Federal Apostille Services

A Federal Apostille is a certificate issued by the U.S. Department of State that authenticates the signatures and seals on federal documents for use in foreign countries.  You would need a Federal Apostille if you have a U.S. federal document (like an FBI background check, IRS document, or a federal court document) that needs to be legally recognized in a foreign country.

Fingerprinting St Louis provides a streamlined service to help you obtain a Federal Apostille. 

• Ensuring your document is properly prepared: We can guide you on the necessary steps to get your federal document ready for apostille.
• Facilitating the submission process: We can handle the submission of your document to the U.S. Department of State on your behalf, navigating the often complex requirements and ensuring correct delivery.
• Tracking and return: We manage the process of getting the apostilled document back to you.
• In Person Delivery:  We have a local person contracted with our company to hand deliver documents directly to the US Department of State office. We do charge an additional fee for this service, and it includes a rush turn around completion of your documents. 

Common federal documents that often require a Federal Apostille include:

• FBI Identity History Summary (FBI Background Check): Frequently required for international employment, residency, or visa applications.
• IRS documents: Such as tax transcripts.
• Documents from U.S. Federal Courts: Including bankruptcy records or judgments.
• Documents from federal agencies: Like those from the FDA, USDA, or EPA.
• Naturalization certificates.

To utilize Fingerprinting St Louis's Federal Apostille services, you will typically need to provide:

• The original federal document requiring the apostille (or a certified copy, if acceptable by the U.S. Department of State for that specific document).
• Any specific instructions or forms from the foreign country or requesting agency.
• Your contact information and details for return shipping. Fingerprinting St Louis will guide you on the exact requirements based on your document type.

The timeline for obtaining a Federal Apostille involves the transmission of documents and the processing time at the U.S. Department of State. While Fingerprinting St Louis aims for efficient handling on their end, the U.S. Department of State's processing times can vary significantly (ranging from four weeks to several months, depending on their current volume). Fingerprinting St Louis will provide you with the most current estimates based on official processing times. 

Yes! We are able to have our designated person located in Virginia that can personally walk your documents or FBI Background check into the US Department of State office to have priority processing over documents that are mailed in. This cuts the processing time down to 10 to 14 business days compared to the typical four weeks. We offer this service as a Rush option and there is an additional fee. 

The cost for Federal Apostille Services with Fingerprinting St Louis will include their service fee for preparing, submitting, and returning your document, as well as the official fee charged by the U.S. Department of State for issuing the apostille. It's best to contact Fingerprinting St Louis directly for a precise quote, as fees can vary based on the number of documents and any expedited shipping needs. 

Documents issued by the State of Missouri or other states (e.g., state birth certificates, marriage licenses, state court documents, or documents notarized by a Missouri notary) require an apostille from the proper related states Secretary of State's office. Fingerprinting St Louis can assist with processing Apostille requests for all 50 states. 

The difference between an Apostille and Authentication refers to the way the agency processes different types of document. This information will not make any difference to the customer. Fingerprinting St Louis is capable of assisting with either Apostille or Authentications. 

Fingerprinting St Louis ensures that your document receives the correct Federal Apostille or Authentication from the U.S. Department of State, making it legally recognized by foreign countries. However, the ultimate acceptance of the document is at the discretion of the foreign authority requesting it. Fingerprinting St Louis provides the service to meet the official authentication requirement, but cannot guarantee the specific foreign entity's interpretation or acceptance beyond that. 

It is highly recommended to contact Fingerprinting St Louis directly to inquire about their Federal Apostille services. While fingerprinting might require an appointment, their apostille service might involve dropping off documents or mail-in procedures. Calling ahead will ensure you understand their process and any necessary scheduling. 

Once your request has been submitted, paid for and reviewed, we will start the process for Apostille or Authentication right away. Once documents have started processing, we can no longer allow for a refund for any reason. If a document is rejected by US Department of State, we are only able to issue a refund if the reason is due to our mistake and not able to be corrected. However this is extremely rare, we have a 100% acceptance rate with the US Department of State. If your completed Federal Apostille is not accepted by your requesting party in a foreign country, we do not have control over acceptance and can not issue a refund.