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Special Power of Attorney Apostille for the Philippines – SPA

July 23, 2024 by admin

Need to apostille a special power of attorney or general power of attorney for the Philippines?

Since May 14, 2019, when the Philippines joined the Hague Apostille Convention, documents bound for the Philippines no longer require the red ribbon from the Philippine Embassy or Consulate. An apostille issued by the Secretary of State is sufficient for the special power of attorney to be accepted in the Philippines.

Common documents we apostille for the Philippines include:

Special Power of Attorney (SPA)
General Power of Attorney
Revocation of Special Power of Attorney

According to the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco:

Both the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America are parties to the Apostille Convention, so public documents issued by both countries are recognized in each other’s jurisdiction based on the Apostille authenticating the document’s origin.

Apostilled documents no longer need additional authentication by the Philippine Consulate General. Once apostilled, the documents can be used in the Philippines and have legal effect.

To apostille a special power of attorney:

Have it signed and notarized by a local notary public.
Ensure the notarized document includes proper notarial wording, the notary’s seal and signature, and the venue (State and County) with the jurat/acknowledgment statement. All signatures must be original and the notarial wording in English.
Mail the signed and notarized document to our office for processing.

We can apostille documents signed and notarized in every US state.

Here is an example of a Special Power of Attorney for the Philippines provided by the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco:

Obtaining an apostille on your Special Power of Attorney for the Philippines can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-888-810-4054.

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

Happy Holidays 2023

December 21, 2023 by admin

As the year draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and trust in our services. It has been a pleasure serving you, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of your journey.

This holiday season, we want to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May your days be filled with joy, laughter, and the warmth of cherished moments. We hope this festive season brings you peace, happiness, and the company of those who matter most.

Thank you for being a valued part of our community. Your satisfaction and success drive us to continually improve and strive for excellence. We look forward to serving you in the coming year and beyond.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

We will be closed the following days:

December 25, 2023, December 26, 2023, January 1, 2024, and January 2, 2024.

How to Apostille Your FBI Background Check

December 14, 2023 by admin

How to Apostille Your FBI Background Check

One of the easiest ways to apostille your FBI background check is to contact an FBI Channeler and submit your fingerprints at a local live scan (fingerprint) location. Results are typically provided within 1-2 business days and can be sent to you by email in PDF format or by regular mail. The only downside to the FBI background check is the lengthy processing time at the US Department of State in Washington DC.

Yes, after almost four years since the pandemic started, the US Department of State is still taking up to twelve weeks to complete most US federal documents. For the FBI background check, it’s currently about six weeks but it can take longer depending on how busy they get!

So in once sense it’s easy to obtain the FBI background check (even if you’re in an foreign country) but on the other hand you have to wait quite a bit of time for the FBI background check to receive the apostille through the Department of State in DC. As of this article, the estimated processing time is six weeks. We have seen it done sooner than six weeks as as long as 12 weeks. Prior to the pandemic, the processing time was only four business days. Next March, and four years later after the start of the pandemic, the US Department of State is still struggling to catch up to a reasonable processing time and there is no time-frame on when they plan to open their counter desk for walk in service (even after making promises to do so over and over again). Therefore, we expect delays to continue into 2024.

If you plan to mail in your FBI background check directly to the U.S. Department of State, please note that they no longer answer their phone nor respond to emails anymore. Don’t bother completing their online form – they don’t respond. In fact, they removed their support line from their website mid-2023 during the busiest time of the year. We experienced this first hand when they stopped responding to our emails in mid-2023. Also, countless customers have expressed their concerns in reaching a live person since mid-2023. If you do mail in your documents to the Department of State, please note that they can take up to twelve weeks. As their saying goes, “you’ll know your documents are done when you receive them”.

Countries like Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Israel, and China will ask for you to obtain a background check from the FBI. Some countries might make an exception and accept a background check from the local Police, Sheriff, State, etc.. More details here: Background Check Apostille. Please note that an FBI background check does not expire. Most countries will accept an FBI background check with the apostille if received within six months of issue. Please double check!

