U.S. Department of State Apostille & Authentication

YOUR REQUEST, CLEARLY PLANNED

Federal documents deserve the right certification plan.

Start with these details

• Federal issuing agency and document title
• Document format and issue date
• Destination, deadline and return address country

Start Apostille Request · Call (617) 230-6676

Share the document details → Confirm the route and quote → Coordinate submission and return

Preparation & service details

Need a federal document prepared for use abroad? Boston Notary Service helps review the issuing authority, destination and required document format, then quotes the agreed coordination and return-delivery work. You can start with a description of the record before sending originals.

Request your document review

Start an apostille request

Federal documents we can review

• FBI Identity History Summary reports.
• IRS certifications of U.S. tax residency.
• Eligible USDA animal, plant and animal-health certifications.
• Eligible HHS and pharmaceutical certificates.
• Patent or trademark-related federal records.
• Eligible EPA, Social Security Administration or Office of Personnel Management records.
• Naturalization-related records, with the appropriate issuing-office copy procedure checked first.
• Federal court and U.S. consular records, which need particular attention to the designated certification authority.

These are document categories to discuss, not a promise that every version is eligible for the same process. Tell us the exact agency, document title and signature or seal shown on your record. A document's federal connection alone does not settle every preparation or issuing-authority question.

Which route fits your request?

Where the applicable Apostille Convention arrangements cover the request, an apostille may be appropriate. Other requests may need authentication and further embassy or consular legalization. We review the document and the receiving authority's written instructions before confirming the route. Your home or mailing address does not determine the document's issuing jurisdiction.

A Massachusetts birth certificate or privately notarized state document follows its applicable state route. Do not send a mixed packet assuming all documents can be processed by one office.

Before mailing or changing the document

Do not notarize an original federal record. Ask about the required original, authorized certified copy or accepted agency-issued version first. A photograph or scan can help explain the request, but does not automatically replace the version needed for certification.

For irreplaceable records, tell us what you hold before arranging shipment. Do not alter a signature page, detach an existing certificate or order an unrelated notarized photocopy just to make the packet look complete.

Prepare a useful quote request

• Exact document title and issuing agency.
• Number of documents and whether they are originals, certified copies or electronic files.
• Country or territory of use and the receiving organization's name.
• Written recipient instructions, including translation or issue-date restrictions.
• The date the completed packet must arrive.
• Your pickup or mailing location and preferred return address.

One request, an agreed plan

1. Describe the record. We review the document type, origin, destination and preparation questions.
2. Confirm the service. We explain the proposed scope, current processing options, estimate and quote.
3. Follow the agreed handover instructions. Send only the documents needed for the confirmed request.
4. Coordinate processing and return. We arrange the agreed submissions and delivery handling, with updates through the confirmed contact.

Timing, fees and recipient decisions

Government procedures, document readiness, additional requests and shipping affect the completion date. Rush handling is not a guarantee of same-day federal issuance. We confirm the available options and distinguish professional coordination, government charges and delivery arrangements in your quote.

An apostille or authentication concerns the relevant official signature, capacity or seal. It does not verify every statement in the document or guarantee a visa, employment outcome or acceptance by a particular recipient.

Official preparation guidance

Official U.S. Department of State guidance

Explore the destination guide

Apostille and authentication by destination

Ready to start?

Use Start an apostille request and tell us the record, issuing agency, destination and arrival deadline. We will review how we can help before you commit to the next step.

Call (617) 230-6676 or email Email Boston Notary Service.

State Department apostille requests from Massachusetts

A Boston address does not make a federally issued document a Massachusetts record. If your packet contains a federal certificate and Massachusetts public records, list the issuers separately. We review which documents require federal processing and which require state-level preparation before confirming a submission plan.

Planning a federal document packet for overseas use

Share the exact document title, issuing federal agency, issue date, destination country and recipient instructions. Tell us whether the originals are ready and where the completed packet must arrive. For Boston, Cambridge or other Greater Boston clients, any local handoff is confirmed separately from government processing. International delivery, document readiness and the recipient's date requirements can affect the schedule even after certification is complete.

Hear from our clients

Read client feedback about Boston Notary Service before arranging your request. Read our Google reviews.