An Apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) is a French word meaning certification.

An Apostille is simply the name for a specialized certificate, issued by the Secretary of State of a specific state or the US State Department for federal documents. The Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the other countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention as well as Non Hague Apostille Convention countries.

Some documents like Birth Certificates, Marriage Decrees, Power of Attorney and others will need an Apostille Certification to be utilized abroad.