Annabelle Lim and Joseph Doratan are the two (2) notary public who can perform notarial service and also get you the Apostille.  Foreign countries that are part of the Hague Conference or Apostille Convention do not require embassy or consular legalization.  Authentication by apostille instead of red ribbons from Phil. consulate, for example.  Apostilla is how apostille is called in Mexico. Therefore, this can save you a trip going to the consulate. You can avoid securing the online appointment to the consulate, the heavy traffic condition, long waiting line, crowded space, parking fee and use your time for something else. One meeting with the West Covina notary public is all that is needed for both notarization and authentication by Apostille. If you are looking for Filipino notary public or Chinese notary public, look for either one of them. Conversation in your native language is always preferred by most people who need notarization and/or apostille service.

Members of the Hague Conference that accept Apostille authentication are here in this link:  https://www.hcch.net/en/states/hcch-members

For countries not part of the Apostille Convention, sometimes their embassy or consular office may also require an Apostille Certificate before the documents can be consularized. Rarely but possible, a 3rd step securing an Apostille from the U.S. Department of State can also be needed. We can also help you with this.

If you already have a notarized document in the US and only need Apostille service, we may also help you secure the Apostille only. Even if you reside in a state outside of California, you can inquire how we can get an Apostille for you.

    The West Covina Notary can offer you two (2) options: standard pick-up at a cheaper fee, or mailed to your house or your designated final destination outside of the US for your convenience. So you don't have to pick up the authenticated document.

Below are a few Apostille samples from the different states: California Apostille sample, Florida Apostille sample, Hawaii Apostille sample, Nevada Apostille sample, New Jersey Apostille sample, New Mexico Apostille sample, New York Apostille sample, North Carolina Apostille sample, Oregon Apostille sample, Tennessee Apostille sample, Texas Apostille sample...

What is an Authenticated Document?

Anytime official documents are to be used in foreign countries, they are required to be authenticated in the US first before sending them or taking them to other countries.  Some types of documents that require authentication are, but not limited to: powers of attorney, extra-judicial settlement of estates, waiver of rights, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, property deeds, incorporation papers, corporate legal documents, contracts, adoption papers, affidavits, school transcripts, diplomas, degrees, and bank documents. 

Ways of Authentication:

Countries that are not part of the Hague Conference may require the embassy legalization or consular legalization.  In some instances, there are countries that require further authentication for international acceptance of notarized documents over and above the Apostille.

For countries part of the Hague Conference or Apostille Convention, an Apostille is all that is needed. Meaning, documents issued in a Convention country which have been certified by an Apostille are entitled to recognition in any other Convention country without any further authentication. For example, a Philippine document with Apostille will be recognized in the Philippines.  An Apostille issued as the authentication by the Secretary of State, instead of a Red Ribbon, may now be used directly in the Philippines

The countries and territories that we can get you an Apostille for are the following. The list is last revised on July 2019.

	Albania		Greece		Oman
	Andorra		Grenada		Panama
	Antigua and Barbuda		Guatemala		Paraguay
	Argentina		Honduras		Peru
	Armenia		Hong Kong		Philippines
	Australia		Hungary		Poland
	Austria		Iceland		Portugal
	Azerbaijan		India		Romania
	Bahamas		Ireland		Russia
	Bahrain		Israel		Saint Kitts and Nevis
	Barbados		Italy		Saint Lucia
	Belarus		Japan		Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
	Belgium		Kosovo		Samoa
	Belize		Kazakhstan		San Marino
	Bolivia		Kyrgyzstan		Sao Tome and Principe
	Bosnia and Herzegovina		Latvia		Serbia
	Botswana		Lesotho		Seychelles
	Brazil		Liberia		Slovakia
	Brunei		Liechtenstein		Slovenia
	Bulgaria		Lithuania		South Africa
	Burundi		Luxembourg		South Korea
	Cape Verde		Macau		Spain
	Chile		Macedonia		Suriname
	Colombia		Malawi		Swaziland
	Cook Islands		Malta		Sweden
	Costa Rica		Marshall Islands		Switzerland
	Croatia		Mauritius		Tajikistan
	Cyprus		Mexico		Tonga
	Czech Republic		Moldova		Trinidad and Tobago
	Denmark		Monaco		Tunisia
	Dominica		Mongolia		Turkey
	Dominican Republic		Montenegro		Ukraine
	Ecuador		Morocco		United Kingdom
	El Salvador		Namibia		United States
	Estonia		Netherlands		Uruguay
	Fiji		New Zealand		Uzbekistan
	Finland		Nicaragua		Vanuatu
	France		Niue		Venezuela
	Georgia		Norway
	Germany

What is an Apostille?

.Apostille is a French word which means specialized certification that authenticates the signature of a public official on a document for use in another country. An Apostille certifies:

1 . the authenticity of the signature of the public official who signed the document,

2. the capacity in which that public official acted, and

3. when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears, e.g. a notary public seal.

The Apostille does not validate the contents of the document.