You may be requested by foreign country to provide an apostilled or legalized document for visa application, immigration, marriage registration, registration of birth in a foreign country, or working abroad. Documents executed or issued in United Kingdom for use in China, Spain, Portugal and other Hague Convention Countries should be apostilled at Secretary of State or Department of State.
Documents can be apostilled includes
General Documents
- Affidavits
- Diplomas
- Agreements
- Transcripts
- Articles of Incorporation
- Income Verification
- Bylaws
- Powers-of-Attorney
- Commercial Invoices
- Single Status
- Copy of a U.S. Passport
- Other business documents
State, Local, Court Documents
- Birth Certificates
- Divorce Decrees
- Marriage Certificates
- Police Clearance Letter
- Death Certificates
- Letter of Good Conduct
Federally Issued Documents
- FBI Background Check
- Immigration Certificate
Having a document apostilled involves several different steps.
1. First, have it notarized by notary public.
This step is not applicable for all the documents, affidavits, agreements, Single Status, Powers-of-Attorney should be notarized by a notary public prior to submitting to secretary of state for apostille. Generally, government issued documents will not need to be notarized, and can be submitted to county clerk, secretary of state or department of state for apostille directly.
2. Then, have it apostilled at Secretary of state where the document is issued.
If the notary public is commissioned at Tennessee, Maryland, or Georgia, take the document to the county clerk to have the notary public’s signature certified by county clerk. Otherwise, take the document to the secretary of state to have the notary public’s signature certified by secretary of state.
Apostille and Authentication are two certification types provided by Secretary of state. An apostille is issued for documents to be used in Hague Convention Country. An authentication is issued for documents to be used in Non-Hague Convention Countries. When submitting documents to Secretary of state, clearly indicate that they are destined for use in China mainland, and it must be apostilled.
Apostille Procedures of Criminal Background Check/ Police Clearance Letter
1. Apply for certified non-criminal background check from either one of the following authorities.
- Local Sheriff Office (City or County)
- Local Court (City or County)
- Local Police (City, County or State)
- State Department of Justice
- Bureau of Investigation (Federal or State)
Note: Please make sure the Police clearance letter or the criminal background check is a certified copy bearing officer’s signature from which department it is issued.
2. Have the non-criminal background check apostilled by Secretary of State (If applicable).
3. Have the non-criminal background check apostilled by Department of State (If applicable).
Please see “How to request U.S non-criminal record? ” for more details.
Sample of Police Clearance Letter
U.S. Degree Apostille Procedures
1. Apply for a notarized copy of degree from your graduated university.
2. Have the notarized degree apostilled by Secretary of State.
Sample of U.S. Degree
How we can help you?
As you can see, certifying a document can be confusing and frustrating. Not to worry. we’re here to make that process easier and faster as well. Aofan Consulting handles the Criminal background check application, authentication and apostille process from end-to-end, regardless of the type of document you’re trying to do, which means you can sit back, relax, and let us do all the work, to help relieve that burden.
ALL-ENCOMPASSING SERVICE includes:
1. Apply for Criminal Background Check or Good Conduct, or Police Clearance Letter.
2. Contact your university to have the degree notarized.
3. Have your document Notarized and Apostilled.
We’ve helped thousands of clients have their documents certified. Using our certification service gives you complete peace of mind and ensures that you get what you require in a timescale to suit your needs. Our staff are in constant contact with Government certification department, and as such are fully aware of the steps required to make sure your certification goes smoothly.
Scan the “Contact us on WeChat” QR code and wait for us to accept friend request. Or send us an email with the scan copy of your documents and leave us with your phone number.