Three steps, handled for you
We built this process so you never have to stand in line at the U.S. Department of State yourself. Here is exactly what happens to your document, from the moment you send it to the moment it is back in your hands.
Send us your document
Mail your original federal document to our Washington, DC office, or drop it off in person if you are local. We check it against the federal office's requirements before it ever leaves our hands, so it does not come back rejected.
We submit it to the Department of State
For Standard service, we submit your document by mail to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications. For Express service, a member of our team hand-delivers it in person in Washington, DC, which skips the mail backlog and moves much faster.
We ship your document back to you
Once the federal office completes the apostille or authentication, we pick it up and ship it back to you with tracking, included with both services.
How long it takes
Processing time begins once your documents physically reach our office, not the day you place your order. From that point, Standard service takes about 5 to 6 weeks, since it is submitted by mail alongside a large volume of mailed submissions. Express service takes about 7 to 10 business days, since we hand-deliver the document in person in Washington, DC.
That processing window does not include the time it takes your document to reach us, or the time it takes to ship back to you. Carrier transit time is set by the shipping carrier, not by us, so we recommend choosing a shipping option that fits your deadline.