Frequently Asked Questions:
Texas Apostille and Authentication Services
General Questions
- What is a Texas Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in Texas for use abroad?
- How do I legalize documents issued in Texas for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
- How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Texas?
- What documents can be certified in Texas with an Apostille Stamp?
- Will an apostille stamp from Texas be accepted abroad?
- Where can I find more information about certifying Texas documents?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Texas Attestation and Apostille Services?
- What does a Texas Apostille look like?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
- How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Texas?
- How can I obtain a new certified copy of a Texas birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Academic documents
Answers
What is a Texas Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A Texas Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the Texas Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized Texas public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).
Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Texas 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:
How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in Texas for use abroad?
Apostille Stamps to authenticate Texas documents can be obtained from the Secretary of State. Apostille stamps are only valid for documents that are required for submission to countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention
How do I legalize documents issued in Texas for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
Texas documents that need to be authenticated for non-apostille countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar) must be authenticated by the Texas Secretary of State with an Authentication Certificate and then attested by the recipient country's embassy in the United States. Most embassies will also require an additional authentication the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC.
How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Texas?
Isarey offers an expedited Apostille service for Texas documents. Apostilles are obtained from the Texas Secretary of State in 1 - 2 business days
What documents can be certified in Texas with an Apostille Stamp?
Documents signed by Texas officials and notaries public can be certified in Texas for official use outside the United States, including vital record certificates (e.g. birth, death, marriage certificates), state police background checks, educational certificates, university diplomas and notarized private documents (e.g. power of attorney).
Documents signed by Federal officials including FBI Background Checks must be submitted directly to the Authentication Division of the U.S. Department of State.
To confirm whether your Texas document is valid for an Apostille Stamp, please Contact us for a free document check.
Will an apostille stamp from Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas, 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 Texas documents?
For further information about Texas 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 Texas Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
What does a Texas Apostille look like?
Texas Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of Texas documents certified with Apostille stamps:
How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Texas?
Texas birth and death certificates and certified marriage licenses can be submitted to the Texas Secretary of State in Austin for certification by apostille. The document must have an original signature and embossed (raised) or ink stamped seal of a Texas public official or Texas County Clerk.
Birth and death certificates issued before 1980 are not valid for an Apostille. Certificates issued between 1980 and 1999 may also not be valid and may be rejected by the Secretary of State if a match cannot be found in their records.
Certified copies of Texas birth and death, certificates can be obtained online from VitalChek or from the Texas Department of State Health Services:
Certified copies of Texas marriage licenses can be obtained from the County Clerk where the license was purchased. Isarey can obtain certified copies of Texas marriage licenses on behalf of clients requiring an Apostille. Please Contact us.
For further information on obtaining Apostille stamps on Texas vital records, see:
How can I obtain a new certified copy of a Texas birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Certified copies of Texas birth and death records can be obtained online from VitalChek or from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas birth and death records from the last 75 years are restricted and are only available to the person named in the certificate or immediate family.
Certified copies of Texas marriage licenses can be obtained from the County Clerk where the licence was purchased.
How can I authenticate Texas university degree certificates for use abroad?
To obtain an Apostille affixed to an original Texas School record (High School diploma, University degree certificate or transcripts), contact the school to arrange a certified copy. The certified copy must be signed by the school official in the presence of a Texas notary public.
Isarey can arrange notarization of Texas high school diplomas and collection of notarized degrees and transcripts from Texas Universities.
Otherwise, an apostille can be affixed to a notarized true copy of the original school record made from a good-quality scan.
For further information about authenticating Texas university and school certificates, see:
Texas 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 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 and provide us with the passwords separately:
PDF,
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)