An apostille is a certificate used to authenticate the origin of a public document for use in another country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention.

The apostille verifies the signature, seal, or capacity of the public official associated with the document. It does not certify that the contents of the document itself are accurate.

Global Apostille Group assists with many types of documents, including vital records, educational records, legal documents, corporate documents, notarized documents, federal records, and certain ecclesiastical records.

Requirements vary depending on the issuing authority, document type, and destination country. We review each document before processing to determine the appropriate authentication steps.

Apostilles are generally used when the destination country participates in the Hague Apostille Convention.

You can review our Hague Country List or contact us and we can help identify the appropriate authentication process for your destination.

Possibly. Some privately issued documents may first need to undergo a notarization or other certification process before they become eligible for authentication.

The appropriate procedure depends on the type of document and the state where it will be processed. Send us a copy for review and we can determine the appropriate next step.

Absolutely. Global Apostille Group does not issue apostilles. Apostilles are issued by the appropriate state or federal competent authority.

Our service fees cover document review, preparation, authentication coordination, submission, tracking, retrieval, and related processing so that you do not have to navigate the process on your own.

The destination country generally determines whether an apostille or a non-Hague authentication and legalization process is required.

You can review our Hague Country List or contact us with the destination country and document type for assistance identifying the appropriate process.

Embassy legalization can involve several stages. Depending on the document, processing may include state-level authentication, federal authentication, and final legalization through the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Each embassy or consulate establishes its own fees, submission procedures, document requirements, and processing times. For this reason, legalization timeframes vary considerably by destination country.

An apostille generally cannot be substituted simply because it is faster. Whether an apostille is appropriate depends on the destination country and the applicable authentication requirements.

In some cases, we may be able to complete only a particular stage of authentication and return the document to you for further processing.

It is the client's responsibility to confirm that the receiving authority will accept the level of authentication requested.

Authentication procedures generally depend on where the document was issued. U.S.-issued documents intended for use in a non-Hague country typically follow the applicable U.S. authentication process before consular legalization.

Documents issued outside the United States generally need to follow the authentication requirements of their country of origin. Because consular procedures vary, the appropriate embassy or competent authority should be consulted for the specific document.

New York permits a notary public to charge up to $2 for certain notarial acts, including taking an acknowledgment or administering an oath or affirmation.

Our notarial fee is $2 per applicable notarial act. Additional services, such as mobile travel, are priced separately.

The notarial act itself is charged separately from mobile service.

Mobile appointments include a travel and convenience fee based on factors such as distance, travel time, location, and appointment time.

We do not accept photographs or photocopies of identification in place of the identification required for an in-person notarization.

Please bring acceptable identification to your appointment. Contact us before your appointment if you have questions about the identification you currently possess.

The requirements depend on the notarial act being requested. A notary cannot notarize another person's signature simply because someone else presents the document.

The individual whose signature is being notarized must personally satisfy the requirements of the applicable notarial act.

Contact us before your appointment if a document has already been signed.

Yes. After-hours mobile notary appointments may be available outside conventional business hours, subject to location and scheduling availability.

We currently coordinate translations involving English, Spanish, Portuguese — including European and Brazilian Portuguese — Italian, and French.

Translation certification requirements in the United States differ from systems used in many other countries.

Our standard certified translation service includes a translator's certification attesting to the translator's competency and the completeness and accuracy of the translation. When required, the translator's statement may also be notarized.

A notarized translation generally includes a translator's signed certification or affidavit that is notarized in the United States.

A sworn translation is completed by a translator who is officially authorized or recognized under the laws of a particular country. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.

Some authorities in countries such as Spain, Colombia, and Argentina may require a particular form of officially recognized or sworn translation.

In some circumstances, a receiving authority may require the certification or notarization associated with a U.S.-prepared translation to be authenticated for international use.

Requirements vary by receiving authority. It is the client's responsibility to confirm whether a certified, notarized, sworn, or apostilled translation is required.

Our pre-certification review gives clients an opportunity to identify information that may be difficult to interpret from the original document, including illegible handwriting, names, locations, abbreviations, or regional spelling variations.

The review is an additional quality-control step before the translation is finalized and certified.

Vital records are subject to strict access rules. Many vital-records agencies limit who may request a birth or death certificate to the person named on the record, qualifying family members, authorized representatives, or other legally eligible parties.

If we are not legally permitted to obtain the record on your behalf, we can explain where you can request the appropriate certified copy yourself.

Yes. We can assist with retrieval of eligible historical records maintained by the New York City Municipal Archives.

Availability depends on the record type, year, borough, and archival collection.

Certain marriage record requests require an appointment with the New York City Clerk.

