Apostille is a French word that means certification.  When legal or official documents which were issued in the state of New Jersey are to be used in a foreign country, it may sometimes be necessary to authenticate the validity of the signatures on those New Jersey 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 New Jersey Apostille is a document issued by the New Jersey Department of Treasury which is used for international validation.

• A New Jersey Apostille is like an international notary stamp.
• A New Jersey 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 New Jersey Apostille is a document which bears the signature and, usually, the seal of an official state agency, usually the Secretary of State.
• A New Jersey Apostille is attached (usually stapled) to a legal or official document.

A New Jersey Apostille does not validate the contents of the document.  A New Jersey Apostille validates only the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the New Jersey 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 New Jersey Notary Public; a New Jersey Elected Official; or a New Jersey 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 New Jersey Apostille ensures that documents issued in New Jersey 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 New Jersey Apostille attached.  For countries not listed the New Jersey Department of Treasury will issue a Certification which can be affixed to an official or legal New Jersey document in the same way in which a New Jersey Apostille is affixed to a New Jersey document.

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

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

No.  The New Jersey Department of Treasury will not issue an Apostille for a document which was originally issued in a state other than New Jersey.  The New Jersey Department of Treasury will issue an Apostille only for documents which were issued or originated in the state of New Jersey.

No.  The New Jersey Department of Treasury will not issue an Apostille for a New Jersey document which is in a foreign language other than English.  The New Jersey document must be accompanied by a notarized English version of the New Jersey document.

No.  The New Jersey Department of Treasury 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey Apostille process for any certified or notarized document which was issued in the state of New Jersey.

The time it takes to get a New Jersey 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 New Jersey to complete the Apostille process.

The New Jersey Department of Treasury 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 New Jersey Department of Treasury.  In our experience the time specified is the time it usually takes the New Jersey Department of Treasury to process Apostille orders.  We get your New Jersey Apostille request to the NJ Department of Treasury ASAP.  Once it is at the state we have very little or no control over the New Jersey Apostille process.

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