How to apostille documents

What is an Apostille and how do I go about getting it?

Apostille is the internationally recognised treaty that ratifies the authenticity of documents. Korean Immigration will accept Diploma Copies and Criminal Background Checks that have been Apostilled as legitimate and therefore will be able to fully process the visa. Without an Apostille, they cannot accept either of these two documents and this will mean a delay in getting the visa.

You are welcome to email us at for information on Apostille.

Coming up is a breakdown of where to get the Apostille starting in the USA and then going in alphabetical order from, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, to the UK. This breakdown includes postal addresses, useful links, phone numbers and fee information.

Canadians must get the Consul's notarization seal from the nearest Korean Embassy/Consulate).

Skip to: USA | Australia | Ireland | New Zealand | South Africa | The UK

Getting an Apostille in the USA

United States Authentication Authorities

Who are the U.S. "Competent Authorities" to issue the Apostille certificate?

There are three levels of U.S. competent authorities, one for Federal agencies, one for U.S. (federal) courts, and one for state documents, including documents executed before notaries.

1. Federal Executive and Administrative Agencies: Authentications Office, Department of State, 518 23rd St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20520, (202) 647-5002 Fee: $5.00. For additional information, call the Federal Information Centre: 1-800-688-9889, and choose option 6 after you press 1 for touch tone phones. Walk-in service is available from the Authentications Office from 8 a.m. to 12 noon Monday-Friday, except holidays. Walk-in service is limited to 15 documents per person per day (documents can be multiple pages). Processing time for authentication requests sent by mail is 5 working days or less. See also, the State Department home page: http://www.state.gov. See also in general, 22 C.F.R. 131.
2. 2. U.S. Courts: Clerks and Deputy Clerks of the Federal Court System. Fee: $5.00. For the purposes of the Convention, clerks and deputy clerks of the U.S. Courts shall include the clerks and deputy clerks of the following: The Supreme Court of the United States, the Courts of Appeals for the First through the Eleventh Circuits and the District of Columbia Circuit, the United States District Courts, the United States Court of Claims, the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, the United States Court of International Trade, the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone, the District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, and the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
3. States, Territories and Other Jurisdictions: Each state and other jurisdiction in the United States (District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam)

Alabama

Office of the Secretary of State
Authentication Section

State Capitol, Room E-204
600 Dexter Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-242-7210
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State

Alaska

Notary Administrator
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
P.O. Box 110015
Juneau, AK 99811- 0015
907-465-3509
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Lieutenant Governor; Attorney General; Clerk of the Supreme Court

Arizona

Office of the Secretary of State
Business Services Division, Notary Section
1700 W. Washington, 7th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2888
602 542-4086/ 602 542-4758
Website
Fee: $3.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State.

Arkansas

Office of Secretary of State
Corporations Division
State Capitol
Little Rock, AR 72201-1094
501-682-3409
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Chief Deputy Secretary of State.

California

Office of the Secretary of State
Business Programs Division
Notary Public Section
P.O. Box 942877
Sacramento, CA 94277-0001
916-653-3595
Website
Fee: $20.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; any Assistant Secretary of State; any Deputy
Secretary of State.

Colorado

Office of Secretary of State
1560 Broadway, Suite 200
Denver, CO 80202
303-894-2680
Website
Fee: By Mail: $2.00 While You Wait: $17.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Connecticut

Office of the Secretary of State
Authentication Unit
30 Trinity St.
Hartford, CT 06106
860-509-6135
Website
Fee: $20.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Delaware

Office of Secretary of State
Notary Division
401 Federal St., Suite 3
Dover, DE 19901
302- 302/739-4111
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Acting Secretary of State.

District of Columbia

Office of the Secretary, D.C.
Notary Commissions & Authentications Section
441 4th St. N.W. (One Judiciary Square)
Washington, D.C.
202-727-3117
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Executive Secretary; Assistant Executive Secretary; Mayor's Special
Assistant and Assistant to the Executive Secretary; Secretary of the District of Columbia.

Florida

Department of State
Office of International Affairs
Notary Certification/Apostille Section
The Capitol Building
Suite 1902
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250
804-488-7521
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State

Georgia

Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority
Notary Division
1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30345
404-327-6023
Website

or Office of Secretary of State
Administrative Procedures Unit
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Suite 820 - West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
404-656-2885
Website
Fee: $3.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority.

Hawaii

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
State Capitol, 5th Floor,
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
808-586-0255
Website
Fee: $1.00
Designated Authority: Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii.

Idaho

Office of Secretary of State
Notary Department
Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
208- 332-2810
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Chief Deputy Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State; Notary Public Clerk.

Illinois

Office of the Secretary of State
Index Department, Notaries Public Division
111 E. Monroe St.
Springfield, IL 62756
217- 217-782-7017
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Indiana

Office of Secretary of State
Statehouse
Suite 201
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-232-6532
Website
Fee: no charge
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

Iowa

Office of Secretary of State
Lucas Building
First Floor, Public Service
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-5204
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

Kansas

Office of Secretary of State
State Capitol
Second Floor
Topeka, KS 66612
913-296-2744
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State; any Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.

