National Apostille – Blog

Does an Apostille Expire?

June 17, 2018 by admin

Does an Apostille Expire?

The answer is NO. An apostille does NOT have an expiration date.

But, most countries requesting an apostille on your documents may request for the documents and the apostilles to be issued within a certain period of time. For example, we have heard that most countries request an apostille and the FBI background check to be issued within the past 90 days. Some countries may request them as soon as 30 days.

Please double check with the country requesting your documents to find out how old they can be and how recent should the apostille be issued. For example, if you need a California apostille on a California birth certificate, we recommend that you ask how old the birth certificate can be and how recent the apostille should be issued. If the answer is 30 days for both, then the birth and the apostille must be issued within the past 30 days.

From our experience, background checks have the most restrictions.

Also, some States have restrictions on how old the documents can be. For example, Wisconsin and Virginia are 12 months. Texas is five years. We recommend that you contact us so we can review your documents.

Here is typically what’s included in a Apostille:

Country … [country name] This public document
has been signed by … [name]
acting in the capacity of … [function]
bears the seal/stamp of … [authority] certified
at … [location]
the … [date]
by … [name]
No … [apostille registration number]
Seal/stamp … [of the authority giving the apostille]
Signature … [signature of authority giving the apostille]

You can see examples of US State apostilles.

Apostilles 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.

National US Arab Chamber of Commerce Certification

May 26, 2018 by admin

Do you need your Certificate of Origin (C/O), Commercial Invoice (C/I), Packing Slip, Halal Certificate, or Bill of Lading certified and legalized through the National US Arab Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC?

At National Apostille, Inc., we take the guesswork out of certifying your documents through the National US Arab Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. 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.

The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), established nearly 50 years ago, is America’s longest serving organization dedicated to U.S.-Arab business. NUSACC is widely regarded as the voice of American business in the 22 countries of the Arab world and the premier portal to the United States for Arab commercial enterprises.

The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce is the ONLY business entity in the United States that is officially recognized and sanctioned by the League of Arab States and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture. As such, NUSACC is a “sister chamber” and partner to the national chambers of commerce throughout the Arab world.

Here is an example of the certificate attached by the National US Arab Chamber of Commerce:

Arab League Countries as of January 2018:

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Yemen

Visit the National US Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC)

Certifying documents through the National US Arab Chamber of Commerce and legalizing them through the Embassy or Consulate office can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the legalization 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!

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

United Arab Emirates UAE Embassy Washington DC Legalization

May 21, 2018 by admin

Do you need to legalize and certify your documents through the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC?

At National Apostille, Inc., we take the guesswork out of attesting, certifying and legalizing personal and business documents through the United Arab Emirates – UAE Embassy. 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.

As of May 21, 2018 the UAE Embassy charged $45 for personal documents (Example: Diploma, FBI background check, birth certificate, etc…) and $600 for business documents.

Please note that if your documents relate to any type of business activity, the cost is $600 a document. A cashier’s check or money order can be made payable to the United Arab Emirates Embassy to cover the cost.

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) 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 the UAE (United Arab Emirates) Embassy legalization. This three step process is necessary in order for the country of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to accept your documents.

Here is an illustration to help explain the process:

The most common documents we can certify and legalize for the UAE (United Arab Emirates) are:

Birth Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Death Certificates
Divorce Decree
Single Status Affidavit
Background Checks (Local, State, FBI)
Power of Attorney
Notarized Documents
Copy of Passport
Copy of Driver License
Transcripts
Diplomas
Authorization Letter
Travel Consent Letter
Articles of Incorporation
Certificate of Good Standing
Certification of Free Sale
Certification of Origin
Corporate Power of Attorney
Commercial Invoice

Certifying and legalizing documents for the UAE can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the legalization 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!

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

Qatar Diploma Attestation

May 9, 2018 by admin

Do you need your diploma and transcripts attested through the Qatar Consulate or Embassy office?

