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JPJamina PachecoNotary Public

Apostilles

The apostille is issued by the Florida Department of State. I prepare the document and handle the submission so it isn't sent back.

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An apostille certifies that the signature of the notary or public official on a document is genuine. Countries party to the Hague Convention accept it as sufficient to recognize a foreign document.

The most common failure is a badly notarized source document: an incomplete notarial certificate, a notary name that doesn't match the commission, or a copy the state can't certify. Any of those gets the request returned and costs you weeks.

I prepare and notarize the document in the format the Department of State requires, and I submit it myself. You don't have to file anything: I tell you what it costs, how long it usually takes and let you know when the apostille is ready.

How the process works

  1. 1

    We identify the document type

    A private document (power of attorney, affidavit) follows a different path than a public one (birth certificate, university diploma).

  2. 2

    I prepare the notarization

    I use the notarial certificate the state recognizes and verify that every detail matches.

  3. 3

    I submit it to the Department of State

    I put together the package with the form and the correct payment, and I send it myself. You don't have to do anything.

  4. 4

    You receive the apostille

    The state returns the document with the apostille attached, and I hand it to you ready to use in the destination country.

Questions about this service

Do you issue the apostille?

No. The Florida Department of State issues it. I notarize and prepare the document so the request isn't rejected, and I handle the submission myself.

Can I apostille a birth certificate from another country?

Not through Florida. The apostille is issued by the country that issued the document. Florida only apostilles documents issued or notarized in Florida.

How long does it take?

Department of State turnaround varies by season and submission method. I'll give you the current estimate when we prepare your document.

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