The apostille is the legalization of a public official’s signature validating a document. It must be registered in the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs database or the competent entity in the country where it was issued. The apostille certifies the legitimacy of the public official’s signature stamped on the document but does not certify its content. A document must be apostilled when the country in which it will take effect is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention on the Abolition of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

You may need an apostille for your US Benefits Letter if you are required to present it in Colombia for legal, immigration, or other official purposes to verify its authenticity.

The issuing authority of an apostille depends on the type of document. The respective Secretary of State apostilles state-level documents, while the U.S. Department of State handles federal documents. Our team can coordinate with these authorities to obtain the required apostille for clients in Colombia.

A notary certifies the authenticity of a signature on a document, whereas an apostille certifies the document’s origin for use in other countries. Notarization may be a step in the process of obtaining an apostille, but they are different. If you’re unsure about the process, we can provide you guidance to avoid confusion between notarization and apostilles.

The validity of a US Apostille for visa processes depends on the state or county where the document was issued. Consult with your expatgroup.co advisor to confirm whether the apostille applies to your situation.

Yes, although the certificate is typically delivered digitally with expatgroup.co, you can request a physical copy.

No, translation is not included in the standard US Apostille service. An additional fee per page will be applied if a document requires official translation into Spanish.

To obtain an apostille for a U.S. document, you must first identify the issuing state of the document. If it’s a state-issued document, like a birth certificate or marriage certificate, you’ll need to contact the Secretary of State’s office where it was issued. For federal documents, such as FBI background checks, the apostille is handled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. If you’re already in Colombia, expatgroup.co offers assistance in preparing and submitting apostille requests for U.S. documents, ensuring the process is completed efficiently and correctly.