When does a document need to be apostilled?

• When do documents need to be apostilled?

We get this question a lot.

The term "apostille" refers to the official process of certifying a document for use in another country. The process is overseen by the Hague Convention, which was created to establish international standards for certifying documents.

In order to determine whether or not you need an apostille, first ask yourself this question: does this document need to be used outside of the United States? If yes, then it needs an apostille.

• Documents That Need Apostilles

Documents that need apostilles include: passports and other travel documents; birth certificates; death certificates; marriage licenses; academic degrees (e.g., college degrees); medical records; diplomas; court orders; adoption papers; wills; legal contracts and agreements; patents and trademarks; business licenses/certificates of incorporation; company registrations or permits (e.g., LLCs); military records/transcripts/badges/medals of honor etc.; police clearance letters (for expats who don't have clean criminal backgrounds); employment verifications (e.g., H1B visa applications).