An apostille is a way of authenticating documents. It’s like a stamp that says, “hey, this document is legit.” It’s especially important for international documents like birth certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees.
You can think of an apostille as a notary’s signature on a document—but with some extra bells and whistles! An apostille is essentially a seal that certifies the authenticity of the signature. In order to get an apostille, you have to send your document to be certified by the government of the country where it was issued. The officials there will stamp or mark your document with their official seal or signature.
Once you have your apostille (which looks exactly like the seal or signature), it has to be attached to your original document before it can be used as legal proof in another country.
In order to get a document apostilled, you will need to bring the original document to the state department office where it was issued. So, if you need a apostille in Houston, Texas, you will need to get the document apostilled in Houston. They will review it and check for signs of fraud or alteration. If everything is in order, they will issue an apostille on the document, which is then attached to it and certified by them.
The process of getting an apostille can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on how busy each state’s office is at any given time.
