A certification or legalization is generally necessary for documents which leave the United States. Common types of documents which require certification for acceptance into a foreign country include documents for an international adoption, diplomas, marriage certificate, birth certificate, court records, and various types of records and contracts integral to a company which does business in a foreign country.
We are not a national apostille service provider. We only accept documents that originate from Massachusetts and that have been signed by a Massachusetts public official. Please be advised that certification can only be obtained for documents with an original signature of a valid public officer such as:
Photocopied signatures which appear on a document cannot be certified. It is important to identify the destination country, as each country may require a different type of certification. The certification forms are essentially identical; however, when a document is destined for a country that is a member of the Hague Convention, the attached certificate is specifically called an Apostille.
We are not a national apostille service provider. We only accept documents that originate from Massachusetts and that have been signed by a Massachusetts public official. Please be advised that certification can only be obtained for documents with an original signature of a valid public officer such as:
- Massachusetts Notary Public
- Justice of the Peace
- City/Town Clerk or assistant
- Court Clerk or assistant
- Registrar of Vital Records
Photocopied signatures which appear on a document cannot be certified. It is important to identify the destination country, as each country may require a different type of certification. The certification forms are essentially identical; however, when a document is destined for a country that is a member of the Hague Convention, the attached certificate is specifically called an Apostille.
Non‑Hague Convention countries do not accept apostilles. Instead, they require this type of Certification.
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Example of a Massachusetts Apostille. This apostille is certifying the authority of Korey E. Humphreys, Notary Public.
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HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Our team of experienced notaries public are familiar with apostilles and what is required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to obtain authentication.
- We will ensure your document is properly certified by a notary public, or any of the other officials mentioned above, so it won't be rejected.
- If it is not properly certified, we will try to obtain the correct certification on your behalf.
- Since an apostille or certification are specific to each country, we will ensure the correct one is issued.
- After issued, we can mail it out of the country, or wherever you need it sent. You must provide a pre-paid shipping label via email. If you don't provide a shipping label, we will determine the total cost to send your document(s) and will request that you pay it before the document(s) are sent.
WHICH COUNTRIES PARTICIPATE IN THE HAGUE CONVENTION AND ACCEPT APOSTILLE?
The Hague Apostille Convention, formally known as the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirements of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, is an international treaty that simplifies the authentication of public documents for use abroad. There are currently 129 countries that accept apostilles. If a country doesn't accept an apostille, a different kind of certification will be issued (see below). Here are the countries that accept apostilles:
A–C
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, China (including Hong Kong & Macao SARs), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic
D–H
Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini Fiji, Finland, France Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana Honduras, Hungary
I–M
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy Jamaica, Japan Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco
N–S
Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, North Macedonia, Norway Oman Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russia, Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland
T–Z
Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE CERTIFICATION - FEDERAL DOCUMENTS & NON-HAGUE COUNTRIES:
WHAT IF THE COUNTRY USING MY DOCUMENT ISN'T PART OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION?
In this case, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will issue a certification that will confirm the authority of the public officer who issued or signed your document (see above example). Normally, the receiving country that doesn't participate in the Hague Convention will require further certification by the U.S. Department of State (federal level).
MY DOCUMENT IS A FEDERAL DOCUMENT. MUST I GET A STATE APOSTILLE?
No, federal documents need to be authenticated/certified by the federal government at the U.S. Department of State. Common federal documents requiring U.S. Department of State authentication include FBI background checks, IRS and SSA letters, FDA and USDA certificates, federal court records, and other records issued by U.S. federal agencies.
CAN YOU OBTAIN CERTIFICATION BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON MY BEHALF?
Yes! We can facilitate the U.S. Department of State certification on your behalf. Please note that the federal government takes about 5-10 weeks to authenticate a document. Going through a service provider such as IPS-Notary could expedite the process by a few weeks.
I HAVE A DOCUMENT FROM ANOTHER STATE. CAN YOU HELP ME GET THOSE CERTIFICATIONS?
Yes, we can assist you with obtaining an Apostille from another state. Fees for this service vary by state, as each jurisdiction establishes its own charges and additional courier expenses may apply. Please email us for more information.
HOW CAN I REQUEST AN APOSTILLE OR CERTIFICATION?
You can request an Apostille by following these steps:
- Fill out the Massachusetts Apostille Request Form (this link will open a PDF document)
- Ensure that your document(s) is an ORIGINAL and is properly notarized (or certified)
- Enclose a pre-paid envelope (we use FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL)
- Mail the Massachusetts Apostille Request Form, original document(s), pre-paid envelope, and payment to the following address:
Korey Humphreys
Apostille Services
60 Washington Street
Ayer, MA 01432
(Address is for mailing purposes only. No walk-in service available.)
Apostille Services
60 Washington Street
Ayer, MA 01432
(Address is for mailing purposes only. No walk-in service available.)
