Are you traveling to another country and need to obtain an apostille to authenticate your U.S. documents? You might have several questions in mind – “How long does it take to get the apostille in the US?” or “How to expedite my request?” The time required for getting an apostille in the United States may vary depending on whether you want to obtain an apostille for a federal-issued or state-issued document.
Federal Apostille
Federally-issued documents, such as your passport, FBI background check, federal taxes and social security letter hold significance in international matters – and therefore, require a federal agency to legally validate your documents. Hence, a federal apostille from the US Department of State in Washington DC has a longer processing time of about 6-8 weeks.
State Apostille
Each state in the United States issues apostilles for state documents. This may include your birth certificate, wills, school transcripts or your marriage certificate, etc. Since the documents are authenticated in the state itself, the process is typically faster. You can expect to get the apostille in 4-14 business days based on the processing time of the respective state authority that issues the apostille.
Factors Affecting Apostille Processing Time
There are several other factors that can affect the time to obtain an apostille. These include:
Type of Document
In addition to federal-issued or state-issued credentials, there are other types of documents that may have a complex apostille process. This may affect how long does it takes to get the apostille in the US. For instance, a county clerk might have to certify a notarized document before a state agency can apostille it. Hence, the processing time will be longer.
Is Your Application Duly Completed?
There are two factors related to the application process that can influence the time to get an apostille.
- If your apostille request application is improperly filled or incomplete, it may cause unnecessary delays. It is crucial that you duly fill up the application and support it with all required documents.
- Some documents may require further verification such as additional certification or notarization, especially if the document’s legitimacy is in question.
Apostille Application Volume and Backlog
During high-demand periods, such as the beginning of the vacation season or a school year, the volume of apostille requests tends to be higher. This can result in longer processing times.
On the other hand, if the apostille-processing agency has backlogs or is short-staffed during vacation, it can impact the processing time. Therefore, you should work with experienced agencies that have a highly efficient team and are well-equipped to process bulk volumes of requests.
Expedited Apostille Processing
If you are in a rush to obtain an apostille, your state might provide the option of expedited processing. The service comes with an additional fee, but you can expect a turnaround time of only 1-3 business days.