Procedure for the Legalization of Documents Issued in the United States

A document that originated from the United States and is to be used in a country that is party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, October 5, 1961 (see here for a list of signatory countries) should follow the steps below:

Documents Executed before a U.S. Notary Public

1. A document that has been signed by a U.S. notary public should be presented to the clerk of the county court where the notary is licensed for a "notarial certificate" to be attached.
2. The document with the notarial certificate attached should then be presented to the state secretary of state in which the county clerk is located to request certification of the seal and signature of the county clerk by means of an "apostille".

For Documents Signed before a D.C. Notary

The document should be forwarded to the Office of the Secretary, DC, Notary Commissions and Authentication’s Section, 717 14th Street, NW, Suite 230, Washington, DC 20005, telephone 001-202-727-3117 to obtain the notarial certificate followed by step 2 above.

Documents issued by State Agencies - birth, death and marriage certificates

Generally, a document issued under the seal of a state agency or state court can be certified by the state secretary in which the agency is located. For a list of U.S. Secretaries of State, including contact information and fees, please follow this link

Colleges, Universities and other Post-Secondary Institutions

1. Obtain from the registrar of the university an official true copy of the credentials, a statement attesting to the accuracy of the credentials, executed by the registrar, and have the statement notarized before a notary public in the registrar’s office, business office or elsewhere in the university.
2. Take the document to the clerk of the court of the county wherein the notary was licensed or commissioned to obtain a notarial certificate suitable for use abroad.
3. Send the document to the state secretary of state in which the clerk of the county court is located to request the apostille.

For further information, please visit http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_606.html or contact the UK Educational Advisory Service for assistance.

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