Alabama Apostille FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Alabama Apostille services

Answers

How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Alabama?

Alabama Apostilles can be obtained from the Secretary of State in 1 - 2 business days (Urgent service)

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What documents can be certified in Alabama with an Apostille Stamp?

Alabama Apostille Stamps can be obtained to authenticate documents with the official signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama notary public, probate judge, or the current Alabama State Registrar:

  • Alabama birth and death certificates (must be signed by the current Alabama State Registrar)
  • Alabama marriage and divorce certificates
  • Notarized school certificates and university diplomas
  • Ceritifcates of Existence, Certificates of Formation and certified copies of other company document filed with the Secretary of State
  • Alabama Background Checks
  • Other documents notarized by an Alabama notary public, including powers of attorney and affidavits
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Will an apostille stamp from Alabama be accepted abroad?

If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents Hague Apostille ConventionExternal link (opens in new tab), an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of Alabama 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 Alabama, 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.

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Where can I find more information about certifying Alabama documents?

For further information about Alabama apostilles and authentications, see: Alabama Handbook for Authentications (PDF)External link (opens in new tab)

To obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delviery by courier, please contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.

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Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Alabama Attestation and Apostille Services?

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

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What's the difference between an Alabama Apostille and an Authentication?

Apostilles and Certifications (Authentication) essentially service the same purpose of certifying the authenticity of a public Alabama document for use abroad. Whether you need an Apostilles and Certification depends on the country where the Alabama document will be submitted. Both are issued by the Alabama Secretary of State.

  • An Alabama Apostille Stamp is required when Alabama documents are needed for a country which is a member of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents Hague Apostille ConventionExternal link (opens in new tab) (e.g. Spain, France, Saudi Arabia). An Apostille will be accepted directly in by the authorities of the recipient country.

    A Certification is required for documents that are to be submitted in other countries (which are not members of the Apostille Convention, such as the Thailand, UAE, Qatar, Taiwan. Generally, this Certification will not be accepted directly by the foreign recipient authority, but must be legalized by the U.S. Department of State and then by the embassy of the recipient country.

See Counties that accept Apostilles

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ISAREY - Apostille vital records and university degrees from Alabama

What is an Alabama Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?

An Alabama Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the Alabama Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized Alabama public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).

Apostille stamps are often required when submitting an Alabama 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 Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents Hague Apostille ConventionExternal link (opens in new tab)

For more information on Apostilles, see:
The ABCs of Apostilles (PDF)External link (opens in new tab)

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How can I obtain a new certified copy of an Alabama birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?

Alabama birth and death certificates must be signed by the current Alabama State Registrar to be valid for an Apostille. Certificates can be ordered online through VitalChek or by mail from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics.

Alabama birth and death records are restricted. Only the person named on the certificate or a close relative may apply for a copy.

Alabama marriage certificates can be ordered online from VitalChek or by mail from the Center for Health Statistics.

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ISAREY - Apostille Alabama birth and marriage certificates

How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Alabama?

Alabama birth, death and marriage certificates can be submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State for certification by apostille. All birth certificates and death certificates requiring an Apostille must bear the signature of the current Alabama State Registrar. Marriage certificates must be signed by the current Alabama State Registrar or County Clerk. The original certificate is required.

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How can I get an Apostille on an Alabama Certificate of Good Standing?

A Certificate of Existence, certifying that an Alabama company is currently registered (not dissolved) and currently compliant with State requirements, can be obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State and then authenticated with an Alabama Apostille.
Order an Alabama Certificates of ExistenceExternal link (opens in new tab)

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How can I obtain an apostille on a background check from Alabama?

Apostilles on Alabama Background Checks can be obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State.

For information on obtaining your Alabama Background Checks, see:
Alabama Criminal History Record Information Alabama Background ChecksExternal link (opens in new tab)

Note, however, that many countries will require an FBI background check as evidence of a lack of criminal record for immigration or visa purposes, see:
FBI Background Checks

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How can I authenticate Alabama university degree certificates for use abroad?

Alabama academic certificates and course transcripts must be notarized by an Alabama Secretary of State Records Inquiry System  - Notary Public Records Alabama Notary PublicExternal link (opens in new tab) before they can be certified with an apostille stamp. If the document requires Certification for presentation in non-apostille country (for example, United Arab Emirates or Qatar), the notarized document will also need certification by an Alabama probate judges County Official Lookup Alabama probate judgeExternal link (opens in new tab). The notary will certify the signature of the school official signing the certificate, and you should contact the issuing institution to arrange this.

Alternatively, apostilles can be applied to notarized copies made from scans in Washington DC. See: US Education Apostilles

Alabama 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

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How can I authenticate notarized documents in Alabama for use abroad?

Documents certified by an Alabama Secretary of State Records Inquiry System  - Notary Public Records Alabama Notary PublicExternal link (opens in new tab) can be certified by apostille or authentication (depending on whether the country of destination is a signatory to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents Hague Apostille ConventionExternal link (opens in new tab)). If the document requires Certification for presentation in non-apostille country, the notarized document needs certification by an Alabama probate judges County Official Lookup Alabama probate judgeExternal link (opens in new tab) before submission to the Secretary of State.

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Can Alabama Apostilles be obtained on documents not written in English?

Alabama Apostilles can be obtained for documents that are not written in English, but must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

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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 (PDFExternal link (opens in new tab), Microsoft Office 365: Save a password protected document to prevent unauthorized people from opening it. Office DocumentsExternal link (opens in new tab), WinRAR Encryption Frequently asked question (FAQ) RAR foldersExternal link (opens in new tab)) and provide us with the passwords separately.

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)

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