“An Apostille or Certificate of Authority certifies that documents intended for use in foreign countries as legally authenticated…Apostilles are used for countries that are party to the Apostille Treaty, while Certificates of Authority can be issued for non-party countries. Apostilles and Certificates of Authority are issued for public documents and are the equivalent of notarization with the United States.” – State of Michigan website
In layman terms, an Apostille issued by the State of Michigan is used to authenticate the signature of an individual who executed a document in their official capacity, and to certify that the individual was in good standing at the time of execution of the document. This applies to documents executed in their official capacity within the State of Michigan only.
The purpose behind the Apostille Treaty (The Hague Convention of October 5, 1961) is to assist in the expedition of legalizing documents needed in a foreign country. If the two states are part of the Convention, an Apostille issued by the state of origin can be accepted by the destination state without further certification.
As of July 2022, the following 124 states are part of the Apostille Convention:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Columbia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, el Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungry, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Oreland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, new Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela
To obtain an Apostille on a document, TKS Mobile Notary resides in the heart of Lansing, MI, less than 2.5 miles from the Office of the Great Seal. Contact us to get your document faster than mail service, usually within a week. We send you documents out the same day with your shipping label. Fees start at $65 with an additional $40 per Apostille needed. Call us at 517-974-8753 or email us at deb.barclay@tksmobilenotary.com
Alternatively, you can schedule an in-person to the Office of the Great Seal in Lansing, MI or specified Secretary of State offices found on the State of Michigan website. (Walk in appointments discontinued in 2020) You can also mail a completed application and the original document to the Office of the Great Seal, making sure to include your payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of the document.
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