Apostille Services
Getting Your Documents Ready for Use Abroad.
We coordinate the Apostille process for you, from notarizing eligible documents to delivering them to the North Carolina Secretary of State and shipping them back.
What We Coordinate
How our Apostille service works
Like many mobile notaries, we act as your coordinator and courier for the Apostille process. Here is what that includes.
Step 1
Document review
We talk through your document, where it was issued and the country where it will be used, so we can plan the right next steps.
Step 2
Notarization of eligible documents
When a document must be notarized before it can be authenticated, we notarize eligible documents in person, with valid ID for each signer.
Step 3
Translation coordination
If the receiving country needs a translation, we help coordinate it through a qualified translator.
Step 4
Secretary of State submission
We hand-deliver or mail your documents to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, or the right state office.
Step 5
Return shipping
Once the issuing office returns your authenticated documents, we ship them back to you or to the address you choose.
Common Documents
Documents people often send abroad
Whether a document qualifies depends on its type, where it was issued and the destination country.
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Diplomas, transcripts and other educational records
- Powers of attorney and affidavits
- Business and corporate documents
- Other documents intended for use abroad
Grateful Notary Services LLC is not a government agency and does not issue Apostilles. The Apostille is issued by the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State or the appropriate authority, which also sets processing times.
Questions
Apostille FAQs
What is an Apostille?+
An Apostille is a certificate issued by a government authority that authenticates a public document for use in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Do you issue Apostilles?+
No. Apostilles for North Carolina documents are issued by the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State. Grateful Notary Services LLC coordinates the process for you; we are not a government agency.
What if the country isn’t part of the Hague Convention?+
Some countries require a different process called embassy or consular legalization instead of an Apostille. We can help you understand the general steps, but the receiving country sets its own requirements.
How long does it take?+
Processing times are set by the Secretary of State and any other agencies involved, and they can change. We cannot guarantee a completion date.
Will the foreign authority accept my document?+
Acceptance is decided by the receiving authority. We cannot guarantee it, and we do not give legal advice. For legal questions, please talk with an attorney or the receiving authority.
Grateful Notary Services LLC provides notarial services and does not provide legal advice or legal document preparation unless separately authorized by applicable law. A notary public is not an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina and may not give legal advice or accept fees for legal advice. Notarial acts depend on satisfactory identification, signer willingness and awareness, and applicable legal requirements, and cannot be guaranteed. In-person notarization in North Carolina only; we do not offer remote online notarization or perform notarizations in South Carolina.
Every Signature Matters
Have a document going abroad?
Book a consultation and tell us the document type and destination country. We’ll confirm the next steps with you.