Austin, Texas Courier Services
Apostille is a form of authentication for legal documents. The name apostille comes from the French word for certification, apostillé. Documents bearing an apostille are recognized by all member countries of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (1961).
Apostilles are attached to foreign public documents to certify that they are copies of original documents in the issuing country’s national language and contain no alterations. The apostille itself is a stamp that is added to the document.
The Apostille Convention is an international treaty ratified by 175 countries around the world, including all European Union members, Canada and Japan. The Hague Conference on Private International Law administers these treaties and publishes model texts on how to prepare documents for international use.
The United States has not ratified this treaty but instead uses a different method of certification called “certification.” This involves having an official government agency review your document before you submit it internationally.
The difference between an Apostille and a certification is that the latter is done at the state level, while the former is done internationally. If you are trying to file your document in another country, it’s better to have an Apostille than certification.
This is usually the U.S. Department of State, but other agencies may be used depending on the type of document and where it will be used. The agency will verify that it is authentic and contains all required information before stamping an official seal onto it. The seal acts as proof that your document is a true copy of the original form.
Austin Couriers for Apostilles
When you are ready to have your documents apostilled, it’s important that you find reliable Austin apostille couriers. The last thing you want is for your original documents to be misplaced or get lost in the mail. This can happen easily if they aren’t properly packaged or shipped.