Authenticating Your Federal-Issued Paperwork

There are many reasons why you may need your documents either Apostilled or Authenticated… taking a new job overseas, getting married in another country, or moving outside of the U.S. No matter the reason, you will need to have your documents certified as authentic copies of the original.

Please understand that Apostilled and Authenticated documents only certify that it is a true copy of the original. The signature, stamps, and seals on the paper are verified – but it does not confirm that the original document’s contents are correct.

While many documents need to be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., here are a few examples:

• FBI Reports

• FBI Background Checks

• Social Security Letters

• Certificates of Birth Abroad

• Certificates of Naturalization

The above is not an all-inclusive list, so please contact us to verify if your papers need authentication. Click here to see what embassy legalization services are available.

What if you need FBI records authenticated?

Many foreign countries and employers require an FBI background check for obtaining a visa, employment, or establishing residency outside of the United States.

It may sound scary to have the FBI run a background check on you, but in reality, it is a common practice for those traveling abroad. Countries want to verify the integrity of those entering to visit, work, or to stay.

We are not able to pull the FBI reports for you; that is something you must do either on your own or through an approved FBI Channeler. Here is a link to the FBI webpage of a list of approved channelers who will help you with fingerprint submission, submitting the correct data, and all other steps needed to receive an electronic summary of your FBI background check.

Once you have the results of your background check report, contact Blue Ink Notary Services to have copies of your documents authenticated; we can help make sure you have everything in order.

To authenticate your FBI reports:

• We need the original FBI background check results with the original seal and signature

• If not the original, we need the PDF form you received from an approved channeler (this is quicker and preferred to sending the original paperwork)

• You will complete our secure Order Form, and you will receive a payment link. Once paid

• We will process the authentication through proper channels at the U.S. Department of State

Authenticating copies of FBI records needs to be done correctly and promptly. Fill out our Order Form to have your background check ready for the country requesting these copies.

Authenticating through the U.S. Department of State

How do you know which documents should be authenticated through the originating state, and which need to be done through the U.S. Department of State located in Washington, D.C.? The determining factor is who issued the document.

If the document is a federal-issued document, then the Authentication needs to go through the State Department. Since a federal entity issues an FBI background check (Federal Bureau of Investigation), this means that authenticating these copies is also done by the U.S. Department of State.

Let Blue Ink Notary Services Handle This

When having your documents authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, you do not need to worry about contacting the right area and the right people within the department. We will quickly navigate this obstacle course for you. Either Contact Us with any questions you have or fill out our Order Form to start the Authentication process today. We have worked this process countless times over the years and can do it with ease for you.

What is the Embassy/Consulate Legalization Process?

Whether you are getting married in Malaysia, establishing residency in Barbados, or seeking employment in Egypt, you must have the correct documentation to begin the proceedings.

When presenting your documents to another country, you need a form of authentication that verifies your papers are a true copy of the original. There are two ways to prove this validation:

• Obtain a certified copy through the Embassy/Consulate Legalization process

• Have your document Apostilled

  
  
  The Hague Convention of 1961 established a uniform process of authenticity. Countries belonging to this convention accept papers that are Apostilled to show they are valid copies of the original document.

  For the countries that are not members of the Hague Convention, legalized documents are required to be processed through the Embassy or Consulate. This process confirms the stamps, signatures, and seals have been evaluated and authenticated.

  If you are unsure which verification the country you are visiting requires, visit our webpage hereto determine if your documentation needs an Apostille or Embassy/Consulate Legalization.

  No matter the country, we can successfully authenticate your papers. Submit your Order today and let us quickly and professionally process the proper paperwork for you.

  How does a document become legalized through the Embassy/Consulate?

  Papers issued by the state require a different certification process than federally issued documents.

  State-issued papers must first seek State certification, then U.S. Department of State certification, and finally Embassy/Consulate legalization.

  Here are some examples of personal and business documents processed through the issuing State Secretary’s Office:

  • Birth certificates

  • Marriage certificates

  • Driver’s license

  • Death certificates

  • Wills

  • Divorce Decrees

  • Articles of Incorporation

  • Bank Statements

  • Power of Attorney

  • Other documents and certificates

  *Please Note – this is not an all-inclusive list. Contact us to inquire as to which department can authenticate your documents.

  On the other hand, documents issued by the U.S. Federal Government must first be processed through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and then the papers are to be delivered to the Embassy or Consulate office for legalization.

