Apostille for Notarized Documents

Apostille for Affidavits, Consent Letters & Notarized Documents

Updated: April 2026 · Written by the Apostilla Antecedentes team

Apostille any notarized document — affidavits, declarations, parental consent letters, or authorizations — for official use in another country. Remote service with certified translation. Free document review.

  • All notarized document types covered
  • All US states covered
  • Certified translation available
  • Free document review
Laura Chen
Reviewed byLaura ChenLegal Document Expert

What notarized document do you need apostilled?

Step 1 of 4

What type of notarized document do you have?

How apostilles work for notarized documents

When you apostille a notarized document, the apostille does not verify the content of your document — it verifies that the notary who signed it was a duly commissioned notary public at the time of signing. The Secretary of State confirms the notary's credentials and issues an apostille certificate attached to your document.

This means two things matter for apostilling a notarized document:

  1. The notary's commission should have been active at the time of notarization — the apostille office can only authenticate a notary it can verify
  2. The notarization must be complete and correct — missing the notary's seal, signature, or commission expiry date will cause rejection at the Secretary of State

Our pre-submission review checks both before we send anything to the state office. This prevents the most common causes of rejection and delay.

Who needs this service?

✈️ Immigration and visa applicants

Immigration processes frequently require apostilled notarized statements, affidavits of support, consent letters for minors traveling abroad, and similar documents. Whether a receiving authority requires an apostille depends on the authority and the document, so confirm its requirements first.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents authorizing minor travel abroad

A child traveling internationally without both parents may be asked for a notarized parental consent letter, and some authorities or airlines also ask for an apostille. Requirements vary by destination and carrier, so check them first. Speed depends on the competent apostille office and the submission channel you choose.

⚖️ International legal proceedings

Sworn affidavits and declarations may need to be apostilled for a foreign court or administrative body, if it requires authentication and no exemption applies. An apostille authenticates the notary's signature and seal; it does not decide whether the document is admissible or accepted. Confirm the receiving authority's requirements.

Required documents

DocumentIssuing authorityEstimated timeNotes
Notarized document (original) Notary Public Already prepared or 1–2 business days to notarize The document must be notarized by a licensed notary public. The apostille authenticates the notary's signature and seal — not the underlying document content.
Apostille certificate Secretary of State of the state where notarization was performed Per the competent authority's currently published processing times The relevant Secretary of State office is determined by where the notarization took place, not where you live or where the document was created. Processing time depends on the authority and the submission method.
Certified translation (if required) Sworn / certified translator 1–3 business days Required for submission to authorities in countries with a different official language.
Copy of valid ID Applicant Current For identity verification if we are assisting with notarization. Must match the name on the document exactly.

How the process works

1

Send us a scan of your document. We confirm it is properly notarized for apostille purposes, identify the correct Secretary of State, and provide a complete timeline and quote. If notarization is still needed, we advise on the correct format.

2

We review the notarization for completeness — notary commission, signature, seal, and expiry. Improperly notarized documents are the most common cause of apostille rejection. We catch this before submission.

3

We submit your notarized document to the Secretary of State of the correct state and track the submission. Status updates are provided throughout the process.

4

If a certified translation is required for your destination, we arrange it after the apostille is attached. Documents are returned by express tracked courier to any address worldwide.

Example scenarios

Illustrative examples based on common situations; names and details are changed.

IE
Indian Expat, Hong Kong

from India to France

Apostille
The problem was…

An Indian expat living in Hong Kong had their Indian birth certificate notarized and apostilled by Hong Kong authorities, but France rejected it.

We solved it…

Documents can only be apostilled by the competent authority of the country that originally issued them. The applicant had to restart the process in India.

Result

In this example, the application was resubmitted with the correct apostille from India — the issuing country's competent authority.

CA
California Applicant

from USA to International

Apostille
The problem was…

A private affidavit notarized by a California notary was rejected for a state apostille because the notary stamped their seal on a blank white space instead of over the printed text of the affidavit.

We solved it…

The applicant had to reprint a fresh original of the private affidavit and ensure the notary followed state-specific seal placement guidelines perfectly before resubmitting.

Result

In this example, the document was resubmitted with the correct notary seal placement for the state office to review.

WS
Wrong State Apostille

from USA to Mexico

Apostille
The problem was…

A user paid a third-party service for a California birth certificate apostille, but received a Kansas apostille attached by a proxy notary, which was rejected in Mexico.

We solved it…

The applicant had to dispute the credit card charge and apply properly directly through the California Secretary of State.

Result

In this example, the fix is to dispute the third-party charge and apply directly through the California Secretary of State.

View all cases →

Official sources & authorities

Information on this page is based on procedures from recognized government and intergovernmental bodies — not third-party estimates.

Hague Apostille Convention (HCCH) The 1961 treaty governing apostille. Notarized documents — including affidavits, declarations, and consent letters — are among the most frequently apostilled document types. View source →
National Notary Association Resource for notary requirements, remote online notarization, and state-by-state notary information in the United States. View source →

Related guides

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Apostille Requirements by CountryLaura Chen · 2026
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Laura Chen

Reviewed by

Laura Chen

Legal Document Expert

Specialist in documents for the English-speaking market with a focus on fast and secure processing.

View full profile →

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of notarized documents can be apostilled?

Any document notarized by a licensed notary public can potentially be apostilled. Common examples include: affidavits and sworn statements, parental consent letters for minor travel, declarations of single status, declarations of financial support, authorization letters, consent forms, certifications by professionals, and notarized translations. The apostille authenticates the notary's signature, not the content itself.

How does the apostille work for a notarized document?

The apostille does not certify the content of your document — it certifies that the notary who signed it is a duly commissioned notary in that state. The Secretary of State confirms the notary's commission and attaches an apostille certificate. This chain of authentication is what makes the document legally recognized abroad.

Does the notarization have to happen in a specific state?

No — you can have a document notarized in any US state. The apostille is then issued by the Secretary of State of that state. If you notarize in Florida, the Florida Secretary of State issues the apostille. We verify the correct state office for each document and submit through its published official route.

How quickly can I get an apostille for a notarized document?

Some authorities offer faster in-person processing, while mail requests follow separate queues. Availability and eligibility must be checked with the issuing authority; delivery and intermediary handling add time. We verify the current processing schedule for your document's authority before quoting a completion date.

My document was notarized years ago — can it still be apostilled?

It depends on whether the notary's commission was still active at the time of notarization and whether the notary's records are still verifiable by the Secretary of State. Older notarizations sometimes present issues. We review your document's notarization details in our free review before advising you to proceed.

Will an apostilled consent letter be accepted for a child traveling to Spain?

Not guaranteed. An apostille authenticates the notary's signature; whether a consent letter is accepted, and in what form, is decided by the authority, border control or airline concerned. Check Spain's current requirements and those of your carrier before travelling.

Do I need a certified translation of my apostilled notarized document?

If submitting to authorities in a country that uses a different official language, yes. We provide certified translations accepted internationally.

How much does it cost to apostille a notarized document?

Our notarized document apostille service starts at $69. With certified translation: from $129. Contact us for a precise quote based on your document type, state, and destination.

Laura Chen
Laura Chen Legal Document Expert
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