FBI background checks, naturalization certificates, DD-214s, and other U.S. federal documents apostilled at the Department of State in 7 to 10 business days. We walk them in personally in Washington, D.C.
Here for an FBI background check apostille? That is our flagship service and it has its own page. Go to FBI background check apostilles for the full process and to order. This page is for the other federal documents.
A federal apostille is an apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State for a document created by a U.S. federal agency. If your document came from the FBI, USCIS, the Department of Defense, the IRS, or the Social Security Administration, it is a federal document, and only the Department of State in Washington, D.C. can apostille it. No state Secretary of State can authenticate a federal document.
The rule is simple. Federal document, federal apostille from the Department of State. State document like a birth or marriage certificate, apostille from that state's Secretary of State. If you are looking for a birth, marriage, death, or divorce certificate apostille, that is a state apostille and follows a different path.
Walking documents into the Department of State in person is the only way to expedite a federal apostille. There is no online submission and no rush tier for mailed requests. Our office is in the Washington, D.C. area, so we submit your document in person and pick it up as soon as it is ready, which is how we deliver 7 to 10 business days instead of the 5 to 12 weeks the mail-in route takes.
Need an FBI background check first? We also provide FBI background check fingerprinting at our Virginia locations. Get fingerprinted and apostilled in one place.
If it was issued by the federal government and you need to use it abroad, we can apostille it. The most common federal documents we handle:
By far the most requested federal apostille, used for visas, residency, dual citizenship, work permits, and study abroad. This is our core service. See the dedicated FBI background check apostille page for the full process.
A federal document proving U.S. citizenship, often needed for dual citizenship, marriage abroad, and residency applications. You mail us the original and we apostille the original itself, then return it unharmed. Important: never photocopy or notarize a naturalization certificate, because federal law restricts copying it and a photocopy cannot be apostilled. If you cannot part with the original, USCIS can issue a certified true copy that we apostille instead.
Discharge papers and other Department of Defense records are federal documents, so they go to the Department of State. Common for veterans relocating, claiming foreign benefits, or proving service abroad.
The IRS tax residency letter used to claim tax treaty benefits in another country. A federal document apostilled at the Department of State.
Benefit verification and award letters from the Social Security Administration, often required for retirement, residency, or pension purposes abroad.
Certificates of Free Sale, Certificates to Foreign Government, and other federal documents that companies need to export products or operate internationally.
Have a different federal document? If it was issued by a federal agency, it almost certainly apostilles at the Department of State. Contact us and we will confirm the path and price.
The process is the same for every federal document. The one thing to know up front: most federal documents other than the FBI background check are physical originals, so you mail the original to us. We never accept or submit a plain photocopy.
Place your order and mail us the federal document (or upload it, for an FBI background check). We review it for completeness and confirm there are no issues that would cause the Department of State to reject it.
We prepare the Department of State paperwork and walk your document into the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. in person. No envelope sitting in a queue.
The Department of State verifies the federal signature on your document and affixes the apostille. For countries not in the Hague Convention, they issue an authentication certificate instead, and the document then goes to that country's embassy for legalization.
As soon as it is ready, we pick it up and ship your apostilled document back to you with 2-day shipping included. Pickup in person at our Alexandria, VA office is also available.
Using the document in a country outside the Hague Convention? Countries like the UAE and Qatar require an authentication certificate plus embassy legalization instead of an apostille. We handle these as a custom quote. Contact us with your destination country and we will map it out.
One flat price for any federal document. Everything included, no surprises.
Non-Hague countries that require embassy legalization after the Department of State are quoted separately, since each embassy sets its own fee and timeline. Everything else is the flat $120 first document and $95 each additional.
Answers to the most common questions about apostilling U.S. federal documents.
A federal apostille is an apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State for a document created by a U.S. federal agency, such as an FBI background check, a naturalization certificate, or a DD-214. Federal documents can only be apostilled by the Department of State in Washington, D.C. No state Secretary of State can apostille a federal document.
Documents issued by the federal government go to the Department of State for a federal apostille. This includes FBI background checks, naturalization certificates and certificates of citizenship, DD-214s and military records, IRS Form 6166 residency letters, and Social Security letters. Documents issued by a state, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, are apostilled by that state's Secretary of State instead.
Yes. A naturalization certificate is a federal document apostilled by the Department of State. You mail us the original and we apostille the original itself, then return it to you unharmed. Never photocopy or notarize a naturalization certificate, because federal law restricts copying it and a photocopy cannot be apostilled. If you cannot part with the original, USCIS can issue a certified true copy that we apostille instead.
Yes. A DD-214 and other military and Department of Defense records are federal documents, so they are apostilled by the Department of State. You mail us the document and we walk it in for you.
With our expedited service, 7 to 10 business days. We personally walk your document into the Department of State in Washington, D.C., which is the only way to expedite. By mail the Department of State takes 5 to 12 weeks.
$120 for the first document and $95 for each additional document. This includes the $20 Department of State apostille fee, all paperwork, in-person submission, pickup, and 2-day return shipping. Non-Hague countries that need embassy legalization are quoted separately.
If the country is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, the Department of State issues an authentication certificate instead of an apostille, and the document then needs legalization at that country's embassy or consulate in Washington, D.C. We handle these as a custom quote because embassy fees and timelines vary by country.
FBI checks, naturalization certificates, DD-214s, and more. We walk it into the Department of State and have it back to you in 7 to 10 business days. $120, shipping included.