Frequently Asked Questions:
New York Apostille and Authentication Services
General Questions
- What is a New York Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in New York for use abroad?
- How do I legalize documents issued in New York for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
- How long does it take to obtain an apostille from New York?
- How can I verify the authenticity of New York apostilles?
- What documents can be certified in New York with an Apostille Stamp?
- Will an apostille stamp from New York be accepted abroad?
- Where can I find more information about certifying New York documents?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's New York Attestation and Apostille Services?
- What does a New York Apostille look like?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
- How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in New York?
- How can I get an Apostille on a New York City birth certificate?
- Do I need a letter of exemplification to obtain an Apostille on a New York City birth or death certificate? How do I get a letter of exemplification?
- How can I obtain a new certified copy of a New York birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Corporate documents
- How can I obtain an Apostille for a New York Certificate of Incorporation?
- How can I get an Apostille on a New York Certificate of Good Standing?
Criminal record certificates
Academic documents
Notarized documents
Answers
What is a New York Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A New York Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the New York Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized New York public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).
Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a New York document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in the United States (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the 
Hague Apostille Convention
For more information on Apostilles, see:
How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in New York for use abroad?
Apostille Stamps to authenticate New York documents can be obtained from the Secretary of State. Apostille stamps are only valid for documents that are required for submission to countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention
How do I legalize documents issued in New York for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
New York documents that need to be authenticated for non-apostille countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar) must be authenticated by the New York Secretary of State with an Authentication Certificate and then attested by the recipient country's embassy in the United States. Most embassies will also require an additional authentication the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC.
How long does it take to obtain an apostille from New York?
New York Apostille Stamps can normally be obtained in 1 - 2 business days
Isarey submits all client documents physically to the New York Department of State in Manhattan to ensure expedited processing, whereas documents submitted to the Department of State by mail can take up to 4 weeks.
How can I verify the authenticity of New York apostilles?
Apostilles issued by the New York Department of State on or after April 9, 2013 can be verified online. To verify Apostilled issued before April 9, 2013, contact the New York Department of State by phone:
Verify a New York Apostille or Certificate of Authentication
What documents can be certified in New York with an Apostille Stamp?
The New York Department of State issues Apostilles to certify birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates issued in New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) and across New York State. Apostilles are issued for notarized documents, including school records and university diplomas, certified by a New York County Clerk, certified copies of corporate documents filed with the Division of Corporations (including certificates of incorporation and articles of organization), Certificate of Status (good standing) and New York background checks from the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
To confirm whether your New York document is valid for an Apostille Stamp, please Contact us for a free document check.
Will an apostille stamp from New York be accepted abroad?
If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of New York will generally be recognized directly as confirming authenticity, although a certified translation may also be required if presenting to a country that does not have English as an official language.
If documents are required for presentation in a country that is not a signatory to the apostille convention (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam), then an apostille stamp is not valid. Documents will need to be authenticated at State level in New York, then by the State Department Authentication Division, and finally by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the United States. A Certified Translation may also be required.
Where can I find more information about certifying New York documents?
For further information about New York apostilles and authentications or to obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delivery by courier, please Contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.
Where can I see reviews of Isarey's New York Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
What does a New York Apostille look like?
New York Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of New York documents certified with Apostille stamps:
How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in New York?
Apostilles for New York birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates and dissolution of marriage certificates are issued by the New York Department of State with offices in Manhattan and Albany. Birth and Death certificates signed by the Director of Vital Statistics or New York State Registrar are in most cases eligible for an Apostille or Authentication without prior certification. However, certificates issued by a local or county official or county Department of Health must first be certified by the County Clerk of the county where the document was issued. New York City birth and death certificates require a letter of exemplification.
Please Contact us for assistance.
Marriage certificates must be issued by the New York State Department of Health and signed by the Director of Vital Statistics or New York State Registrar. For New York City marriage certificates, eligibility for an Apostille depends on which City Clerk signed the certificate.
New York marriage certificates can be short or long/extended. Extended certificates contain additional information about the spouses and witnesses to the marriage. While both short and long form certificates are eligible for New York Apostilles, some foreign authorities may specifically require an extended certificate.
