostilles work, which documents qualify, and how to get one in Oregon.
An apostille is an internationally recognized certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document so it's accepted in another country belonging to the Hague Apostille Convention. In the U.S., it's issued by a Secretary of State (state documents) or the U.S. Department of State (federal documents).
When you hand a U.S. document to a government office, university, or employer in another country, they have no way of knowing your signature, seal, or notary is genuine. An apostille solves that. It's a standardized certificate — the same format in every member country — attached to your document by an official authority, confirming that the signature and seal on it are real. Once it's attached, the destination country accepts the document without any further verification.
The apostille doesn't verify the contents of your document — it verifies the official who signed or issued it. That's why the process runs through a Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State: they're the ones who can vouch for their own notaries and record-keepers.
Almost any public or notarized document, including:
It comes down to who issued your document:
For U.S. government documents — FBI checks, IRS and immigration records. Issued by the U.S. Department of State. Flat $350 first document, 7–10 business days, the fastest in the nation.
For Oregon-issued documents — vital records, notarized documents, diplomas, business records. Issued by the Oregon Secretary of State. From $250.
Apostilles only work for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention (120+ member countries). If your document is going to a country that isn't a member — like the United Arab Emirates — you need authentication and embassy legalization instead, a longer multi-step process. Not sure which applies? Tell us the destination country and we'll confirm in a minute.
Upload a scan or call. We confirm federal vs. state, whether it needs notarizing first, and exactly what your destination country requires.
Mail it in or drop it at our Beaverton office. We prepare every form and route it to the correct authority.
Your apostilled document comes back ready to use abroad — 2-day return shipping included on federal orders.
Related: How much does an apostille cost? · How long does an apostille take? · Apostille vs. authentication vs. legalization
Federal or state, handled for you and returned ready to use abroad. Rated 5.0 on Google, BBB A-rated, and the fastest federal apostille in the nation.