  Here are some examples of federally issued documents:

  • FBI reports

  • FBI background check

  • Social Security Letter

  • Certificate of Birth Abroad

  • Certificate of Naturalization

  • Other documents and certificates

  *Please Note – this is not an all-inclusive list. Contact us to inquire as to which department can authenticate your documents.

  In addition to this, some countries will also request a copy of your U.S. Passport, driver’s license, or any other documentation they deem necessary. Many countries also require your paperwork to be translated into their language, adding yet another step in this procedure.

  The strict process of legalizing your documents through the correct Embassy or Consulate can be complicated. If you have any pieces missing or incorrect, the entire process may be delayed or even rejected. Fill out our Order Form today, and we will handle your paperwork as well as your translation quickly and accurately.

  Let Blue Ink Notary Services handle the details.

  Having your document verified as a true copy of the original is too important a task to try to navigate on your own. At Blue Ink Notary Services, we know what documents are needed, which department to work with, and how to maneuver the red tape with ease.

  Contact us today if you have questions about the Embassy/Consulate legalization process, or fill out our Order Form now if you are ready to get started.

  Do not allow a small infraction to delay the entire process; we will correctly obtain a certified copy of your documents the first time.

Embassy Legalization for Business Documents

One of the challenges of doing business in other countries is the extra effort required to authenticate and legalize company documents for use abroad. If it were simply 1 document that needed to be Apostilled or Authenticated, that would not be a problem, but it is rarely just 1 document that needs this attention.

The Hague Convention of 1961 established a universal process of verifying the authenticity of paperwork for all member countries, which can be done via an Apostille. All non-member countries have their specific processes for accepting and authenticating documents from other countries, and here lies the challenge.

The following is a list of only some of the documents that need to be legalized by countries that are not members of the Hague Convention of 1961:

• Certificate of Good Standing

• Financial Statements

• Article of Incorporation

• Bylaws

• Business Registration

• US Patent Application

• Power of Attorney

• FBI Reports

Submitting Documents for Legalization to Non-Member Countries

Countries that are not members of the Hague Convention of 1961 must undergo a more involved process to legalize business documents.

For state-issued documents, such as a Power of Attorney or other personal or business documents, the following steps must be taken:

• The business document must first be notarized

• Obtain Certification from the Secretary of State’s office, where it was issued or notarized

• The document is then authenticated by the U.S. Department of State

• If necessary, the documents (including Certification and Authentication) are translated

For Federal documents such as FBI Reports and US Patents, the following are the steps that must be done:

• The documents are to be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State

• If necessary, the documents (including the Authentication) are translated

Once the papers are authenticated, the next step is to legalize the document through the foreign country’s embassy or consulate. Keep in mind that each embassy or consulate has its own rules and regulations. You need to understand the hours of operation, civic and religious holidays, and other specifications.

Working with Each Non-Member Country

Each country has its specific standards. For example, China requires an authenticated copy of the driver’s license of the main person requesting legalization.

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, located in the United States, has 3 Consulate Service locations. Depending on the state of the documents origin will depend on whether you use the Consulate located in Washington D.C., New York City, or Houston, Texas to legalize your documents. Follow this linkto identify the Saudi Consulate Service location needed.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a minimum of 3 business days is needed to process any document (and remember to take into account weekends and holidays when determining the days).  Also, when submitting financial statements to the UAE, each year must be submitted individually, and there is a separate charge for each year.

When sending paperwork to the UAE for legalization, each document must be attested separately; meaning the originating county or state official must acknowledge each document individually; they cannot certify the group as a whole.

Let Us Simplify the Process

As you can see, authenticating and legalizing documents for non-member countries of the Hague Convention of 1961 can be tricky. Let Blue Ink Notary handle this for you.

We have completed global transactions with just about every country. We have worked with each of the state filing offices as well as many embassies and consulates. We have the experience and the contacts to seamlessly authenticate and legalize any business documents.

We will work with the local government to have your documents certified, the U.S. Department of State to have the paperwork authenticated, have the papers translated (when needed), and we will also work with the Embassy/Consulate to ensure all documents are legalized.

There is no reason to hire several different companies when we can do it all for you.

Contact us today to discuss the scope of your project and our determination of time and cost to have all documents successfully certified, authenticated, translated, and legalized for the destination country. We can take care of this while you concentrate on your business at hand.