To check whether your New York certificate is valid for an Apostille, please Contact us for a free eligibility check. Copies of vital records, including notarized copies, cannot be used to obtain Apostilles.
For further information about obtaining apostille stamps on New York vital records, see:
Apostille New York Vital Records
How can I get an Apostille on a New York City birth certificate?
Certificates issued for births taking place in the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island) can be submitted to the New York Department of State for an Apostille. However, certificates are only valid for Apostilles when submitted with a letter of exemplification. Only long form New York City birth certificates can be certified by Apostille. If you only have a short form certificate, you will need to order a long form certificate with letter of exemplification to obtain a New York Apostille.
Letters of exemplification are issued by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, confirming that the birth certificate which they accompany is a true and certified copy. Letters of exemplification are not issued separately from the certificate. If you don’t already have the letter of exemplification, you will need to order a new certificate from VitalChek or New York City Department of Health (Birth Certificates).
To check whether your New York City birth certificate is valid for an Apostille, please Contact us for a free document pre-check.
Do I need a letter of exemplification to obtain an Apostille on a New York City birth or death certificate? How do I get a letter of exemplification?
A letter of exemplification certifies that a birth or death certificate is a true and certified copy. All New York City birth and death certificates require a letter of exemplification from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to be eligible for an Apostille.
If you do not have a letter of exemplification attached to your birth or death certificate, you will need to order a new certificate from VitalChek or New York City Department of Health (Birth Certificates).
How can I obtain a new certified copy of a New York birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
New York State birth and death certificates (excluding New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) can be ordered through:
New York City birth and death certificates (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) can be ordered through:
New York State marriage certificates (excluding New York City: not Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) can be ordered through:
New York City marriage certificates (1950 - present):
New York State Divorce Certificates, Dissolution of Marriage Certificate (including New York City):
New York State Divorce Decrees:
Historical New York City marriage certificates (1866 - 1949):
Historical New York City certificates (death certificates issued before 1948, birth certificates issued before 1909):
How can I obtain an Apostille for a New York Certificate of Incorporation?
A New York Certificate of Incorporation or Article of Organization (LLC) can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the New York Secretary of State. A certified copy of the certificate is required and can be ordered online from the NYS Division of Corporations
For further information, see:
Apostille New York Company Documents
How can I get an Apostille on a New York Certificate of Good Standing?
A New York Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Status) can be submitted to the New York Department of State for an Apostille. Certificates of Status, confirming the existence of a corporation or other business entity, may be obtained by submitting a written request to the Division of Corporations.
See New York Division of Corporations (Certificate of Status)
For further information, see:
Apostille New York Company Documents
How can I obtain an apostille on a background check from New York?
New York Statewide criminal histories can be submitted to the New York Department of State in Manhattan or Albany for an Apostille. New York criminal histories can be obtained from: New York State Office of Court Administration
Some overseas authorities requiring proof a clean criminal history in the United States will not accept a New York criminal history certificate but will require a Federal background check issued by the FBI.
See FBI Background Checks.
How can I authenticate New York university degree certificates for use abroad?
To obtain an Apostille affixed to an original New York School record (High School diploma, University degree certificate or transcripts), contact the school to arrange a certified copy. The certified copy must be signed by the school official in the presence of a New York notary public.
Isarey can arrange notarization of Texas high school diplomas and collection of notarized degrees and transcripts from New York Universities.
Otherwise, an apostille can be affixed to a notarized true copy of the original school record made from a good-quality scan.
For further information about authenticating New York university and school certificates, see:
New York university degree certificates, course transcripts and high school diplomas can also be authenticated as notarized copies. A true copy is certified by a notary (this can often be done from a scan without having to submit the original) and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Washington DC Secretary of State. Authenticated documents can also be attested by the embassies of Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
For further information, see:
University Degrees and School Records
How can I authenticate notarized documents in New York for use abroad?
Documents such as New York Powers of Attorney and Affidavits must be certified using a correctly worded certificate of acknowledgement or Jurat. Notarized documents must be certified by the respective New York County Clerk before being submitted to the New York Department of State for an Apostille.
How can I get a quote to certify my documents?
To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:
If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.
Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files and provide us with the passwords separately:
PDF,
PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)
For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)