Apostille is a French word that means certification.  When legal or official documents which were issued in the state of Massachusetts are to be used in a foreign country, it may sometimes be necessary to authenticate the validity of the signatures on those Massachusetts documents.  "Authentication" is sometimes called "Verification", "Validation" or "Certification".  "Authentication" is also sometimes called an official "Stamp" or an official "Seal".

Government agencies in most countries require legal and official documents from a different country to be authenticated by a credible agency in the foreign country before they will accept any documents as valid.  A Massachusetts Apostille is a document issued by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth which is used for international validation.

• A Massachusetts Apostille is like an international notary stamp.
• A Massachusetts Apostille attached to a document legally verifies the signature and the position of the official who has executed, issued or certified a copy of any document.
• A Massachusetts Apostille is a document which bears the signature and, usually, the seal of an official state agency, usually the Secretary of State.
• A Massachusetts Apostille is attached (usually stapled) to a legal or official document.

A Massachusetts Apostille does not validate the contents of the document.  A Massachusetts Apostille validates only the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the Massachusetts document, the capacity in which that official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears.  This is usually a Massachusetts Notary Public; a Massachusetts Elected Official; or a Massachusetts Appointed Official.

Most, but not all, countries recognize an Apostille as a legal document.   In 1961 a number of countries got together and agreed to some conventions for conducting international business.  Representatives of the countries met in The Hague, Netherlands, and the agreements that were signed became known as the Hague Convention of 1961.

Part of the Hague Convention has to do with easing the process of using valid documents from one country in another country.  Prior to 1981 the process of validating foreign documents could be cumbersome, expensive and slow. 

Countries that signed the Hague Convention have agreed to recognize valid documents issued by other signatory countries if those documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized form of authentication known as an Apostille. 

The Massachusetts Apostille ensures that documents issued in Massachusetts will be recognized as valid in another signatory country.

In addition to the United States, the following countries have signed the Hague Convention and will accept a document with a Massachusetts Apostille attached.  For countries not listed the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will issue a which can be affixed to an official or legal Massachusetts document in the same way in which a Massachusetts Apostille is affixed to a Massachusetts document.

If a country does not legally recognize an Apostille for a Massachusetts document then that country probably will accept a Massachusetts issued by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.  The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will issue a Massachusetts in lieu of an Apostille.  In the state of Massachusetts, the Apostille and Massachusetts administrative processes are virtually the same.

No.  The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will not notarize any documents.  Massachusetts documents which were not issued by a Massachusetts state agency must be notarized by a registered Massachusetts Notary Public or certified by the Vital Records department in the Massachusetts city or county in which the documents were issued.

No.  The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will not issue an Apostille for a document which was originally issued in a state other than Massachusetts.  The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will issue an Apostille only for documents which were issued or originated in the state of Massachusetts.

No.  The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will not issue an Apostille for a Massachusetts document which is in a foreign language other than English.  The Massachusetts document must be accompanied by a notarized English version of the Massachusetts document.

No.  The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth will not issue an Apostille for a federal US document.  Federal documents which have been issued by an agency of the US government are authenticated by the US Department of State Authentications Office.

The total cost of an Apostille depends on the number of signatures (not documents) that you want to authenticate and the time by which you want to receive your Apostilled Massachusetts documents.  When you fill out the order form below, the cost is automatically updated as you specify your options.

We can handle every step of the Massachusetts Apostille process for any certified or notarized document which was issued in the state of Massachusetts.

The time it takes to get a Massachusetts Apostille depends on the nature of the documents that you want Apostilled. We've found that it takes around 7-10 business days for the Massachusetts to complete the Apostille process.

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth reserves the right to extend expedite periods in time of extreme volume, staff shortage or equipment malfunction.  We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.  In our experience the time specified is the time it usually takes the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth to process Apostille orders.  We get your Massachusetts Apostille request to the MA Secretary of the Commonwealth ASAP.  Once it is at the state we have very little or no control over the Massachusetts Apostille process.

If you are ready to order a Massachusetts Apostille online now just fill in the form below and click Place Order.  As soon as we receive your order for a Massachusetts Apostille we will start processing it ASAP.  We will provide you with a shipping label if you need to send any notarized Massachusetts documents to us.