Washington Apostille: Avoid Delays, Master the Process

The apostille is a type of international verification issued for documents intended for use in countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. This simplifies the legalization process for documents across member countries. You will only need to follow the apostille process if the country you are sending your documents to participates in the Hague Convention. You can obtain one from the Washington Secretary of State's office as there is no legalization required from your destination country’s embassy. The Secretary of State will verify the authenticity of signatures and seals on your documents, confirming they were issued by authorized officials in Washington state.

Always check the specific requirements of the relevant authorities in your destination country before submitting your apostilled document. Embassies, consulates, or government websites often provide guidelines and may have additional steps you need to take, which are different depending on the document type and intended use.

There is no way to transfer the apostille on the off chance that you lose your authenticated document. You will first need to replace the document by applying through the relevant authority in the US. After that, it must be submitted again for apostille verification either to the Department of State or your specific state’s Authentications Unit. 

An apostille typically remains valid for multiple uses within the same country, as long as the document has not expired. So you do not need to get your documents apostilled again in this case. This is different when using your document across different countries as you are asked to specify the destination country when getting your documents apostilled. 

The Washington Secretary of State's office handles apostille requests for vital records issued within the state. You can submit your application and required documents directly to their office. However, before submitting your apostille application, ensure that you have the original or certified copy of your vital record from the issuing authority in Washington State. This is usually the Department of Health in the county where the birth, marriage, or death event occurred. Please keep in mind that notary publics cannot certify vital records so you will need to contact the SOS office directly. 

You can use your apostilled vital records when applying for foreign residency, citizenship, or visa. Vital records are also used when registering your marriage, registering for international courses, and starting a new job abroad. 

The Washington State’s apostille processing time depends on whether you apply online or send your application via mail. The number of applications received by the Secretary of State’s office also determines how fast your documents are apostilled. You can expect to receive your apostilled documents back within 1-2 weeks as the Secretary of State’s website shows the processing time to be 3-5 business days. However, do keep in mind that this does not include shipping, which may add another week to the total time. Shipping times will obviously be longer if you need your documents to be delivered outside the U.S. 

This processing time is for documents and applications that are submitted correctly by following the official guidelines. You can expect longer processing times if you miss any details or there are any discrepancies found in your documents.

The Washington Secretary of State is unique in the sense that it offers a Universal certificate instead of an exclusively apostille certification. You can use this certificate as an apostille in Hague Convention countries and as an authentication seal in non-Hague countries, after completing legalization.

The following documents are required:

• The original or certified copy of the document that needs to be apostilled.
• A completed application form. You can download this from the Washington Secretary of State's website.
• A valid government-issued photo ID.

• The New York Secretary of State’s processing fee.

The three available New York State apostille application options are:

1. Mail application
2. Fax application
3. In-person application

In all three options, you must submit a cover letter for your apostille application to be accepted. The New York State apostille request form requires the following details:

• Include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address.
• Include the current date at the top of the cover letter.
• Clearly state your request for an apostille and choose the specific document type you need the apostille for.
• Specify the country where you intend to use the apostilled document.
• Indicate the address where you want the apostilled document to be mailed back to you after processing.