Kentucky

Office of Secretary of State
Capitol Building
P.O. Box 718
Frankfort, KY 40602-0178
502-564-7330
Fee: $5.00
Website
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State.

Louisiana

Office of Secretary of State
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
504-342-4981
Fee: $5.00
Website
Designated Authority: Secretary of State.

Maine

Office of Secretary of State
Bureau of Corporations
Elections and Commissions
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101
207-624-7650
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Maryland

Office of Secretary of State
Statehouse
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-974-5520
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State.

Massachusetts

Secretary of the Commonwealth
Public Records Division
Commissions Section
McCormack Building, Room 1719
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
617-727-2832
Website
Fee: $3.00

Michigan

Department of State
Office of the Great Seal
7064 Crowner Boulevard
Lansing, MI 48918
517-373-2531
Website
Fee: $1.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Minnesota

Secretary of State's Office
180 State Office Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-2803
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Mississippi

Office of Secretary of State
P.O. Box 136
Jackson, MS 39205-0136
601-359-1615
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; any Assistant Secretary of State.

Missouri

Office of Secretary of State
Commission Division
600 West Main, Room 367
Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-751-2783
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Montana

Office of Secretary of State
Room 225
Box 202801
State Capitol
Helena, MT 59602
406-444-5379
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Chief Deputy Secretary of State; Government Affairs Bureau Chief.

Nebraska

Office of Secretary of State
Notary Division
Box 95104
State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509
402-471-2558
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Nevada

Secretary of State
101 N. Carson Street, #3
Carson City, NV 89701-4786
775-684-5708
Website
Fee: $20.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Chief Deputy Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

New Hampshire

Office of Secretary of State
Statehouse
Room 204
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-3242
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

New Jersey

Department of State
Notary Public Unit
Division of Commercial Recording
PO Box 452
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-530-6421
Website
Fee: Regular Service: $25.00 Expedited Service: $35.00
Designated Authority: NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue

New Mexico

Office of the Secretary of State
State Capitol North Annex, Suite 300
Santa Fe, NM 87503
505-827-3600
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/notary-cert.htm
Fee: $3.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State

New York

Upstate Counties
Miscellaneous Records
162 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12231
518-474-4770
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Executive Deputy Secretary of State; any Deputy Secretary of State; any Special Deputy Secretary of State

Down State Counties
New York authorities in Albany advise that documents issued in the nine down state counties are authenticated under the Convention by the New York City office. The nine down state counties are New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Richmond.
The address of the New York Department of State, Certification Unit is 6th Floor, 270 Broadway, New York, New York 10007
212-417-5684.
Fee: $10.0

North Carolina

Office of Secretary of State
Authentication Division
PO Box 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
919-807-2140
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

North Dakota

Office of Secretary of State
Capitol Building
600 E Boulevard Ave., Dept 108
Bismarck, ND 58505
701-328-2900
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Ohio

Office of the Secretary of State
180 East Broad St.
15th Fl.
Columbus, OH 43215
614-466-2585
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State.

Oklahoma

Office of Secretary of State
2300 N. Lincoln
Room 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-4211
Website
Fee: $25.00 (cashiers check or money order)
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State; Budget Officer of the Secretary of State.

Oregon

Office of Secretary of State
255 Capitol St.
Suite 151
Salem OR 97310
503-986-2200.
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State; Acting Secretary of State; Assistant to the Secretary of State.

Pennsylvania

Department of State
Bureau of Commissions
Elections and Legislation
North Office Building
Room 304
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-5280
Website
Fee: $15.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of the Commonwealth; Executive Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Rhode Island

Office of Secretary of State
Notary Division
100 N. Main St.
Providence, RI 02903
401-277-1487
Website
Fee: $5.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; First Deputy Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

South Carolina

Office of Secretary of State
P.O. Box 11350
Columbia, SC 29211
803-734-2119
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State

South Dakota

Office of Secretary of State
500 East Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-5077
605-773-5004
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

Tennessee

Office of Secretary of State
James K. Polk Building
Division of Business Services
312 Eighth Avenue North
6th Floor, William R. Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-3699
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State.

Texas

Office of Secretary of State
P.O. Box 12079
Austin, TX 78711
512-463-5705
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State

Utah

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
210 State Capitol
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-8414
801-538-1040
Website
Fee: Certifying Notary's Seal: $10.00 Apostille: $5.00
Designated Authority: Lieutenant Governor; Deputy Lieutenant Governor; Administrative Assistant.

Vermont

Office of Secretary of State
109 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05609-1103
802-828-2308
Website
Fee: $2.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

Virginia

Office of Secretary of Commonwealth
Authentications Division
830 East Main Street, 14th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2441
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of the Commonwealth; Chief Clerk, Office of the Secretary of Commonwealth.