At National Apostille, Inc., we take the guesswork out of legalizing your diploma and transcripts for Qatar. 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.

The Country of Qatar has one Embassy office in Washington DC and three Consulate offices located in California (Los Angeles), Texas (Houston), and New York (NYC). Depending on the State your documents will be signed and notarized in, the jurisdiction may fall onto one of the four Qatar government offices.

Certifying and legalizing a diploma for Qatar is a multi-step process. These steps include State certification, U.S. Department of State certification, and Embassy or Consulate legalization.

The Qatar Consulate or Embassy office has strict requirements on attesting diplomas and transcripts.

Here is the list of the six documents we will need (Updated March 2017):
– Copy of your passport
– Notarized original diploma. This must be the original diploma or a new notarized diploma from the school. Black and white or color copies will not be accepted.
– Notarized original transcripts. This must be an original transcript printed by the school on their special tamper resistant paper. Black and white copies will not be accepted. The transcripts must be notarized by the school’s registrar.
– Signed and completed Education Records Consent and Release Form (We will email you this form to complete)
– Signed letter from the school (Enrollment Verification Letter) addressed to the Consulate General of Qatar stating that all of your classes were completed in class and on campus. If any of your classes were completed online, the letter must state the percentage of classes that were completed online. This letter must be an original letter with a ink signature and must be signed and notarized by the school’s registrar. Please see below the key points that must be on the letter.
– Offer letter signed by both the employer and employee.

Verification must include the following key point:

Certificate information is accurate
Enrollment and attendance (Full-time, part-time, distance)
Study and test locations
Degree obtained by the student (diploma: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate)
Duration of the program
The actual time the student spent to get the certificate (Study start date and end date)
If this is a public or private academic institution
If the student attended more than one institution, it must mention this in the letter.
The letter must mention that the classes took place on campus. If the student took classes online, they will need to know how many classes where taken online and the percentage of these classes.
This letter must be signed and notarized by the school’s registrar.

– Any university degree issued before 01/01/2000 must be submitted with a letter addressed to the Consulate of Qatar proving the completion of all courses, along with an original transcript

– Any university degree issued after 01/01/2000 must be submitted with a letter addressed to the Consulate of Qatar proving the completion of all courses in-class rather than online, along with an original transcript

Here are the two simple steps you will need to take before we can begin to certify and attest your diploma:

Step 1: Notarize Your Diploma, Transcripts, and Enrollment Verification Letter – The first step is to contact the University’s Registrar and request your Diploma, Transcripts, and Enrollment Verification Letter to be notarized. If the school does not have a notary on staff, you will need to request a traveling notary to visit the school and meet with the Registrar.

Step 2: Mail-in Your Documents – The second step is to mail in your original notarized documents including the documents the Qatar Embassy or Consulate office will require (see list above). Failure to provide the required documents will cause delays in attesting your diploma.

Depending on the State your documents were signed and notarized in, the processing time can take two to three weeks to complete. We will coordinate with our apostille offices to complete your documents as quickly as possible. We also provide FedEx/UPS overnight return shipping at no additional cost. We can also ship your completed documents to Qatar. International flat-fee shipping rates apply.

Certifying and legalizing documents for Qatar can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the legalization 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!

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

US Patent and Trademark Apostille

May 4, 2018 by admin

Do you need an apostille on a document issued by the United States Patent and Trademark office (USPTO)?

Documents issued by the US Patent and Trademark office can be apostilled through our office in Washington, D.C. In order for your document to receive an apostille, you must mail in the certified copy issued by the Patent and Trademark document with the gold seal attached. We have provided an example of this document below for your reference. This document must be signed by the Certifying offices of the United States Department of Commerce.

We recommend that you mail in your certified documents by FedEx, UPS, or DHL to our Washington, D.C. office. Documents mailed in by USPS can be delayed. The processing time through the U.S. Department of four business days and we do provide UPS/FedEx overnight return shipping at no additional cost.