Question 1

What is a Notary Public?

Accepted Answer

A Notary Public is a person authorized by the state's government to serve the public as an impartial witness to important signing events, to deter fraud by verifying the identity of the person signing a document, ensuring they sign it willingly, and administering oaths or affirmations.

Question 2

What is an Apostille?

Accepted Answer

An Apostille (pronounced ah-po-steel) is a specific type of certification that authenticates the seal and signature of a public official on a document so that it can be legally recognized in foreign countries, and that the notarization (or other public official's signature/seal) is genuine.

An Apostille is used in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention to streamline the acceptance of foreign public documents. If a country is not a member, a different, more complex authentication (often called an "Authentication Certificate") is required.

An apostille can be a sticker on the back of a document (i.e., Israel), a certificate attached (i.e., USA), or digitally issued (i.e., Belgium), and is issued by a designated government authority (usually the Secretary of State or U.S. Department of State). The apostille looks different across states in the USA (for example, NJ doesn't look like NY).

Question 3

What type of documents needs an apostille?

Accepted Answer

Any vital records (birth/marriage/death certificates), divorce decrees (from the court), legal documents (such as wills), diplomas, and documents that have been notarized.

*Rabbinical divorce or marriage cannot be apostilled.

Question 4

What type of documents need notarization?

Accepted Answer

Any document you sign before a notary that will need to be presented to an authority outside the country where it was signed must be apostilled. 
Typical documents include:
Power of attorney (general, irrevocable, or specific)
Personal affidavits or statements
Bank forms
Real estate purchase document
And more...

Question 5

Which countries accept apostille?

Accepted Answer

The countries that accept an Apostille are those that are part of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, often called the Apostille Convention or Hague Apostille Convention.

For complete list, click here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention)

Question 6

Can I just go to the local consulate?

Accepted Answer

No. A consulate or embassy does not handle apostilles; it's outside their scope of work. 
In the US, the only authority for apostilles is the Department of State/ Department of the Commonwealth. 
In Israel, it's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Each country has its own procedures and a local department that handles the requests.

Question 7

Why do you need my original document?

Accepted Answer

An apostille can only be affixed to the original document or to a signature to verify authenticity.  
For recordable events (birth, death, marriage, divorce), it doesn't have to be the original issued at the time of the event, but it must be a certified copy (each state has its own requirements for obtaining a certified copy). 
In other matters, such as notarized documents, it must be affixed to the original document bearing the notary's signature. The appropriate department will compare the notary's signature and details to the one it has on her records, and only then will it affix an apostille to a document. 
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Question 8

How do you know if the document I got can get an apostille?

Accepted Answer

Our Group has over five years of experience with the apostille process, has handled documents from all 50 states with issue dates dating back to the 1930s, and maintains an extensive database of which officials' signatures are accepted by each State and county. 
If we encounter a previously unseen signature, we will do our due diligence and confirm the process. We will let you know immediately what is needed to proceed.

Question 9

How much it will cost me?

Accepted Answer

For the most accurate quote, please get in touch with our office. 
After we review the documents you have for compliance with the current requirements, we will provide you with a detailed quote.  
If we find that a document is not in compliance with the requirements, we will let you know, and you can decide whether to allow us to replace it on your behalf.

Question 10

Are there any discounts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 
(1) We provide discounted rates on apostilles for people in an Aliyah process.
(2) We also provide great prices for attorneys on the notary and apostille service, as well as in our translation departments. 
(3) Large volume of work from private clients. 
Reach out to our office for an accurate quote.

Question 11

Can I do that by myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can handle the apostille yourself. 
However, retaining our services will guarantee results and save you the hassle of the research and legwork. Let D.O.L. Group handle it for you!

Question 12

Why should I use your company instead of doing it by myself?

Accepted Answer

Our company has vast experience with documents and other processes we offer. 
We will always be very honest with you and provide the most accurate timeframes and service quality. 
With us, any apostille is completed as quickly as possible, and all additional costs are transparent and disclosed before service begins. 
We will give you our best attention, and with offices in both the US and Israel, we are available almost around the clock (excluding Shabbat / Saturdays). We work on Sundays too!

Notary & Apostille Services