Apostille of a US Passport
A passport is your official government-issued travel document. It allows you to travel from country to country and serves as a major identification document.
Because of this, a passport apostille may be required for a variety of reasons, ultimately to identify you and your signature.
Although an original passport cannot get the apostille, it is a copy that must receive the apostille in order for it to be valid for international use. Reminder that your passport must be signed above the signature line and must be notarized. The signature at the moment of notarization must match the signature that is showcased on your passport.
For minors, passports must be signed in accordance to applicable regulations issued by the US Department of State.
Skip the notary dilemma and contact us for a complete service. From notary to apostille, to shipping your documents, our team can provide the best services for your documentation and apostille needs!
Passports
Passports are handled and issued by the US Department o State, however the US Department of State does not issue apostilles for passports. Passports are not considered federal documents when in reference to the apostille. Passports owners instead must certify the document as a true copy of the original in their possession. This certification must be notarized.
Apostille Requirements for a Passport
Your passport itself must be signed above the signature line.
A high quality, color copy must be taken.
Either sign the passport copy itself in front of a notary, certifying it as a true copy of the original, or attach an affidavit with similar vocabulary as the example on the left.
The signing must take place in front of a notary so the notary can affix their notary stamp.
The document must then be certified by the county clerk’s office.
A New York notary is certified to notarize documents all over New York. However, only one county clerk has their oath of office at the time they were commissioned.
Failure to comply with any of the above requirements will result in a rejected application from the New York Department of State.
Don’t know where to begin? Global Apostille Group can assist with the notarization of your passport copy and its apostille within 5 business days or within the same business day. Contact us today for a quote!
True Copy Apostille
What if my record does not comply with the above requirements?
What if I do not want to give up my original record? It’s my original record!
Or what if I simply no longer have the original record and obtaining a certified copy will take months? I need my apostille now.
Global Apostille Group can provide a “true copy” apostille of copies of your record. We can attach an affidavit to your document, certifying the record as a true copy of the original, and notarize the affidavit. This process bypasses the need to have the original, as the apostille will certify the notary’s signature, not the signature on the official record. The apostille of this notarized true copy will be done in New York State.
Before opting for this process, please contact the authorities who are receiving your document if they will accept the apostille of your document via a notarized copy. If the country of destination:
Requires the apostille to certify the official signature of the record,
Will not accept a notarized copy of your record, or,
Requires the apostille to be issued by the official Department of State where the document was issued (i.e. if your document is from the State of Virginia, the apostille is from Virginia).
If any of the above apply, please obtain a correct, certified copy of your record prior to submitting for apostille.