National Apostille – Blog

Passport Apostille

February 4, 2021 by admin

Do you need to apostille your passport?

Are you planning to open a bank account in another country? Have you been asked to apostille your passport to confirm your identity in a foreign country? Are you planning to purchase a home or deal with an inheritance?

We can apostille all international and US passports for countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention and for countries who are not (AKA: Legalization process).

How does my passport get an apostille?
The notary will confirm your identity and the state will confirm the notary’s seal and signature and attach the state apostille. Please note that we do not process online digital notarization. We must receive the original signed and notarized color copy.

Note: If you are in a foreign country, you will need to visit the local US Embassy or US Consulate office.

If you are physically in the U.S., please follow the three simple steps below. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email us.

Step 1: Make a color copy of your passport. Typically, this is the page with your picture and information. Some countries may request that you color copy all of the pages.

Step 2: Meet with a local notary public. You can find a notary public near you by searching online “Notary Near Me”.

Step 3: Sign and notarize your document. You will be attesting to the color copy of your passport. You can write the following statement, “I certify this is a true copy of my passport #ABCD1234”. Please sign under your statement and date it. The notary will then sign, date, stamp and add the proper notarial wording. Please be sure your signature matches the signature on the passport.

Note: Some states allow notaries to certify a color copy of your passport but we recommend that you follow the steps outlined in #3.

Step 4: Mail in your original signed and notarized passport to our office with our order forms. Do NOT mail in your original passport.

You can download our order forms here: Apostille Order Forms

That’s it! Once we receive your notarized document with our order forms, we’ll obtain the state apostille and send it back to you by FedEx. It’s that simple.

Obtaining an apostille can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-800-903-2470 or email: support@nationalapostille.com

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

Obtain Dual Citizenship with Mexico Apostille

January 24, 2021 by admin

Are you a US Citizen and would like to obtain dual Citizenship with Mexico? Are any of your parents Citizens of Mexico? In order to obtain dual Citizenship with Mexico, you must apostille your US birth certificate.

Have you also been told to obtain an apostille on a single status? Are you planning to purchase property in Mexico?

The naturalization process in Mexico is managed by the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE). There are several methods of naturalizing in Mexico. Generally, Mexican nationality can be acquired by meeting various residency, cultural integration, or marriage requirements. Please contact SRE’s main office for more information on the application procedure.

You can request to become a Citizen of Mexico by providing the following documents to the local Mexican Consulate office:

Your parents’ marriage or divorce certificate
A Mexican birth certificate
A Mexican passport

Please be sure to also apostille your US birth certificate. We recommend that you contact the local Mexican Consulate office or visit their website for information before you physically travel there.

Can I obtain citizenship through descent or ancestry?
Yes. Children of Mexican citizens are eligible to apply for Mexican citizenship and aren’t required to become permanent residents first if they’re claiming citizenship through parents.

Can I obtain citizenship through marriage?
Yes. Marrying a Mexican makes you eligible for citizenship as soon as you’re married, as long as you’re residing together and are married in Mexico (not you or your partner’s alternate home country or anywhere else overseas).

Can I obtain citizenship through naturalization?
Yes. Permanent residents who have been residents for at least five years may apply for citizenship based on naturalization.

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

Single Status for Marriage in Ethiopia

January 15, 2021 by admin

Are you planning to get married in Ethiopia and need a document that says you are currently single?

If you are planning to get married in Ethiopia, you will be asked to certify and legalize a document that states you are currently single. This document will need to be processed through the State, the US Department of State in Washington, D.C., and he Ethiopia Embassy in Washington D.C.

A single status may also be referred by the following names:

No Record of Marriage
Certificate of Freedom to Marry
Certificate of No Impediment for Marriage
Certificate of No Record – Marriage
Affidavit of Single Status
Affidavit of Marriageability
Certificate of No Public Record

Ethiopia is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents). Documents being sent to this country require State, U.S. Department of State, and Ethiopia Embassy legalization. This three step process is necessary in order for the country of Ethiopia to accept your documents.

