Why is it best to work with a notary for apostille?

Within the past week, I had the privilege of assisting two customers with courier services to the Secretary of State for apostille. As a notary, I can complete both notarization and the completion of the Apostille process. Apostilles are issued for documents for use in countries that are members of The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (1961), more commonly known as the Hague Apostille Convention. Certificates of Authority are issued for documents for use in countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention. It is best to work with a notary to handle apostille for the following reasons:

Notaries are skilled in verifying identities, witnessing signatures, and administering oaths. As a notary, I offer standard notarial services, including the notarization of various documents, such as affidavits, powers of attorney, contracts, and more. Once documents are received by me, I will evaluate documents and determine their eligibility for an apostille. This evaluation ensures that the document meets the necessary criteria before proceeding with the apostille process. Once the apostille is completed I will retrieve the authenticated documents and send the documents via UPS or FedEx.

With a notary, clients can have confidence in the accuracy and reliability of their document authentication. They can trust that their documents will be properly notarized and successfully obtain the required Apostille.

Some of the people who would benefit from apostille are individuals that seek to authenticate personal documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic transcripts, or other vital records for use abroad. Businesses involved in international trade, legal proceedings, or corporate transactions often require document authentication. Educational institutions that admit international students or engage in international collaborations can rely on a notary to authenticate academic records, degrees, diplomas, and transcripts.