An apostille for notarized statements is an internationally recognized certification that authenticates public documents. Countries that are part of the 1961 Hague Convention treaty have agreed to standardize the process by which they recognize each other’s notarized documents. This allows documents signed and notarized in one country to be automatically legalized in any other country that is a member of the treaty.

In New York State, an apostille is required for notarized documents that are going to be used in another country such as a power of attorney, consent, affidavit or authorization. The document must be originally signed and notarized by a New York notary and then authenticated by the county clerk in the county where the notary is commissioned. If the document is being used in a foreign country that is not a member of the Hague Convention then it will require an additional foreign certificate from the Department of State.

How to Get an Apostille for Notarized Statements

The first step in the apostille process is to bring your document into the Secretary of State’s office for authentication. There is a per document fee for this service. The Secretary of State will affix an Apostille to your document. Next, if the document is being used in a country that is a member of the Hague Convention, present the Apostille certified document to that country’s embassy or consulate for its final certification and recognition. Documents that are not being used in a country that is enrolled in the Hague Convention will need to be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications.