Approved California apostille certificate attached to a U.S. document bound for the Philippines
PhilippinesHague Apostille member
Documents for the Philippines · San Jose

Apostille for the Philippines
SPA, marriage & family records

Sending a special power of attorney or family record home to the Philippines? We notarize and apostille it in one San Jose visit, with same-day service available.

Is the Philippines a Hague country? Yes

Since May 2019 the Philippines has been part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a single California Secretary of State apostille makes your U.S. documents valid there — no more red ribbon and no Philippine consulate legalization. Because the Philippines recognizes English, your documents usually need no translation. We notarize and apostille birth, marriage, single-status, FBI, and power-of-attorney documents in San Jose.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528
No red ribbon No consulate step In by 10 AM, ready by 6 PM
1 Step
Apostille, No Consulate
Same-Day
Apostille Available
No Red Ribbon
Apostille Replaces It
CA Sec. of State
Official Authentication
What you’ll need apostilled

Every document the Philippines
asks for, handled in one place

Whatever you’re doing in the Philippines, the document needs a California apostille first. Here’s what we apostille most.

Single Status Affidavit

Proof you’re free to marry — for getting married in the Philippines or a fiancé(e) petition.

Single status apostille →

Birth Certificate

For Philippine dual citizenship (RA 9225), marriage, and petitions.

Birth certificate apostille →

Marriage Certificate

To report or recognize a U.S. marriage with the Philippine PSA.

Marriage certificate apostille →

FBI Background Check

For immigration petitions, visa files, and recognition of foreign divorce. We handle the federal apostille for you.

FBI apostille for your file →

Power of Attorney

To buy or sell property, manage SSS or bank matters, or sign on your behalf in the Philippines.

Power of attorney apostille →

Diploma & Degree

For work, PRC board licensing, and study programs in the Philippines.

Diploma apostille →
Apostille vs. legalization

An apostille for the Philippines
replaces the old red ribbon

The Philippines joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 14 May 2019. U.S. documents now need one authentication — a California apostille — to be accepted across the Philippines, with no second trip to a Philippine consulate.

Before 2019 it meant a DFA “red ribbon” plus consular authentication. Today an apostille for the Philippines replaces both — the San Francisco Philippine Consulate no longer authenticates apostilled Northern California documents. Because the Philippines recognizes English, your records usually need no translation.

Not sure which path your country needs? See our guide to apostille vs. legalization.

Notarized power of attorney prepared for apostille to handle property or SSS in the Philippines
The short answer

The Philippines = apostille. One California apostille (or a federal apostille for your FBI report) and your document is ready for any Philippine agency, PSA office, or court — no red ribbon, no consulate step.

How it works

Four steps to a document
the Philippines will accept

1

Bring or prepare the document

We notarize affidavits and powers of attorney on site, or you bring vital records and your FBI report.

2

Review it for the receiving office

English documents are accepted in the Philippines as-is. We add a certified translation only if a non-English record requires one.

3

Apostille it

State documents go through the California Secretary of State; FBI reports get a federal apostille. You handle neither.

4

Pick up or ship

Collect in San Jose the same day on rush, or we ship it tracked to you or the Philippines.

On a deadline for the Philippines?

Walk in today, leave with
an apostilled document, ready

Same-day California apostille under one roof — no red ribbon, no consulate. Call or book and we’ll tell you what to bring.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528
Why people need it

Common reasons you’ll need
a Philippines apostille

Reacquiring Philippine citizenship

Apostilled U.S. birth certificate and records for your RA 9225 dual citizenship petition.

Getting married in the Philippines

Single-status affidavit and birth certificate apostilled so you can marry there.

Petitioning family or filing a visa

FBI background check and civil records apostilled for an immigration petition or visa.

Property, SSS & bank matters

Power of attorney apostilled so someone can sign, sell, or claim SSS for you.

Recognition of a foreign divorce

U.S. divorce decree apostilled for judicial recognition of a foreign divorce.

Work, study & PRC licensing

Diploma and transcripts apostilled for employers, schools, and PRC board licensing.

Simple pricing

Standard apostille from $85
call or come in for the rest

Every order includes a document reviewed for the receiving office and the California Secretary of State authentication. For priority, rush, same-day, notarization, and certified translation when a non-English record needs it, call or visit for an exact price — no surprises.

$85Standard, starting
Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528

Prefer mail? Order an apostille online and ship your documents to us.

Why choose us

One office for
the whole document

Most services authenticate the paper and stop — you still hunt for a notary, then the apostille. We do it all in San Jose, and partner with TruPoint Legal for deeper legal needs.

Multilingual staff greeting a customer at the San Jose apostille, notary, and translation office

Notarize & apostille in one place

No running between a notary and Sacramento — built right and reviewed for the receiving office.

Same-day when you can’t wait

Same-day California apostille keeps tight travel and filing dates on track.

No red ribbon, no embassy runs

Since May 2019 a single California apostille is all the Philippines needs — and our staff speaks English, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Spanish.

Bonded California notary in-house

Quinnie Do reviews each document for the receiving office, so fewer get rejected in the Philippines.

