Frequently Asked Questions about Hawaii Apostille services
General Questions
- What is a Hawaii Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Hawaii?
- What documents can be certified in Hawaii with an Apostille Stamp?
- Will an apostille stamp from Hawaii be accepted abroad?
- Where can I find more information about certifying Hawaii documents?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Hawaii Attestation and Apostille Services?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
Corporate documents
Criminal record certificates
Academic documents
Notarized documents
Answers
What is a Hawaii Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A Hawaii Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the Hawaii Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized Hawaii public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).
Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Hawaii 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 Apostille Convention
For more information on Apostilles, see:
The ABCs of Apostilles (PDF)
How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Hawaii?
Hawaii Apostilles are normally obtained in 7-10 business days
Apostilles to authenticate Hawaii marriage certificates and other vital records take 3-4 weeks including the time taken for a new certificate to be issued.
What documents can be certified in Hawaii with an Apostille Stamp?
Hawaii apostilles can be issued to authenticate state public documents printed or embossed with the Hawaii State Seal or a Hawaii State Department Seal, including:
- Hawaii marriage certificates
- Hawaii birth, death and divorce certificates.
- Driving Records.
- Certificates of Good Standing and other certified business documents (including Articles of Organization).
The document must be certified by the original signature of the official administrator of that document such as the document custodian, or the record clerk attesting that the document is an official record or a true copy of the original document.
Private documents can be authenticated with a Hawaii Apostille Stamp when certified by a Hawaii Notary Public and by the circuit court.
Will an apostille stamp from Hawaii be accepted abroad?
If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of Hawaii 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 Hawaii, 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.
Where can I find more information about certifying Hawaii documents?
For further information about Hawaii apostilles and authentications or to obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delivery by courier, please Contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.
Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Hawaii Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Hawaii?
Hawaii will not issue an apostille to certify existing copies of a birth, death or marriage certificate. A new certificate must be ordered from the Hawaii State Department of Health to be issued with an Apostille or Authentication Certificate (Applications by Mail Only).
Apostille Hawaii Vital Records
Isarey can assist with obtaining Hawaii marriage certificates and other vital records issued with apostille stamps and authentication certificates.
How can I get an Apostille on a Hawaii Certificate of Good Standing?
A Hawaii Certificate of Good Standing can be obtained from Hawaii Business Express then certified with an Apostille Stamp issued by the Hawaii Lieutenant Governor in Honolulu
How can I obtain a State Hawaii Background Check?
Hawaii criminal history record checks can be name-based or fingerprint-based and can be obtained from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.
How can I authenticate Hawaii university degree certificates for use abroad?
Hawaii 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
How can I authenticate notarized documents in Hawaii for use abroad?
Documents, such as affidavits and powers of attorney, certified by a Hawaii Notary Public must be certified by the Circuit Court where the notary is registered. Once the notary's signature has been certified by the Circuit Court, the document can be submitted to the Hawaii Lieutenant Governor in Honolulu for authentication with an Apostille Stamp.
How can I obtain an apostille in Hawaii for a Power of Attorney or Affidavit?
A Hawaii power of attorney or affidavit must be certified by a Hawaii Notary Public and the notary's signature by the Circuit Court where the notary is registered. An Apostille Stamp or Authentication Certificate can then be obtained from the office of the Hawaii Lieutenant Governor in Honolulu.
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 (PDF, Office Documents,
RAR folders) 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)