Office Hours: 8am – 7pm Monday – Saturday
Customer Support: 1-800-903-2470
Email: Ethiopia@nationalapostille.com

Here is an illustration to help explain the process:

The first step is to contact the local County Clerk’s office to request a document that states you are currently not married (AKA: Single Status). Some County Clerk offices may refer to this document as a “no record of marriage” instead of a “single status”. Most all County Clerk offices can provide you this document so please be sure to speak to a supervisor if you are told otherwise. A document issued from the County Clerk’s office does not require notarization.

If the County Clerk is unable to assist you and you are in the United States, you can use the sample below to write your own single status affidavit. Basically, you are writing a sworn statement stating that you are currently not married to another person in the United States. Be sure to have this document signed and notarized before you mail it in to our office. You should also check with the people requesting your single status if they will accept a sworn affidavit directly from you.

Here is an example of a single status affidavit:

If you are outside of the United States, the local US Embassy or US Consulate office should be able to assist you in completing a single status and also having it signed and notarized. Because you will be visiting U.S. Federal Government office, this document can then only be apostilled through our Washington DC apostille office.

Here is an example of US Embassy or US Consulate Single Status Affidavit:

Certifying and legalizing documents for Ethiopia can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-800-903-2470.

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our document legalization service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

Bank Statement Apostille

December 13, 2020 by admin

Do you need to apostille your Bank Statements?

Have you been asked to apostille a copy of your most recent bank statement? Have you been told to prove your income or source of funds?

Before your bank statements can receive the United States apostille, it must be signed and notarized. There are two ways to notarize a bank statement. Either the representative at the bank (Example: Branch Manager) can sign and notarize the bank statement or you (account holder) can meet with a local notary public and have your signature signed and notarized.

The easiest and best way to notarize your bank statement is to contact your bank and ask if a notary is available at their location. Most banks will have a commissioned notary on staff who can notarize your statements without charging you a fee. If you don’t have a copy of your statements, the bank can print out a copy at no charge.

In addition to getting a bank statement apostilled, you may be asked to also apostille other documents. For example, a copy of your utility bill, driver license, social security card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, FBI background check apostille, etc… Please be sure to check with the people requesting your documents so there are no delays or additional costs.

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

FBI Apostille for Albania

December 5, 2020 by admin

Do you need FBI Apostille Service for Albania?

At National Apostille, Inc. we take the guesswork out of obtaining an apostille on your documents. Our trained and knowledgeable staff are available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

Background checks originating from the FBI can be processed through our Washington DC apostille office. Please note that your documents will receive an Apostille from the US Department of State – Office of Authentications.

If you receive your FBI background check in a digital format (PDF copy), go ahead and e-mail it to us with the completed order form and credit card authorization form (see below). If you receive your FBI background by regular mail (Hard copy), go ahead and mail it to our Washington DC office with our order form and credit card authorization form (see below). We can process a digital PDF copy or a hard copy. It’s your choice.

Processing time: 4 business days (Estimated)
Cost: As low as $75 for each apostille.
Free Return Shipping: FedEx priority overnight by 10:30 AM (Estimated)
Office Hours: 8am – 7pm Monday – Saturday
Customer Support: 1-800-903-2470
Email: FBI@nationalapostille.com

Download our order forms:
FBI Apostille Order Form (PDF Format)
FBI Apostille Credit Card Authorization Form (PDF Format)

We also recommend that you download the following forms:
Schedule of State and U.S. Federal Fees (PDF Format)
Schedule of Embassy and Consulate Fees (PDF Format)
State Jurisdiction Forms (PDF Format)
Translation Request Form (PDF Format)

Here is an example of an FBI criminal background check (PDF Digital Copy) apostille for Albania…

Here is an example of an FBI criminal background check (Hard Copy) apostille for Albania…

We provide FAST document authentication services from the US Department of State Office of Authentications to be used in another country who is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.

In addition to our FBI Apostille Services for Albania, we can also apostille documents issued from any US State including documents issued by the US Federal Government (U.S. Federal Apostille). Our eight offices are strategically located in California (Los Angeles & San Francisco), Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. to help expedite the processing of your documents.

We can process documents issued from all 50 U.S. States and the U.S. Federal Government. Do you have additional documents from another State?

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-800-903-2470 or 1-202-897-4070.