Apostille Services

An apostille is a certificate issued by the Maryland Secretary of State that authenticates the notary's or official's signature on a document, allowing it to be recognized in the countries that belong to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Without one, foreign governments, banks, and universities generally will not accept U.S. notarized documents.

Powers of attorney • Single-status affidavits • Diplomas and transcripts • Background checks (FBI) • Birth and marriage certificates • Corporate documents • Adoption paperwork

Marrying abroad • Working or studying overseas • Opening a foreign bank account • Doing business outside the U.S. • Dual citizenship or immigration filings

1. We notarize your document (acknowledgment or jurat, as required), or verify it already carries a valid notarization or certified county/state signature.

2. We complete the Maryland apostille request form and prepare your submission package.

3. Your document is submitted to the Maryland Secretary of State for the apostille certificate.

4. Once returned, we notify you for pickup, or ship the completed apostille directly to your address or destination country.

If your destination country belongs to the Hague Convention, an apostille is all you need. If it does not, the document must go through embassy or consular legalization instead — a longer process. Tell us the destination country and we'll confirm which route applies.

Turnaround depends on the Maryland Secretary of State's current processing times and whether your document needs county or federal certification first. We'll give you a realistic estimate up front and keep you posted along the way.