“My RA 9225 dual citizenship needed my birth certificate and FBI check apostilled. They notarized and apostilled everything in one visit — no red ribbon, no consulate.”

— Joel R., San Jose
Quinnie Do, owner of Fingerscan Digital and bonded California notary in San Jose
Prepared by

Quinnie Do

Owner, Fingerscan Digital Inc.

Bonded & commissioned California Notary Public, IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent, and registered California Immigration Consultant. Quinnie and her multilingual team have handled Bay Area apostilles for marriages, dual citizenship, and immigration since 2020.

Related services

Single Status Affidavit Apostille → FBI Apostille for the Philippines → Order an Apostille by Mail → All Apostille Services →
Common questions

Apostille for the Philippines
questions, answered straight

Is the Philippines part of the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes. Since 14 May 2019 the Philippines has been a member, so U.S. documents only need a single apostille from the California Secretary of State to be accepted there. You no longer need a DFA red ribbon or Philippine consulate legalization.
Do I still need a red ribbon or the Philippine consulate?
No. The apostille replaced the old DFA red ribbon and consular authentication. The San Francisco Philippine Consulate no longer authenticates apostilled Northern California documents, so the California apostille is the final step.
Do my documents need to be translated for the Philippines?
Usually no. The Philippines recognizes English, so U.S. documents are accepted as issued. We add a certified translation only when a record is in another language.
What documents do I need for Philippine dual citizenship?
Reacquiring citizenship under RA 9225 typically calls for an apostilled U.S. birth certificate and supporting civil records. Confirm your exact list with the consulate or PSA, then bring the documents to us and we apostille each one in one place.
What documents do I need apostilled to get married in the Philippines?
Typically a single status affidavit and your birth certificate, both apostilled. Requirements vary by city or municipality, so confirm with the local civil registrar, then bring the documents to us.
How fast can I get a Philippines apostille?
Standard runs about 30 days, with priority, rush, and same-day options for tighter deadlines. On same-day service you can walk in and leave with the finished document the same day.
How much does an apostille for the Philippines cost?
Standard is $85 (about 30 days), Priority $200 (about 2 weeks), Rush $350 (3 to 5 business days) and Same-Day $450 when you drop off by 10 AM. Notarization is quoted when you call or come in — so you get an exact price for your documents, with no surprises. The seal is identical at every speed — you are paying for the calendar, so if your date is months out, take the standard tier and keep the money.
The PSA copy I ordered from the Philippines — can you apostille that?
No, and this catches people out. A California apostille only goes on a document issued by a California authority. A PSA record issued in the Philippines is authenticated there, by their own authority, not here. What we seal are your U.S. records — a California birth or marriage certificate, a notarized affidavit, a diploma.
My relative in the Philippines needs me to sign something. What do I do?
You need a Special Power of Attorney, notarized here and then apostilled, before a Philippine office will act on it. A form downloaded from the internet is often refused for missing a specific authority. Ask the receiving office or lawyer there to tell you in writing what it must contain, and bring that in with you.
My document was refused in Manila. What usually causes that?
Most often a photocopy where a certified copy was required, a notarial block that does not meet California wording, or a translation attached before the seal. Bring the refused document and whatever notice came with it — we will identify the cause before charging you.
Does the apostille expire?
The apostille itself carries no expiry, but the office receiving it in the Philippines may require the underlying record to be recent. A new seal on an old certificate does not restart that clock, so check the age requirement with them before ordering.
I am applying for dual citizenship. Which documents actually need sealing?
Usually the U.S. records that prove your identity and lineage — birth certificate, marriage certificate where relevant. The Philippine-issued records in your file are handled on their side. Bring the consulate’s checklist and we will tell you which items are ours and which are not.
Can you do the notarization as well, or do I need one first?
We do both in the same visit. An affidavit or power of attorney has to be notarized before it can be apostilled, and getting the notarial wording right is part of why documents come back. Doing the two steps in one office removes that risk.
My FBI background check also needs an apostille. Same process?
No — the FBI report is a federal document and is authenticated in Washington, not by California. It runs 9 business days when the document is in our office by Wednesday (12 business days if it arrives after Wednesday) on the expedited route. See our FBI apostille for the Philippines page. Sending it to a state office is a wasted trip.
Do you help in Tagalog?
Our counter languages are English, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Spanish. Most Filipino clients are comfortable in English, and the paperwork itself is in English, so the language barrier is rarely the issue — the routing and the notarial wording are.
Ready when you are

Get your documents ready
for the Philippines, in San Jose

Notarize and apostille in one visit at our San Jose office, or order online and we’ll ship it back — same-day available.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528

California Secretary of State apostille service by Fingerscan Digital Inc. · 434 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123 · (408) 766-3528 · Serving San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Milpitas and the Bay Area. For business and bulk document authentication, visit fingerscan-digital.com. Last updated June 2026.

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Document guides

Which document are you authenticating?

Requirements differ by document type. Each guide covers what counts as a certified copy, whether notarization is needed first, and how long the California route takes.