Apostille is a French word meaning “the official seal or stamp of a sovereign state” or “the certificate issued by the country that has signed the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.”

The purpose of an apostille is to certify that a public document, such as an academic degree, is genuine and has not been forged.

The United States does not recognize documents having only an Apostille seal attached as valid for use in this country. To be accepted by U.S. institutions and agencies, foreign documents must be certified by the Department of State as having been authenticated by the appropriate foreign authority (e.g., Minister/Department of Foreign Affairs).

Authentication under the Hague Convention is not sufficient for public documents issued abroad unless they have also been certified by a competent authority in the originating country and then legalized or otherwise certified by a United States consulate or embassy abroad prior to presentation in this country.

If the document is a public document, it must be certified by a competent authority in the originating country, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The signature and seal of an official designated by that authority are then placed on the document to indicate that it is genuine.

How To Get An Apostille in Dallas?

If the document is a private document, it must be certified by a notary public or attorney who is authorized to practice in the country where the document was issued. The signature and seal of that authority are then placed on the document to indicate that it is genuine. There are apostille Dallas Texas services that can assist you with getting an apostille. All you have to do is provide them with the document and they will handle everything else for you. They will handle the application for you and get back to you with a copy of the document that has been certified.