When doing business in many countries abroad, you may be required to obtain an apostille of company documents. An apostille is a type of certification that will be used in countries participating in the Hague Convention. A state will issue an apostille of a notarized signature on a document, and lists the specific country in which the document will be used. Apostilles and certifications can be obtained for public and private documents, including corporate filings, diplomas, degrees, and job applications, marital and adoption documents, and deeds and contracts.
For a list of the countries that accept apostilles, please visit the Status Table provided by the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Apostilles are used for those countries that participate in the Hague Convention. For those countries that do not participate, a certification will be used instead of an apostille. Certification often requires additional review by the United States Department of State or by the embassy of the destination country.
In order to obtain an apostille of a corporate document in most states, you must submit a certified copy of the corporate document. In many states, this occurs in a different division from where apostilles are issued.
Nearly every state requires your documents to be notarized before submitting the apostille application. Pay careful attention to which body has the authority to notarize these documents, as it can take place at the city, county, or state level.
Iowa Secretary of State
Physical Address:
First Floor, Lucas Building, 321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319
