In the United States, an apostille is a stamp that is placed on documents to indicate that the document has been certified by a notary public. The purpose of this certification is to establish that the signature on the document is authentic.
Apostilles are used in many countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, France and Germany. An apostille may also be called an “apostilization” or “legalization.”
In Texas, an apostille is required for certain documents to be accepted in another country or state. For example, a birth certificate issued in Texas must be legalized before it can be used as proof of identity outside of Texas.
Who Needs an Apostille?
In general, any document that requires authentication needs an apostille stamp from Texas Secretary of State (SOS) Office. However, there are some exceptions:
- You don’t need an apostille if you only have one parent named on your birth certificate and your parents were married at the time of your birth;
- You don’t need an apostille if your name has changed after marriage; or
- You don’t need an apostille if you were born in a foreign country but have been living in Texas for at least 2 years.
If you have a document that needs apostille and you are not sure if it qualifies, contact the apostille Austin Texas services. You can also contact them if you have questions about what documents need an apostille stamp. If you are sending a document to another country, it may be necessary for the receiving country’s government to certify that your document is authentic. This process is called legalization and requires a stamp from the Secretary of State’s Office in Texas or the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C..