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Apostilles and certifications differ in that apostilles are used by Hague Convention signatory countries whereas certifications are used by non-signatory countries. There are two different types of public document authentications: an apostille and a certificate.

In order for documents to be accepted and presented in other countries that are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention, they must have an apostille, which is a certificate officially granted by the government. These documents can include any vital records, car titles, certificates of incorporation and origin, and academic records.

Only documents intended for use in Hague Participating Countries will get an Apostille from the Illinois Secretary of State. All documents issued for countries that are not Hague Participants will be certified rather than apostilled.

Within the United States or any of its territories, apostilles are not necessary. That is why the Secretary of State of Nevada will not issue an apostille for use in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nevada Secretary of State charges $2 per document. Documents can contain multiple pages.

The Apostille certification simply attests to the legitimacy of the signature and the legal ability of the signer of the public document. The content of the official document to which an apostille relates is not certified.

The State of Illinois cannot apostille documents issued by another state. The same issuing state must apostille them. Documents issued by the federal government for people or businesses in Illinois require an apostille, which must be obtained through the U.S. Department of State.

The process of obtaining an apostille can be complicated and time-consuming. It typically takes from a week to a few weeks in Illinois. We recommend that you contact us if you need more details. We have processed thousands of documents over the past 20 years. Our experts are aware of how to expedite the procedure and make it much easier for you.

Any vital records, vehicle titles, certificates of incorporation, certificates of origin, and academic records can all be apostilled in Illinois. You should be informed that documents signed by an out-of-state notary cannot receive an apostille. Additionally, only the state where the school is located has the authority to apostille academic records and transcripts from out-of-state schools. Out-of-state vital records or court documents need to be submitted to the issuing state.

You may need to apostille your documents if you are:

• obtaining a dual-citizenship
• obtaining an ownership of a property
• working in abroad
• studying in abroad
• claiming an inheritance
• adding a spouse name in the passport
• applying for divorce
• planning to get married in abroad

or for many other purposes in abroad.