U.S. Department of State apostille

Federal Apostille Service, handled from San Jose to Washington, DC

A federal document — an FBI background check, a naturalization certificate, an IRS or FDA certificate, a federal court record — can only be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, not by California. We prepare your document, file it with the Department of State and track it back to you. Walk in at our San Jose office or send it by mail from anywhere in the U.S.

Start a federal apostille order Call (408) 766-3528
Most federal documents acceptedExpedited in about 12-15 business daysNationwide mail-inHague and non-Hague countries
Apostille federal documents

Federal documents we apostille

If a document is signed by a U.S. federal official, it goes to the Department of State’s Office of Authentications. These are the ones we handle most often. Not sure whether yours is federal or state? Call and we will tell you before you send anything.

FBI background checks

Identity History Summary for visas, residency and work abroad. See our FBI background check apostille.

Naturalization & citizenship certificates

Issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. See naturalization certificate apostille.

IRS certificates

Including the Form 6166 certification of U.S. tax residency used for foreign tax treaties.

FDA & HHS certificates

Certificates to foreign governments and certificates of pharmaceutical product or export.

USDA certifications

Animal health, plant and export certifications from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Federal court documents

Judgments and orders from U.S. District, Bankruptcy and other federal courts, certified by the clerk.

Patent & trademark documents

Certified records from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Social Security & other agencies

Letters and records from the Social Security Administration, EPA, Office of Personnel Management and other federal agencies.

Documents from U.S. consulates

Documents signed by a U.S. consular officer, and documents notarized by a military notary or judge advocate.

State documents go elsewhere. California birth, marriage and death certificates, court records and notarized documents are apostilled by the California Secretary of State — see our California apostille services.
How it works

Federal apostille service in four steps

Check the document

We confirm it is an original or certified copy with the official’s signature, printed name, title, agency seal and issue date. Federal documents must not be notarized.

Match the country

Hague Convention countries take an apostille. Non-Hague countries need an authentication certificate followed by that country’s embassy legalization. We tell you which applies.

File in Washington, DC

We prepare and submit the request to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, standard or expedited.

Tracked return

The apostilled document comes back to our San Jose office for pickup or is shipped to you with tracking.

Need a translation too? Many countries want a certified translation with the apostilled document. We handle both in one order — see certified translation.
Walk in or mail in

Apostille in Washington, DC without going there

Local clients walk into our office at 434 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Anywhere else in the United States, start your order online and mail the original to us; we file it in Washington, DC and ship it back with tracking. Pricing depends on the document type and speed, and we confirm your total before we file.

Federal apostille questions

Federal apostille questions, answered

What is a federal apostille?
A federal apostille is the certificate the U.S. Department of State attaches to a document signed by a U.S. federal official, so it is accepted in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. It confirms the official’s signature and seal, not the contents of the document.
Which documents need a federal apostille instead of a California apostille?
Any document signed by a federal official: FBI background checks, naturalization certificates, IRS, FDA, USDA and patent office certificates, federal court documents and Social Security letters. Documents issued or notarized in California get a California apostille from the Secretary of State instead.
Can I get a federal apostille in California?
Only the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC can issue it; the California Secretary of State cannot. You can still start in California: walk in at our San Jose office or mail your document to us, and we file it with the Department of State for you.
Do you accept federal apostille orders by mail from other states?
Yes. Clients anywhere in the U.S. can start an order online and mail the original document to our San Jose office. We file it in Washington, DC and ship the apostilled document back with tracking.
How long does a federal apostille take?
Expedited service typically takes about 12-15 business days and standard service about 5-6 weeks. The Department of State controls its own processing, so these are typical ranges; tell us your deadline and we confirm the current timeline before we file.
What if my destination country is not in the Hague Convention?
Non-Hague countries, such as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, do not accept an apostille. The Department of State issues an authentication certificate instead, and the document must then be legalized by that country’s embassy. Confirm your destination with us before we submit.
Should I notarize my federal document first?
No. The Department of State will not authenticate a federal document that has been notarized. It must be an original or certified copy with the federal official’s signature and the agency seal.
How much does a federal apostille cost?
Expedited federal service is $350 flat for FBI background checks and naturalization certificates. Other federal documents are priced by document type and speed. For every FBI tier, see the flat prices on our FBI apostille page. For other federal documents, call (408) 766-3528 and we confirm your total before we file.

Start your federal apostille today

Walk in at 434 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, or mail your document from anywhere in the U.S. English, Spanish and Vietnamese at the front desk.

Start your orderCall (408) 766-3528