Apostille Services in New Hampshire, Explained

If an agency in another country has asked for an "Apostille," they are asking for proof that your U.S. document is genuine. It is a certificate issued by the state — in our case, the New Hampshire Secretary of State in Concord — that other Hague Convention countries accept without further legalization.

Common reasons people need one

• International adoption paperwork
• Dual citizenship applications
• Marriage or residency abroad
• Overseas employment and background checks
• Foreign business filings and powers of attorney

How the process works

First, the document is either an official record (a certified birth or marriage certificate) or a document you sign in front of a notary. Vital records must be certified copies from the issuing office — photocopies are rejected. Notarized documents must carry a complete, correctly worded New Hampshire notarial certificate, which is where most rejections happen.

Once the document is properly prepared, it goes to Concord for authentication. I handle preparation and hand-delivery to the state, which avoids mail delays and lets me catch formatting problems before they cost you weeks.

Timing and fees

Plan on roughly one to two weeks depending on state processing volume. There is a state fee per document plus a service fee for delivery to Concord. If your destination country is not part of the Hague Convention, the document needs consular legalization instead — a longer process I can help you start.

Sending documents to a Spanish-speaking country? Certified English–Spanish translation is available at $24 per page, so your file arrives complete.