South Florida Apostille Services
Hours 9am-6pm. Mon-Fri.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apostille Service
WHAT IS AN APOSTILLE?
An apostille is a certificate that confirms the signature on your document is genuine, so a foreign government will accept it. Countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention accept an apostille. Countries outside it, such as the UAE and Egypt, require an authentication instead, and we handle both.
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WHAT DOCUMENTS CAN BE APOSTILLED IN FLORIDA?
Most Florida documents can be apostilled, including birth, marriage, death and divorce records, court records, diplomas and transcripts, powers of attorney, affidavits, consent letters for minors traveling abroad, bank letters and company documents. Some need a Florida notarization first, and we take care of that when it applies. FBI background checks and other federal documents follow a separate federal process, which we also handle. If you're not sure about your document, include it with your order and we'll confirm before anything is submitted.
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HOW DO I OBTAIN AN APOSTILLE FOR MY DOCUMENT(S)?
Place an order online and upload a scan of your document. We review it and tell you if anything needs to be fixed or notarized before it is submitted. Once the original arrives and passes review, we submit it and send it back to you with the apostille.
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DO FEDERAL DOCUMENTS GET A FLORIDA APOSTILLE?
No. Federal documents such as FBI background checks, IRS documents and federal court records follow a separate federal process, and we handle that too. If your order has both Florida and federal documents, we take care of both in one order. Federal documents are $275 each, with standard processing of 5+ weeks or about 10 to 12 business days expedited for an additional $150.
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WHAT DOES YOUR APOSTILLE SERVICE DO?
We get apostilles and authentications for documents. Every document is reviewed before it's submitted, because a small mistake is the most common reason one comes back rejected. You send us your documents and we return them with the completed apostille. We serve clients in Florida, all 50 states and U.S. territories.
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OUR APOSTILLE PROCESS
After placing your order online or by phone, you will receive an order confirmation email from us. You will then reply to the order confirmation email with a scan or photo of your documents. We will review those documents for completeness. After the review, we will ask that you send us your physical documents by your chosen method (mail-in, drop-off or on-site). After we receive your physical documents, we will submit them for government processing. Once the government processing is done, we will return the completed apostilled documents to you by your chosen method (mail-in, drop-off or on-site).
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WHAT IS THE HAGUE CONVENTION?
The Hague Conference on Private International Law is the international organization behind several treaties, including the Apostille Convention. When a country is described as a Hague country for apostilles, it means that country belongs to the Apostille Convention.
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WHAT IS THE (HAGUE) APOSTILLE CONVENTION?
It's the treaty that lets member countries accept each other's public documents with a single apostille instead of a longer legalization process. More than 120 countries belong to it, and the list below shows them. Our order form checks your destination country for you.
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COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THE (HAGUE) APOSTILLE CONVENTION
Albania Andorra Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Canada Chile China
Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Estonia European Union Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Honduras Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mauritius Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua North Macedonia Norway Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Sweden Switzerland Thailand Tunisia Türkiye Ukraine United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Zambia
Subject to change
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COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NOT ADOPTED THE (HAGUE) APOSTILLE CONVENTION
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Those not listed among the "Countries that have adopted the (HAGUE) Apostille Convention."
Subject to change
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CAN I SUBMIT DOCUMENT COPIES FOR APOSTILLE?
For public records such as birth certificates and court records, we need the certified copy you were issued, not a photocopy. Some documents, such as diplomas and passport copies, can be done from a notarized copy, and we tell you which applies when we review your order. Documents should be clean and readable, without rips, stains or smudges.
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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET AN APOSTILLE, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
2 business days with Express, 3 to 5 business days with Regular Express, or 6 to 8 business days with Standard, counted from the day your physical documents arrive and pass our review. We hand-deliver documents, which is why our turnaround is days instead of weeks. Pricing: $275 for the first document and $125 for each additional document. 2-Day Express adds $255. Notarization starts at $100 when a document needs it. Federal documents (FBI, IRS) are $275 per document, and expedited federal processing adds $150. The most common delay is a bad notarization, which is why we notarize documents ourselves when a document needs it. Full breakdown: How Long Does a Florida Apostille Take?
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HOW FIRM ARE THE PROCESSING TIMES?
We make every effort to meet the timeline you are quoted. Times are estimates rather than commitments. If your deadline is tight, tell us when you order and we will recommend the option that fits it.
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DO YOU NOTARIZE AS WELL?
Yes. We notarize documents that need it, in person or by video, starting at $100. For notarizations that don't need an apostille, such as real estate closings or VIN verifications, our sister company TMF Notary offers mobile and online notary service.
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I AM LEAVING THE COUNTRY. DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?
Yes. We ship completed documents internationally. Give us the full delivery address before you leave, or name someone who can receive them for you. International shipping is billed separately based on the destination.
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I'M UNABLE TO COMPLETE MY ORDER ONLINE. DO YOU HAVE AN ORDER FORM?
Yes. Email us at info@southfloridaapostilleservices.com and we'll send you the order form to fill out and return.
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IS THERE A FLORIDA APOSTILLE FORM?
When you order through us, you only fill out our online order form. We prepare the paperwork the state requires, and the order form also checks whether your destination country takes an apostille or needs an authentication, so your order starts on the right path.
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I NEED AN APOSTILLE AND I HAVE DOCUMENTS FOR MULTIPLE STATES, CAN YOU HELP?
Yes. List each document and the state that issued it when you complete your online order, and we route each one to the right place.
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ARE APOSTILLE CERTIFICATIONS DONE ON THE SPOT?
No. Every document goes through our review and then the state's processing, so nothing is completed while you wait. 2-Day Express is our fastest option for Florida documents.
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WHAT PAYMENT TYPES DO YOU ACCEPT?
We accept all major credit cards. If you'd rather pay by invoice, tell us when you order and we'll send one.
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HOW DO I RECEIVE A REFUND?
Once your documents have been submitted, the order can't be cancelled. If you placed an order but haven't sent your documents yet, you can request a cancellation within 15 days of ordering, and we'll refund the payment minus a 15% administrative fee. Completed documents are released once the order is paid in full.
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FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, WHO DO I CONTACT?
Call 1-800-208-2128 or email info@southfloridaapostilleservices.com, Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm Eastern.
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