Apostille Services
For documents traveling to another country.
Notarization plus coordinated apostille processing through the Texas Secretary of State. Five service tiers depending on how much help you want — from straightforward notarization to same-day Austin submission. Most appointments scheduled within one business day.
TX Commission Active · $1M E&O Insured · Hague Convention Familiar · Austin SOS Submission Available · International Adoption Experienced · Same-Day Rush Available
What is an apostille?
A certificate that makes Texas documents valid abroad.
An apostille is a certificate from the Texas Secretary of State that authenticates a Texas document for use in another country. It confirms the notary’s signature is legitimate, the seal is real, and the document was executed under Texas law. With an apostille attached, the document is recognized by foreign governments, courts, and agencies — eliminating the need for further authentication in most cases.
Apostilles work because of the 1961 Hague Convention, an international treaty that established a standardized certificate accepted across roughly 125 member countries. Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and most of Europe and Latin America are Hague members. For non-Hague countries — China, the UAE, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and others — a more involved process is required, called consular legalization.
For private documents — powers of attorney, affidavits, business contracts, school transcripts, sworn statements — a Texas notary first notarizes the document, then the Texas Secretary of State authenticates the notarization with an apostille. For recordable public records like birth or marriage certificates, no notary is involved; those go directly from the issuing office to the SOS.
When You Need One
Common situations.
If a foreign government, court, university, or attorney has told you that you need an apostilled document, your situation likely matches one of these.
International adoption
Home study reports, financial statements, employment letters, medical reports, marriage certificates, and adoption agency documents — often a dozen or more documents per child, all requiring apostilles for the receiving country.
Marriage abroad
Marriage license affidavits, single-status declarations, birth certificate authentication. Italy, Mexico, Spain, France, and many other countries require apostilled documentation before issuing a marriage license.
Dual citizenship
Affidavits of citizenship, ancestor lineage documents, supporting declarations. Italian, Irish, German, Polish, and Mexican citizenship-by-descent applications all typically require apostilled documents.
Work or study abroad
Educational diplomas and transcripts, professional credentialing letters, work history affidavits. Foreign employers, universities, and licensing boards require apostilled credentials.
Foreign business
Corporate resolutions, certificates of good standing, articles of incorporation, board authorizations, and powers of attorney for foreign business registration, contracts, and operations.
Property & legal
Powers of attorney for foreign property transactions, inheritance affidavits, court-ordered documents for foreign jurisdictions, real estate authorizations.
Service Tiers
Choose how much help you want.
Five levels of service, from straightforward notarization to same-day Austin submission. Each tier published openly, with the right choice depending on how comfortable you are navigating the Secretary of State process and how soon you need the apostille completed.
Tier 1 — Notarization Only
$55 + $10/act
mobile fee + per notarization
Standard mobile notarization on the document. You take the notarized document to the Texas Secretary of State yourself, either by mail or walk-in. Best when you’ve been through the process before or have an attorney coordinating.
Tier 2 — Notary + Guidance
$150
flat rate, single document
Notarization plus a written guide tailored to your specific country and document type, brief consultation on common pitfalls, and one round of follow-up support if SOS rejects your submission. Best when you’re new to the process and want backup.
Tier 3 — Full-Service Standard
$175
+ SOS fees + return shipping
Notarization plus mailed SOS submission. Documents shipped to Austin and processed by SOS in standard time (typically 3–5 weeks total turnaround). Best for non-urgent timelines where mailing is acceptable.
Tier 4 — Full-Service Expedited
$275
+ SOS fees + courier + shipping
Notarization plus Austin courier service for SOS submission. Total turnaround typically 3–5 business days. Best for moderately urgent timelines — closing dates a week or two out, travel within the month.
Tier 5 — Full-Service Same-Day
$375
+ SOS fees + return shipping
Notarization plus personal in-person delivery to the Austin SOS office. Documents apostilled the same business day, shipped back the same evening. Best when timing is tight — flights, closings, expiring deadlines. Available subject to SOS appointment availability.
