Moving, working, marrying, or buying a home overseas? Let’s Talk Paperwork…

(DISCLAIMER: This article is for educational purposes only and is not presented as or should be considered legal advice in any way. We are not licensed to provide legal advice.)

There are many exciting and fulfilling opportunities for citizens and residents of the United States outside of the country. Many people buy property, teach English or other subjects and even find and marry the loves of their lives overseas. And while all these life changes are wonderful, they also come with their fair share of paperwork. To legally perform these wonderful, life-changing actions, you must submit certain documents to prove your identity, marital status, business structure, income, etc. So, if you want to marry, work, live, open a business, or buy property overseas, knowing what to expect can save you time, money, and stress. Read our suggestions below to help make working with your trusted professionals smooth sailing.

Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce Certificates (oh, and FBI Background Checks, too) – if you are required to submit a vital record (birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate) to your destination country, that country will more than likely require the record to be apostilled. Knowing you must obtain an apostille for a vital record for the state in the document originated is imperative. A person who currently resides in Iowa and has a California birth certificate will need to obtain the apostille from the state of California, not Iowa. Each state will have requirements to issue an apostille for a vital record. Some states will require additional steps, such as having the record certified via the county clerk’s office. Other states will require the vital record to be issued within a certain number of years or require the vital record to be exemplified. Each state is different, and knowing the requirements before submitting your documents can save you weeks, if not months, of time. FBI Background checks have their own requirements that must be issued through a federal process.

Notarized Documents – if your document requires notarization, such as a power of attorney or articles of incorporation, where (state) you have the document notarized will most likely dictate what state will issue the apostille on that document. For example, in Texas, an apostille will only be issued if a Texas notary public notarizes the document. You may have a document that has to be notarized by other parties in other states. In this instance, you may or may not need to have an apostille issued for each state of notarization. Make sure to clarify the requirements for each document you submit to your destination country with your lawyer or other legal professionals. In addition to the type of document(s), your destination country will dictate the steps, process, and expected costs to get your documents correctly apostilled.

Aruba, Jamaica… Bermuda, Bahama… – countries that are part of the Hague Convention will require fewer steps than countries that are not part of the Hague Convention. Typically, a Hague Convention country will require a one-step process. However, non-Hague Convention countries can require two or more steps to correctly apostille documents. Costs to apostille your document(s) via an apostille agent / notary will vary greatly. In Texas, estimated costs start around $200 - $400 (total cost including all shipping, state, and other fees) for your first document to be apostilled to a Hague Convention country. And around $400 -$600 (total costs including all shipping, state, and other fees) for your first document to be apostilled to a non-Hague country. (Many variables go into each apostille, this is just an estimated projected costs.)

Many people choose to work with a knowledgeable and dependable apostille agent like Sweed Notary Services to ensure their life-changing actions are correctly documented and authenticated according to the standards of their destination country. No one wants to be hundreds or thousands of miles away from home only to find out they are missing the required documentation. The expense of correcting mistakes can far outweigh the initial costs and peace of mind of working with a professional. If you want to make a life-changing action outside of the United States, contact us today to learn how we can help you and your group get the apostilles you need.