What embassy legalization is
Embassy legalization is a stamp or certificate added by a foreign country's embassy or consulate, confirming that a document already authenticated by the U.S. Department of State can be accepted in that country. It exists because countries that have not joined the Hague Apostille Convention do not accept a single certificate on its own. Instead, their own diplomatic mission in the United States adds a second layer of verification before the document is considered valid for use in that country.
When it is needed
Countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention accept a single apostille certificate with no further review. Countries that have not joined the convention need one more step, for both federal and state documents. Examples of non-Hague destinations include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Pakistan, and several countries across Africa and the Middle East. For these destinations, a federal document receives an authentication from the Department of State, and a state document receives state authentication followed by Department of State authentication. Either way, embassy legalization from the destination country's embassy or consulate is the last step. See our apostille vs authentication page for the full comparison. A state document headed to a Hague country does not go through this process; it needs a single state apostille instead, which is a different service we do not offer.
How the steps fit together
The steps happen in a fixed order and cannot be reversed. We handle every step of this order ourselves, so you only deal with us, not with the embassy directly.
- Step 1: We authenticate your document. A federal document goes directly to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, DC. A state document first goes through state authentication, then the U.S. Department of State.
- Step 2: We take your authenticated document to the destination country's embassy or consulate in the United States and complete the embassy legalization step on your behalf.
- Step 3: We ship your fully legalized document back to you with tracking, ready for use in the destination country.
Pricing, quoted per order
Embassy legalization is not a flat price, since each embassy sets its own fee, required forms, and processing time. We quote each order individually, starting from about $225 for our service fee, plus the embassy's own fee and shipping. Tell us your document type, whether it is federal or state, and your destination country, and we will confirm the full quote before you place an order. See our pricing page for how this fits alongside Standard and Express pricing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is embassy legalization? Embassy legalization is a stamp or certificate added by a foreign country's embassy or consulate, confirming that a document already authenticated by the U.S. Department of State (and, for state documents, by the state authentication office) can be accepted in that country. It is the final step for documents going to countries that have not joined the Hague Apostille Convention.
- Do I need embassy legalization for every country? No. Embassy legalization is needed only for countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention. If your destination country is a Hague member, your document receives an apostille instead, and no embassy step is required. Check our Hague Convention member countries page to confirm.
- Do you handle the embassy legalization step for me? Yes. Embassy legalization is a service we provide directly. We complete the authentication step, take your document to the destination country's embassy or consulate, and ship the finished document back to you. You do not need to visit the embassy yourself.
- Does this apply to state documents too? Yes. We handle embassy legalization for both federal documents (such as an FBI background check or an IRS letter) and state documents (such as a birth certificate or a notarized power of attorney), as long as the destination country has not joined the Hague Convention. A state document headed to a Hague country instead needs a single state apostille, which is a different service we do not offer.
- How much does embassy legalization cost? Embassy legalization is priced by quote for each order, since embassy fees and requirements vary by country. It starts from about $225 for our service fee, plus the embassy's own fee and shipping. Contact us with your document type and destination country and we will provide a quote before you place an order.
- Which countries commonly require embassy legalization? Examples include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Pakistan, and several countries across Africa and the Middle East. If you are unsure whether your destination country requires this step, contact us and we will confirm before you place an order.
- Can I go straight to the embassy without authentication first? No. Embassies and consulates require the authentication step to be completed first. They will not add their legalization stamp to a document that has not already been authenticated, since the stamp confirms on top of that step rather than replacing it.