DC Apostille
Apostille USDA Documents and Certificates
Do you need to certify your document for use abroad?
Is your destination country still requires “Embassy Certificate” to validate the use of foreign documents?
Stay with us to know all about how you can legalize a US document for use in a non- Apostille country?
Non- Apostille Countries is a reference to all countries that didn’t join the Hague Apostille Convention and still require embassy legalization to acknowledge the validity of a foreign document.
Click here to see a list of all countries that require embassy legalization
Apostille Stamp Vs. Embassy Legalization
The Apostille Stamp is the simplified form of international authentication that was first introduced in 1961 during the Hague Apostille Convention to abolish foreign document legalization requirements and to replace its complicated procedures with a much more simpler form, which is the “ Apostille”.
However, there are more than 75 countries across the globe that still require the legalization of its embassy in Washington DC to validate the use of US documents.
We will go through the required procedures to legalize a US document for use in a non-Hague Country. You have to follow these steps in the same order:
- County Clerk Certification and State notarization
- Secretary of State “ Certification”
- US Department of State authentication
- Stamp of the US Arab Chamber of Commerce ”for certain countries only”
- Embassy or consulate legalization
Now, we will show you how and where to obtain the required certification timely and easily
1) County Clerk Certification and State notarization
The first step is to get your document notarized by a licensed notary public in your State, and then get the notary signature certified by your local County Clerk
2) Certification from the Secretary of State Office
Contact the office of the Secretary of State in your State to obtain the”Certificate of Authentication”. You must attach a request form with your request, stating the destination country, in which you are going to use your document in. There are 50 offices for the Secretaries of State across the United States
3) Authentication from the US Department of State
After obtaining State Certification from your local Secretary of State office, you must send your document to Washington DC for State Dep. authentication. The process usually takes about 4 business days, and costs $8.00 per document.
4) The Stamp of the US Arab Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber stamp is required for document destined for use in the Arab World. The importing country or company request to stamp the document from the local Chamber of Commerce. The following countries require the stamp of the local chamber of commerce to acknowledge foreign documents :
Algeria
Bahrain
Egypt
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Morocco
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
Tunisia
U.A.E
Yemen
5) Embassy / Consulate legalization
The last step is to contact the embassy of the destination country in Washington DC to obtain the embassy stamp. The process takes several days and varies from one embassy to another. After you obtain embassy legalization for your document, it will be ready for use outside the United States.
Documents eligible for Embassy Legalization
1) Company Issued Documents
Any corporate document issued by a US corporation. Company issued documents require prior notarization before a licensed notary public in the same State that issued the document.
Examples of Corporate documents including, but not limited to:-
- Minutes of Organizational Meeting of directors
- Certificate of Incumbency
- Power of Attorney.
- Shareholder List
- Restated Certificate of Incorporation
- Certificate of existence
- Certificate of Analysis
- letter of Intent
- Foreign Certificate of Registration
- Agency Agreement
- Letter of Resignation
- Operating Agreement
- Shareholder certificate of Interest
- Business Letter
- Distributor Agreement
- Asset purchase Agreement
- Foreign Certificate of Registration
- Letter of Authorization
- Amendment
- Bill of Sale
- Termination of foreign Corporation
- Articles of Incorporation
- ISO Certificate
- Certificate of Formation
- Shareholder Contribution Schedule
- Certificate of Merger
- Technical Data Sheet
- Corporate Consolidation
- Agreement to Form a Corporation
- Corporate Resolution
- Affidavit
- Change of Agent
- Statement of Dissolution
- Company Bylaws
- Free sale Certificate
- Consolidation Certificate
- Stock Purchase Agreement
- Business License
- Stock Certificate
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Assignment
2) Commercial Export Document
It is a document used for the exportation of goods and products outside the United States. An export document must be signed by a corporate agent and notarized by a notary public before it can be eligible for the Secretary of State certification.
Examples of Export documents including, but not limited to:-
- Commercial Invoice
- Dangerous Goods Certificate
- Shipper Letter of Instruction
- Certificate of Origin
- Consular Invoice
- Certificate of Analysis
- Packing List
- Pro Forma Invoice
- Pre-Shipment Inspection
- Bill of Lading (Air, Ocean, Truck, Rail)
- Letter of Credit
- Veterinary certificate
- Insurance Certificate
- Export License
- Sales certificate
- Halal Certificate
- Bank Draft
- Weight Certificate
- Kosher Certificate
- Export Declaration
- Fumigation Certificate
- Health Certificate
- Phytosanitary Certificate
3) Educational Documents
Educational documents or academic credentials must be issued by the public/ private schools/ universities in your State. Educational documents must be signed by the school/ university registrar and notarized by a commissioned notary public before it can be certified from the Secretary of State.
Examples of Educational Documents including, but not limited to:-
- School/ College Transcript
- School/ College Diploma
- Teaching Credentials
- TESOL Certificate
- Bachelor Degree/ Certificate
- Graduate Record Examination GRE
- Doctorate Certificate
- Master Degree
- Associate Degree
- Doctorate Degree
4) Vital Records
Vital records are documents issued by the state agencies such as the local health departments and doesn’t require a prior notarization.
Examples of Educational Documents including, but not limited to:-
- Birth Certificate
- Death Certificate
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Certificate
- Divorce decree
- Driver License
- US Passport
5) Federal Documents
Documents issued by federal entities or agencies such as the FDA, the FBI, the USPTO, the EPA, the USDA, the SSA, the IRS, and department of Homeland Security, require authentication from the US State Department in Washington DC.
Examples of Federal Documents including, but not limited to:-
- FDA Documents
- FBI Document
- Homeland Security Documents
- Sanitation Certificate
- Criminal Background Check
- Naturalization Certificate
- BSE- Free Certificate.
- USPTO Documents
- Social Security Documents
- Certificate of Free Sale (CFS).
- Patent
- Social Security Benefit Letter
- Certificate of Exportability.
- Trademark
- Certificate to Foreign Government (CFG).
- USDA Documents
- Certificate of Non-Clinical Research Use Only Materials Certificate.
- Plant certificate
- Good Manufacture Practice Certificate (GMP).
- Animal Health Certificate
- Certificate of Pharmaceutical products (COPP).
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Certificate of Pharmaceutical product- Foreign Manufacturer
- IRS Documents
- Specified Risk Material of Bovine, Ovine, and Caprine Origin Materials.
- Form 6166‐ US Tax Residency
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