How to get Apostille for US (United States of America)

United States of America is a member of the Hague Nation and Apostille is enough to prove that the Document is Genuine

What is an apostille in simple words?

Apostille is a way that is used to legalize a certificate by placing a stamp on the backside of the document. There are several steps that are performed to make the document legal and valid to use in foreign countries. In India, the stamp is placed by the Ministry of External Affairs. The stamp adds authenticity to a document. This stamp has a unique number that helps other countries to know more information about the document online. This is a straightforward procedure and can be completed in 10 to 15 days if it is done properly by a trustworthy service provider.

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Why and when should an individual get an apostille for US (United States of America)?

There are many reasons that make an apostille for US (United states of America) essential for an individual. Let’s see a few of the reasons:

  • An original document(Birth certificate apostille for US (United states of America) is needed if an individual wants to apply for a student visa abroad.
  • Marriage certificate apostille for US (United states of America) is compulsory for a person who is applying for a spouse visa.   
  • PCC apostille for US (United states of America) is compulsory if a person is applying for an employment visa or a permanent resident visa. 
  • Single Status Certificate apostille for US (United states of America) is compulsory to prove that the individual is single and also if the person’s intention is to get married to his/her partner in that particular country. 

Which documents should a person have along with them for the apostille for US?

The documents that are mandatory for a person to get the apostille for US (United states of America) are as follows:

What are the details that are to add to an Apostille document?

All the important details about a document that is getting apostilled are added to make sure that every single detail is covered. The details are written in this way:

  • Certificate No: A unique number is written 
  • Certificate issued Date: 00/00/0000 date and time
  • Account Reference: ALPHA CODE
  • Unique Doc. Reference: ALPHANUMERIC
  • Purchased by: NAME
  • Description of Document: ARTICLE 4 AFFIDAVIT
  • Description: AFFIDAVIT
  • Consideration Price (Rs.): ZERO
  • First Party: NAME OF PERSON
  • Second Party: N/A

So, these are the details that a person can see on an apostille document.

What steps are to be performed to get the attestation for US (United states of America) done?

The countries that are a part of the Hague Nation require three steps to be followed. However, there is an additional that is to be performed for the countries that are not a member of the Hague Convention. In addition to this, if a country specifies then also the fourth step is to be followed. The steps are explained below:

  • Notary Attestation: This is the first step in the attestation process. The Documents are shown to the notary. The notary will carefully analyze the document and all the details will be checked. When the details are found correct in the document then the notary will place a stamp and signature on the document.
  • State/SDM Attestation: Once the document gets attested by the notary. Then, it can be sent further to the SDM or State for attestation. All the details that are provided are verified by either of the authorities. When the verification is complete then the signature is placed by the authority on the document. 

The complete processing of both authorities is similar. However, there is a major difference in it.  The time that is taken to complete the state attestation takes around three to four weeks. Although, SDM attestation takes only three to five days to finish the attestation process. So, to save time it is better to select SDM attestation over state attestation. 

  • Ministry of External Affairs: Lastly, for the Hague Nations, the documents are sent to MEA. All the documents along with supporting papers are validated. When the provided information is found genuine and authentic an apostille stamp is positioned on the back of the document. This stamp makes the work of the foreign country much easier as they can check the other necessary details online with a unique number on the stamp. 

The last step that is compulsory for the countries that are not a part of Hague Nation is as follows:

Embassy Attestation: In this step, documents and fees are submitted to the Embassy. The fees vary for every country so an apostille service provider can tell the fees. The embassy will see the documents and will also examine the information. After that, the documents will be attested by the Embassy. This is only done if the information provided is right.

How much time can an individual get a single status certificate apostille for US (United states of America) ?

The time for a single status certificate apostille for US (United states of America) depends on various factors as the country’s embassy may take more time to verify. However, the time that is generally taken for the complete attestation of documents is 10-15 days. 

What is the validity of a PCC apostille for US (United states of America)?

The validity for an attested document in most cases is 6 months. Moreover, certain countries accept attested certificates that are more than 6 months old.n addition to this, there are a few countries that even take attested documents that are a year old. So, ask the apostille service about the attestation validity of the document.

about the attestation validity of the document.

Which documents for the USA can be apostilled by the External Ministry?

Various documents for the USA can be apostilled by the External Ministry. The documents are mentioned below:

  • Commercial Documents( COO, Trade Register, GMP, FSC, Registration, etc) 
  • Educational Documents(Degree, Diploma, School Reports, HSC, and SSC Certificate).
  • Notarised copies of documents(Power of Attorney, Affidavit)
  • Judicial Decisions(Adoption, Divorce Decree)
  • Certificates of Civil Status(Birth, Death, Marriage, PCC, etc). 
  • Notarised Translations(Sworn translation, Approved translation).

An Apostille contains following details in it:

  • Name of country from which the document was issued.
  • Name of the Person to whom document is issued.
  • Name of person signing the document.
  • Designation of the singed person.
  • Place of certification date of certification.
  • Number of certificate.
  • Seal or stamp of authority issuing certificate.
  • Signature of authority issuing certificate.

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