Frequently asked questions

An apostille is an internationally recognized certificate that authenticates a U.S. document for use in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. You typically need one when using a birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, power of attorney, or FBI background check abroad. Tell us the destination country and we'll confirm exactly what's required.

If your destination country has signed the Hague Convention, an apostille is all you need — it's accepted directly. If the country has not signed the Convention (some countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere), the document must go through embassy or consular legalization, which is a longer process involving additional government steps. We handle both.

It depends on the document. Documents issued by a state (birth certificates, marriage certificates, notarized documents, diplomas) are authenticated by that state's Secretary of State. Documents issued by a federal agency — such as FBI background checks, USCIS records, or federal court documents — are authenticated through the U.S. Department of State. We determine the right channel for your document so you don't have to.

State apostille service starts around $175 (standard), $225 (rush), or $275 (same-day), plus the applicable government/state fee. Embassy/consular legalization for non-Hague countries is tiered, typically $350–$450+, plus any embassy fee. Certified translation is around $25 per page. Additional same-state documents qualify for a discount. We'll give you an exact quote before you order.

Everything is handled online and by mail — no in-person visit required. You upload or ship your documents, we handle all the agency submissions and tracking, and we return the completed documents to you. Start an order at /order and we'll walk you through each step.

Yes. Our certified translations are accepted by USCIS, U.S. courts, consulates, and foreign authorities. We work in English, Español, Русский, and Українська, and can pair translation with apostille service for a streamlined experience. Translation is priced at approximately $25 per page.

We handle documents for Hague Convention countries (apostille) and non-Convention countries (embassy/consular legalization) worldwide. Common destinations include Spain, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, UAE, China, and many others. Tell us your destination country when you order and we'll confirm the correct process.

Yes. Federal documents — including FBI background checks — must be authenticated through the U.S. Department of State rather than a state Secretary of State. The process takes longer, but we manage the submission and tracking end to end.

Yes. Laurela works nationwide, online and by mail. You don't need to be in any particular state. You send us your document (or have it issued to us), and we handle the apostille or embassy legalization and ship it back. We confirm the correct issuing authority for your document and destination country.

Some private documents (like a power of attorney or an affidavit) must be notarized before they can be apostilled; public records (like a birth certificate) are issued by the government and don't need notarizing. If yours needs a notary, it can often be done by online notarization (Remote Online Notarization) with a U.S. notary from anywhere, and the notarized document is then apostilled in that notary's state. One important exception: real-estate documents being recorded in another state, and wills, often have stricter rules — for those, confirm acceptance with the receiving office first. This is general information, not legal advice; tell us your document and we'll confirm what it needs.

Documents authenticated for legal use in Hague Apostille Convention countries — birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, FBI checks, powers of attorney, and more. Nationwide, by mail. Pricing: from $175 standard / $225 rush + gov't fees.

For countries that are not party to the Hague Convention, documents must be legalized through the destination country's embassy or consulate. We handle the full chain — state authentication, U.S. Dept. of State, and embassy submission. Pricing: from $350 + embassy fee.

Certified translations accepted by USCIS, U.S. courts, and foreign consulates. Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, and English — done by qualified human translators, not machine translation. Pricing: $10 per page.

Federal documents — FBI background checks, federal court orders, documents issued by U.S. federal agencies — require authentication through the U.S. Department of State before an apostille or embassy legalization can be issued. We handle this channel for you. Pricing: Included in apostille / legalization orders.