Washington

Office of the Secretary of State
Corporations Division
Apostille and Certificate Program
PO Box 40228
Olympia, WA 98504-0228
360-586-2268
Website
Fee: $15.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State; Director, Department of Licensing.

West Virginia

Office of Secretary of State
Capitol Building
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
No. 157-K
Charleston, WV 25305-0770
304-558-6000
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Under Secretary of State; any Deputy Secretary of State.

Wisconsin

Office of Secretary of State
P.O. Box 7848
Madison, WI 53707-7848
608-266-3159
Website
Fee: $10.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State.

Wyoming

Office of Secretary of State
The Capitol
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0020
307-777-5342
Website
Fee: $3.00
Designated Authority: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State.

American Samoa

Office of the Governor
Pago Pago, AS 96799
011-684-633-4116
Website
Designated Authority: Secretary of American Samoa; Attorney General of American Samoa.

Guam (Territory of)

Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 2950
Agana, GU 96910
011-671-472-1537
http://www.admin.gov.gu/doa
Designated Authority: Department of Administration

Northern Mariana Islands (Commonwealth of the)

Designated Authority: Attorney General; Acting Attorney General; Clerk of the Court, Commonwealth Trial Court; Deputy Clerk, Commonwealth Trial Court
Website

Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of)

Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Office of Notarial Inspection
P.O. Box 190860
San Juan, PR 00919-0860
787-763-8816
Website
Designated Authority: Supreme Court of Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
7 & 8 King St.
Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI 00802
340-774-2991
Website
No authority designated: refer requests to the U.S. Department of State, Authentications Office, 2400 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520. 202-647-5002

Getting an Apostille in Australia

Contact info

The Secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
R.G. Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent Barton,
ACT 0221 Australia.

Telephone: +61 (2) 6261 3644 / +61 (2) 6261 1111
Fax: +61 (2) 6261 2820 / +61 (2) 6261 3111
Email: webmaster@dfat.gov.au, or cnb_cms@dfat.gov.au.
Web: http://www.dfat.gov.au

Price

AU$60 for a single-sided page document. AU$80 Australian dollars for a binding (documents of two or more pages)

Useful Links:

• http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/authen.html
• http://www.dfat.gov.au/sydney/faq.pdf
• http://www.smartraveler.gov.au/state_offices.html

Getting an Apostille in Ireland

Contact info

The Department of Foreign Affairs
Consular Section
Department of Foreign Affairs
69 - 71 Hainault House
St. Stephen's Green
DUBLIN 2
IRELAND

Telephone: +353 1 408 2174 +353 1 408 2322
Website: www.dfa.ie

Department of Foreign Affairs-Consular Services

1a South Mall
CORK
Ireland

Telephone: +353 21 494 4777
Fax: +353 21 494 4772
E-mail: N/A

Price

€20 for each Apostille

Useful Links:

• http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=268

Getting an Apostille in New Zealand

Contact info

Department of Internal Affairs, Authentication Unit

By Courier

Authentication Unit
Level 13
Prime Property Tower
86-90 Lambton Quay
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

By Standard post

Authentication Unit c/o The Translation Service
PO Box 805
Wellington 6140
New Zealand

Telephone: +64 (4) 470 2928
Fax: +64 (4) 470 2921
E-mail: authentication@egs.govt.nz
Contact person: Carlee Reid
Website - http://www.dia.govt.nz/apostille

Price

NZD $40 per Apostille certificate. NZD $15 per copy Certificate (Apostille of identical document / same issuing authority)

Useful Links:

• http://www.dia.govt.nz/apostille

Getting an Apostille in South Africa

Contact info

Any person designated by the Director-General: Foreign Affairs

Department of Foreign Affairs Postal address

Private Bag X152
PRETORIA 0001
Republic of South Africa

Pretoria address

East Wing
Union Building
Government Ave
Arcadia
PRETORIA

Cape Town address

120 Plein Street
Parliamentary Precinct
CAPE TOWN

Telephone: Pretoria office +27 (12) 351 1000
Cape Town office + 27 (21) 464 3700
Fax: Pretoria office +27 (12) 351 0165
E-mail: info@foreign.gov.za

Getting an Apostille in the UK

Contact the Legalisation Office

By telephone: 01908 295 111

From: 09:30 - 15:30 Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

By fax: 01908 295 122

By post:

The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House (West)
437 Silbury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2AH

By email via: LegalisationOffice@fco.gov.uk

Please visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office site for more information.

Please note that the copy of your degree certificate and the original CRB check document must be signed by a solicitor (notarised) before getting the Apostille. It is best to double check this with the Legalisation Office first though as this can be subject to change.

Been there, got the Apostille! For info from somebody who has been through the Apostille process first hand, check out Adam's excellent step by step guide.