What is an apostille
An apostille is a certificate — often attached to the document by an appropriate government official after it is notarized. A notary cannot issue an apostille; only your secretary of state can issue one. As an apostille agent, we are responsible for providing a courier service to deliver the document to the secretary of state to be apostilled and sent/delivered back to you or your customer.
Before beginning the apostille process, there are several factors that must be considered:
Type of document: Georgia issued vital records, court documents and corporations division documents: Publicly recorded documents must be official certified copies with the signature and seal of the issuing Georgia state or county official. This will determine the approval authority.
Will the document be used in a foreign country, foreign embassy or foreign consulate? Yes, if the document be used in a country, including an embassy or consulate, which is a participant to The Hague Treaty Convention 12 (commonly known as the Apostille Convention). If the document is being used in a non-Hague country, then it will need to be authenticated, not apostilled. (Great Seal Certification.)
State from which the document originated: Georgia can only issue apostilles for documents originating in the State of Georgia. Georgia can not apostille out-of-state documents.
Date of the document: Vital records must be issued within the last five years, obtained through the office of vital records and certified with a pen in hand signature.
Who Needs Documents Apostilled?
Anyone who seeks to live, work, study, or get married in another country or plans to conduct business overseas may need certain documents to be apostilled. These include birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, U.S.-issued school transcripts, diplomas, degrees and etc. Companies seeking to conduct international business may require additional corporate documents such as articles of incorporation, organization agreements, and certificates of existence to be apostilled in order for those documents to be accepted in another country.
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