Documents that cross borders, handled right the first time.
FBI background checks, diplomas, birth and marriage certificates, powers of attorney, corporate documents — properly apostilled for use in any of the 125+ Hague Convention countries. We know what each receiving country's offices actually require, because we run this chain every day.
Destinations we work with regularly
What people come to us for
FBI Background Check Apostille
Required for work visas in China, South Korea, the UAE, and many other countries. This is a federal document — it goes to the US Department of State, not a state Secretary of State. Sending it to the wrong office is the single most common mistake, and it costs weeks.
Read the full guide →Vital Records & Dual Citizenship
Birth, marriage, and death certificates for Italian, Irish, and Polish citizenship applications, foreign marriage registration, and estate matters abroad. We can order fresh certified copies from any US county on your behalf.
Read the full guide →Same-Day California Rush
We're an hour from the California Secretary of State counter in Sacramento. When your deadline is real, we hand-carry your documents in ourselves and ship the same day — something no out-of-state service can offer.
Read the full guide →Four steps. You do the first one.
Email or message a clear photo of your document and tell us which country and which office will receive it. Free quote within 30 minutes during business hours.
Fresh certified copies ordered, notarization arranged, wording verified — the step where most DIY attempts fail is the step we do for a living.
Submitted to the correct Secretary of State or to the US Department of State for federal documents. California same-day rush available.
Certified translation when the destination requires it, full scans for your records, and tracked FedEx or DHL to any address worldwide.
What you're actually paying for
Common questions
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a one-page government certificate that authenticates the official signature and seal on your document so it will be accepted in another country. It comes from the Hague Convention of 1961, which now has 125+ member countries. Importantly, it authenticates the official's signature — not the truth of the document's contents.
Do I need to mail you my original documents?
Usually not. FBI reports are issued as electronic PDFs; birth and marriage certificates can be ordered fresh from the issuing county on your behalf; new powers of attorney are signed and notarized as part of the process. The one case where originals must be mailed is a document that has already been notarized.
How long does it take?
California documents: 1–2 weeks standard, same-day rush available. Federal documents like FBI checks: 4–8+ weeks standard, roughly 5–10 business days through our expedited Washington DC channel. Other states vary. We give you a realistic written range before you pay.
Does an apostille expire?
The apostille certificate itself has no expiration date. But many receiving offices abroad require the underlying document — an FBI report or a certified copy of a birth certificate — to have been issued within the last six months. That requirement, not the apostille, is what usually makes documents "too old."
What if my destination country isn't a Hague member?
Then no apostille exists for that route and the document needs consular legalization instead: state authentication followed by that country's embassy or consulate. We handle these too — the timeline and cost are different, so tell us the destination country at intake.
Ready when you are.
Send a photo of your document and tell us where it's going. If you don't need an apostille, we'll say so.