Notary vs. Apostilled

famsearch says on Oct 31, 2006, 12:57:

no, not the same... here in the states, getting something notarized means going to your local notray public, and having your document certified that it is authentic. getting an apostille is a whole different thing. apostilles are used when documents are to be verified for international use, in accordance with the hague conventions (not just for forced labor any more, lol). to get one, first you must have your document notarized by your local notary, then, you must submit it to your local state's secretary of state, who then issues the apostille. as a passport can be the gold standard of identification (and you can keep quiet about forgeries, dealing with ordinary, honest folks), the apostille is the same for verifying your documents.
dan

dan

tomtom33 says on Nov 1, 2006, 04:11:

Actually the apostille simply verifies that your notary has been registered by your State. The State of Wisconsin does not allow you to send any documents to them other than the application form for the apostille. On the application form you give the name of the notary and the expiration date of his/her resgistration.

When you receive the apostille, you are given instructions to staple it to the other forms. The fee in Wis. is $10.

famsearch says on Nov 1, 2006, 06:41:

Since October 15, 1981, the United States has been part of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. The Convention provides for the simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries that have joined the convention. Documents destined for use in participating countries and their territories should be certified by one of the officials in the jurisdiction in which the document has been executed. Said official must have been designated as competent to issue certifications by "apostille" (usually in the office of the State Secretary of State of his/her counterpart) as provided for by the 1961 Hague Convention. The text of the Convention may be found in T.I.A.S. 10072; 33 U.S. Treaty Series (UST) 883; 527 U.N. Treaty Series (UNTS) 189, and Martindale-Hubble International Law Digest.

With this certification by the Hague Convention apostille, the document is entitled to recognition in the country of intended use, and no certification by the Authentications Office or legalization by the embassy or consulate of the foreign country where the document is to be used is required. The Authentications Office only certify to documents from other federal agencies and officials from foreign governments with the apostille.

in minnesota, the fee is $5 per apostille. check with your state's department of state for the fees involved.
dan

dan