Apostille for United States
Apostille accepted
Yes. An apostille is accepted in United States, and has been since 15 October 1981. You do not need consular or embassy legalization for a US public document going to United States.
Also searched as: USA, US, America.
Worth knowing about United States
The United States is where your document is apostilled, not a destination you would apostille for. If you hold a US public document, the apostille is issued by the Secretary of State of the US state that issued it, or by the US Department of State for federal documents.
United States — Convention status
| Convention party | Yes — United States |
|---|---|
| In force since | 15 October 1981 |
| Years in force | 44 years |
| What you need today | An apostille from the US authority that issued or notarized the document. No embassy step. |
Apostille for United States — FAQ
- Does United States accept an apostille?
- Yes. An apostille is accepted in United States, and has been since 15 October 1981. You do not need consular or embassy legalization for a US public document going to United States.
- Who issues the apostille for a document going to United States?
- Not United States. An apostille on a US document is issued by the US authority that has custody of the signature on it — the Secretary of State of the US state where the document was issued or notarized, or the US Department of State for federal documents. The destination country never issues it and never needs to be involved.
- Does the apostille have to mention United States?
- No. An apostille is a single standardized certificate with the same ten fields worldwide. It is not issued "for" a particular country and does not name a destination — the same apostille is valid in every member country. You do not need a different apostille for United States than for anywhere else.
- Does an apostille mean my document is in United States's language?
- No. An apostille authenticates the signature and seal on the document; it does not translate anything. Whether United States's receiving authority also requires a translation is that authority's rule, not a Convention rule — confirm it with the office that will receive the document.
- Is there anything an apostille will not do for United States?
- An apostille proves that the signature and seal on your document are genuine. It does not certify that the contents are true, does not make an expired document valid, and does not override a receiving authority's own rules about document age, format or translation.
Not legal advice. This page states United States’s status under the Hague Apostille Convention and how US apostilles are issued. It does not state United States’s own requirements for accepting a document — age limits, translation, and format rules are set by the receiving authority and must be confirmed with them.
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