Apostille Services
Need to use a Florida document overseas?
Salt & Sealed Notary provides convenient apostille assistance for documents being used internationally. From reviewing your document requirements to helping prepare your documents for submission, I’ll help make the apostille process easier to understand and navigate.
Not sure whether your document needs a apostille? Send me your a photo or description of the document and the country where it will be used.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is a certificate used to authenticate certain public documents for use in another country participating in the Hague Apostille Convention.
The apostille verifies the authenticity of the signature or official seal associated with the document. It does not certify the contents of the document itself.
For qualifying Florida documents, apostilles are issued by the Florida Secretary of State.
Documents intended for countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention may require a different authentication or legalization process.
How It Works
Step 1
Tell Me About Your Document
Send me the type of document you have and the country where it will be used.
Examples: birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, transcripts, powers of attorney, affidavits, court documents and other personal or business records.
Step 2
Document Review
I’ll review the basic document information with you to help determine the appropriate next step.
Step 3
Notarization, If Required
If your document requires notarization before authentication, Salt & Sealed Notary can provide mobile or remote online notary service when appropriate.
Step 4
Apostille Processing
Once the document is properly prepared, it can be submitted to the appropriate government authority for authentication.
Salt& Sealed can help you understand where your document needs to go so you don’t have to figure out the process alone.
Step 5
Your Documents are Returned
After processing is complete, your authenticated documents are returned according to the delivery method selected for your request.
Processing and shipping times vary depending on the issuing authority, document type and delivery method.
Common Documents
Birth Certificates
Death Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Divorce Records
Powers of Attorney
Affidavits
School Diplomas
School Transcripts
Court Documents
Adoption Records
Florida Background Checks
Vehicle Titles
Business Documents
Documents Notarized by a Florida Notary
Certified Copies & Certificates of Status
Other Qualifying Florida Documents
Florida, Federal or Another State?
Where your documents came from matters.
Florida Documents
Documents issued in Florida or properly notarized by a Florida Notary may qualify for authentication through the Florida Department of State.
Federal Documents
Federal records—such as certain FBI background checks and documents issued by federal agencies—may require authentication through the U.S. Department of State rather than the State of Florida
Documents From Another State
Documents issues or notarized outside of Florida generally need to be authenticated by the appropriate authority in the state where they originated.
Apostille or Authentication?
The destination country determines the process.
If your document will be used in a country participating in the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille may be required.
If the destination country doesn’t not participate in the Convention, your document may require an authentication or legalization process instead.
Don’t worry if you don’t know which one you need.
Tell me where the document is going and I can help you identify the appropriate process.
What You’ll Need to Get Started
Your document type
Birth certificate, marriage certificate, POA, diploma, business document, etc.
Where the document was issued
For example: Florida, another U/S. state or a federal agency.
Destination Country
The country where the document will ultimately be presented.
Your Timeline
Let me know about any important deadlines or upcoming travel dates.
You don’t need to understand the apostille process before contacting me—that’s the point.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Apostilles for qualifying Florida documents are issued by the Florida Secretary of State. Salt & Sealed Notary provides apostille facilitation and document preparation assistance.
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No. Some documents require notarization while others must be submitted as certified government-issued records. You should not notarize a document simply because you need an apostille.
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Florida birth certificates may qualify when they meet the Florida Department of State’s requirements. The proper certified version of the record may be required.
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Qualifying Florida marriage records can be authenticated. The appropriate certified record must be provided.
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A document issued or notarized in another state generally must be submitted to that state’s appropriate authentication authority.
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FBI background checks are federal documents and generally follow the federal authentication process rather than Florida’s state apostille process.
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Absolutely! Start by providing the document type, where it was issued and the country where it will be used.