Multi-document discounts apply for orders of 3+ documents. International adoption packages priced separately, with the SOS adoption rate ($10/doc, capped at $100/child) passed through. Non-Hague countries quoted individually.
Documents Handled
What goes through this process.
Documents that go through me first: Powers of attorney, sworn affidavits, single-status declarations, employment letters, business resolutions, contracts, school transcripts and diplomas, FBI background check responses, ancestry affidavits, and any private document where the signer’s signature needs to be notarized before SOS can apostille it.
Documents that go directly to SOS without me: Texas birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, and other official records issued by Texas county or state vital records offices. These already carry official seals; the SOS authenticates them directly. If your only documents are these public records, you don’t need a notary at all — you’ll save money going straight to SOS or using a courier service.
Mixed packages — common in international adoption and dual citizenship — combine both. Some documents need notarization first, others go directly to SOS. The full-service tiers handle this complexity, coordinating multiple submissions in a single SOS trip when possible.
Non-Hague Countries
When the destination requires consular legalization.
Some countries — China, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, and others — are not party to the Hague Convention and don’t accept apostilles. For these destinations, documents need a more involved authentication chain: Texas SOS authentication, then U.S. Department of State authentication in Washington DC, then consular legalization at the destination country’s embassy.
This service is available, quoted individually based on the destination country’s specific requirements, embassy fees, and turnaround. Send the document type and destination country when requesting a quote, and you’ll get a written estimate covering the full chain — Texas SOS, US State Department, consular legalization, and shipping.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about apostille services.
How long does the full-service standard process take?
It depends on the tier. Tier 3 (Standard mail-in) is roughly three to five weeks total — shipping to Austin, SOS processing (typically 15–25 business days for mail-in), and return shipping. Tier 4 (Expedited courier) compresses this to three to five business days. Tier 5 (Same-Day) gets the document apostilled the same business day it reaches the SOS office and shipped back the same evening. If you have a hard deadline, the right tier is whichever gets you to the deadline with a comfortable buffer.
Does my document need to be in English?
For Texas notarization, the notary needs to verify the signer understands the document. The document itself can be in another language, but if the signer doesn’t read English, the notarization can usually still proceed if the signer can confirm understanding through other means. The destination country may require a certified translation, which is a separate service. Mention the language and destination when requesting a quote.
What if Texas SOS rejects the document?
SOS rejections happen, usually because of small format issues — wrong notarial certificate language, missing signer information, or recordable documents older than five years. Tier 2 (Notary + Guidance) and the full-service tiers include one round of post-rejection fixes at no additional charge. Tier 1 (Notarization Only) charges a separate appointment fee for a re-notarization if needed.
Do I need an apostille for my Texas birth certificate?
Birth certificates and other vital records don’t need a notary — they go directly to Texas SOS for apostille. If that’s your only document, you’ll save money by mailing it to SOS yourself or using a dedicated courier service rather than going through a notary. The full-service tiers (3, 4, and 5) can still handle these as part of a mixed package, but for vital records alone, more direct paths are usually cheaper.
My situation involves an international adoption. Is there a discount?
Texas SOS offers a reduced rate for international adoption ($10 per apostille, capped at $100 per child). That savings is passed through to you in the SOS fee invoiced separately. The notary and full-service fees on this page apply normally. International adoption packages typically involve 8–15 documents and benefit substantially from the multi-document discount and full-service handling — happy to provide a single combined quote covering the full package.
Can the apostille be done online (RON)?
Texas SOS now accepts apostille requests on documents notarized via Remote Online Notary, with specific journal and certificate requirements that must be met. This means the notarization itself can happen via video session, with the document then sent for SOS apostille. Whether the destination country accepts RON-notarized apostilles is a separate question — some do, some don’t. Confirm with the receiving party before choosing this route.
Send a few details, get a written quote.
Document type, destination country, and timing — that’s enough to get a clear quote with the recommended tier and total cost. Usually within one business day.