We recommend that you first check with your contact in the foreign country to find out what is acceptable before you get started. When ready, contact our office for the most up-to-date estimated processing time and cost.

Office Hours: Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm
Toll-Free: 1-888-810-4054
Int’l Callers: 771-888-1448
FBI@internationalapostille.com

Obtaining an apostille on your FBI background check can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-888-810-4054.

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

China Apostille

November 6, 2023 by admin

China will join the Hague Apostille Convention on November 7, 2023.

If you need to apostille your documents for China, you will only need the state apostille starting November 7, 2023. For Federal documents, the apostille issued by the US Department of State will be sufficient for China. You will no longer need China Embassy or Consulate legalization services.

On March 8, 2022, China officially acceded to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the “Apostille Convention”. This will save time and costs for companies and individuals, as foreign documents for use in China will no longer need to undergo multiple rounds of authentication by different authorities (AKA Legalization Process).

An Apostille is simply the name for a specialized certificate, issued by the Secretary of State. The Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention (see below).

In the United States, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Government (US Department of State – Office of Authentication) can issue an Apostille. In total, the United States can issue 52 different apostilles.

Starting November 7, 2023, China will be a member of the Hague Apostille Convention and any official document destined for this country requires an apostille from the Secretary of State’s office. We can process documents issued from all 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, and the U.S. Federal Government for the country of China.

The purpose of the Hague Apostille Convention is to create a simplified method of “authenticating” documents for universal recognition. An apostille certifies the official who signed your documents (Example: State official, County Clerk, Notary Public, Superior Court, FBI, U.S. Federal District Court, etc…)

Office Hours: 8am – 7pm Monday – Saturday
Customer Support: 1-888-810-4054
Email: China@internationalapostille.com

Obtaining an apostille for China can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-888-810-4054.

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.

Vietnam Embassy Washington DC

September 24, 2023 by admin

Are you planning to get married in Vietnam? Do you need a document that states you are currently not married (Single Status Affidavit)?

We provide fast legalization services of documents for marriage with a Vietnamese citizen in Vietnam through the Vietnam Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Vietnam is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents). Documents being sent to this country require State, U.S. Department of State, and Vietnam Embassy legalization. This three step process is necessary in order for the country of Vietnam to accept your documents.

Office Hours: 8am – 7pm Monday – Saturday
Customer Support: 1-888-810-4054
Email: Vietnam@internationalapostille.com

Here is an illustration to help explain the process:

Some countries may also refer to a single status as:

No Record of Marriage
Certificate of Freedom to Marry
Certificate of No Impediment for Marriage
Certificate of No Record – Marriage
Affidavit of Single Status
Affidavit of Marriageability
Certificate of No Public Record

Here is an example of a single status affidavit:

The first step is to contact the local County Clerk’s office to request a document that states you are currently not married (AKA: Single Status). Some County Clerk offices may refer to this document as a “no record of marriage” instead of a “single status”. Most all County Clerk offices can provide you this document so please be sure to speak to a supervisor if you are told otherwise. A document issued from the County Clerk’s office does not require notarization.

If the County Clerk is unable to assist you and you are in the United States, you can use the sample above to write your own single status affidavit. Basically, you are writing a sworn statement stating that you are currently not married to another person in the United States. Be sure to have this document signed and notarized before you mail it in to our office with our order forms. You should also check with the people requesting your single status if they will accept a sworn affidavit directly from you.

If you are outside of the United States, the local US Embassy or US Consulate office should be able to assist you in completing a single status and also having it signed and notarized. Because you will be visiting U.S. Federal Government office, this document can then only be certified through our Washington DC apostille office.

Here is an example of US Embassy or US Consulate Single Status Affidavit:

Legalizing a single status for Vietnam can be complicated and time-consuming. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the legalization process and the unique requirements of this country. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!

Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-888-810-4054 or email: support@internationalapostille.com

Click the PDF download image to get started. Our apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.