Appointment availability fluctuates throughout the year and may become limited during periods of high demand. For that reason, retrieval estimates depend partly on the earliest appointment available.

When an issuing agency requires authorization from the record holder, we must receive the appropriate signed authorization before acting on your behalf.

We cannot request a protected record on your behalf without the authorization required by the issuing agency.

Contact us before signing your authorization so we can review the requirements associated with your document.

Depending on your location and the requirements of the receiving agency, notarization through a U.S. embassy or consulate or another locally authorized notarial procedure may be available.

No. Global Apostille Group is not a law firm, and we are not attorneys.

We do not provide legal advice, determine legal eligibility, develop legal strategies, or represent clients before USCIS, immigration court, or another government agency.

Our form-preparation services are administrative in nature. We enter information provided by the client into eligible forms and assist with document organization.

No. We do not provide form-preparation assistance for affirmative or defensive asylum matters, including Form I-589.

Individuals seeking asylum assistance should consider consulting a qualified immigration attorney or accredited legal-services provider.

We may assist with administrative preparation of eligible Form I-90 applications for standard Permanent Resident Card renewals.

Filing eligibility, timing, and USCIS requirements depend on the type of card and the applicant's circumstances. We verify the applicable filing requirements before beginning form preparation.

Generally, no. A person who received conditional permanent residence through a qualifying marriage typically uses Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, rather than Form I-90 to simply renew the 2-year card.

Cases involving divorce, separation, abuse, waiver requests, or other legal issues should be reviewed by a qualified immigration attorney.

Whether additional financial sponsorship is required depends on factors such as household size, qualifying income, assets, and the applicable Affidavit of Support requirements.

Contact us for administrative form-preparation assistance. If your circumstances require legal interpretation or advice regarding sponsorship obligations, we may recommend that you consult an immigration attorney.

Global Apostille Group does not currently provide interpreter services.

Global Apostille Group provides individual income tax preparation for clients with income such as W-2 wages, eligible 1099 income, and other individual tax reporting needs.

We also assist eligible taxpayers with ITIN-related services.

Our tax preparation services are strictly limited to individual income tax returns. We do not prepare corporate, partnership, S corporation, C corporation, or other business entity tax returns.

The documents required depend on your individual tax situation.

Common documents may include W-2 forms, 1099 forms, Social Security or ITIN information, identification, dependent information, prior-year tax returns, and records relating to eligible expenses, deductions, or tax credits.

We may request additional documentation after reviewing your filing situation.

Yes. We prepare individual tax returns for eligible clients who receive 1099 income in addition to traditional W-2 wages.

Because certain forms of 1099 income may be subject to different tax treatment, we review the applicable income and expense information before completing the return.

This does not include preparation of separate business-entity tax returns.

Yes. We provide assistance with eligible Individual Taxpayer Identification Number applications and renewals.

ITIN requirements depend on the applicant's tax filing circumstances and supporting documentation. We will review the applicable requirements before preparing the application.

Yes. An ITIN is issued for federal tax purposes to certain individuals who are not eligible for a Social Security number but have a U.S. federal tax filing or reporting requirement.

Eligibility for individual tax credits and other tax benefits depends on the taxpayer's circumstances and the requirements of each particular credit.

Possibly. Whether someone qualifies as your dependent depends on factors such as relationship, residency, age, support, and other applicable tax requirements.

During preparation, we review the information and documentation you provide to determine which dependent-related provisions may apply to your individual return.

Eligibility for tax credits depends on factors such as income, filing status, dependents, education expenses, identification requirements, and other circumstances.

We review the information provided during tax preparation to identify credits that may apply to your individual return.

Filing status depends on factors such as marital status, household circumstances, dependents, and the applicable tax rules for the filing year.

We review the information you provide when preparing your return to determine the appropriate filing status based on your circumstances.

No accurate refund amount can be guaranteed before your complete tax information has been reviewed and the return has been prepared.

Your refund or balance due depends on your income, withholding, deductions, credits, filing status, dependents, and other tax information.

Refund processing times are determined by the IRS and, when applicable, the state tax authority.

Global Apostille Group can prepare and submit your return, but we cannot guarantee a particular refund date once the return has been accepted for processing.

In some cases, yes. An amended return may be necessary when information on a previously filed individual return needs to be corrected or updated.

We will review the original return and the information that needs to be changed before determining whether we can assist with the amendment.

No. Global Apostille Group provides individual income tax preparation services only.

We do not prepare corporate, partnership, S corporation, C corporation, or other business entity tax returns.

Clients requiring business tax preparation should work with a qualified tax professional who provides those services.