Frequently Asked Questions:
North Carolina Apostille and Authentication Services
General Questions
- What is a North Carolina Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in North Carolina for use abroad?
- How do I legalize documents issued in North Carolina for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
- How long does it take to obtain an apostille from North Carolina?
- How can I verify the authenticity of North Carolina apostilles?
- What documents can be certified in North Carolina with an Apostille Stamp?
- Will an apostille stamp from North Carolina be accepted abroad?
- Where can I find more information about certifying North Carolina documents?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's North Carolina Attestation and Apostille Services?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
- How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in North Carolina?
- How can I obtain a new certified copy of a North Carolina birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Corporate documents
- How can I obtain an Apostille for a North Carolina Certificate of Incorporation?
- How can I get an Apostille on a North Carolina Certificate of Good Standing?
Academic documents
Notarized documents
Answers
What is a North Carolina Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A North Carolina Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the North Carolina Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized North Carolina public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).
Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a North Carolina document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in the United States (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the 
Hague Apostille Convention
For more information on Apostilles, see:
How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in North Carolina for use abroad?
Apostille Stamps to authenticate North Carolina documents can be obtained from the Secretary of State. Apostille stamps are only valid for documents that are required for submission to countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention
How do I legalize documents issued in North Carolina for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
North Carolina documents that need to be authenticated for non-apostille countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar) must be authenticated by the North Carolina Secretary of State with an Authentication Certificate and then attested by the recipient country's embassy in the United States. Most embassies will also require an additional authentication the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC.
How long does it take to obtain an apostille from North Carolina?
North Carolina Apostilles can normally be processed in 3-7 working days
A one-day expedited service is also available with delivery by courier worldwide.
How can I verify the authenticity of North Carolina apostilles?
Apostilles issued by the North Carolina Secretary of State can be verified online:
North Carolina Apostille Verfication
What documents can be certified in North Carolina with an Apostille Stamp?
North Carolina Apostilles can be issued on the following documents:
- Documents certified by a North Carolina Notary Public
- Certified copies of Birth, death and marriage issued by the Register of Deeds in the county where the event took place.
- North Carolina university and school certificate, transcripts etc certified by a North Carolina Notary Public
- Certified copies of divorce decrees issued by the respective County clerk of court
Documents must be issued since the year 2000.
To confirm whether your North Carolina document is valid for an Apostille Stamp, please Contact us for a free document check.
Will an apostille stamp from North Carolina be accepted abroad?
If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of North Carolina will generally be recognized directly as confirming authenticity, although a certified translation may also be required if presenting to a country that does not have English as an official language.
If documents are required for presentation in a country that is not a signatory to the apostille convention (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam), then an apostille stamp is not valid. Documents will need to be authenticated at State level in North Carolina, then by the State Department Authentication Division, and finally by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the United States. A Certified Translation may also be required.
Where can I find more information about certifying North Carolina documents?
For further information about North Carolina apostilles and authentications or to obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delivery by courier, please Contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.
Where can I see reviews of Isarey's North Carolina Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in North Carolina?
Apostilles for North Carolina birth certificates, death and marriage certificates, can be obtained from the Secretary of State in Raleigh. Certificates must be certified copies issued by North Carolina Vital Records or a Register of Deeds in the count where the birth, death or marriage took place. Certificates issued before April 2000 are not valid for an Apostille.
How can I obtain a new certified copy of a North Carolina birth, death or marriage certificate suitable for an Apostille?
Certified copies of North Carolina birth, death and marriage certificates can be obtained from North Carolina Vital Records or from VitalChek. Certificates are also available from the Register of Deeds in the County where the birth, death or marriage was registered.
How can I obtain an Apostille for a North Carolina Certificate of Incorporation?
Certified copies of North Carolina Articles of Organization and Articles of Incorporation are available online. These can then be authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the NC Secretary of State.
How can I get an Apostille on a North Carolina Certificate of Good Standing?
Apostilles for North Carolina Certificates of Existence (Good Standing) are available from the NC Secretary of State in Raleigh. Certificates can be ordered on online and confirm that an entity is authorized to conduct business in North Carolina and that it is in compliance with state filing obligations.
How can I authenticate North Carolina university degree certificates for use abroad?
North Carolina university diplomas, transcripts and school certificates must be certified by a North Carolina Notary Public before being submitted to the North Carolina Secretary of State for an Apostille. Contact the school or university to arrange a notarized certificate. Certificates issued before the year 2000 will not be accepted.
North Carolina university degree certificates, course transcripts and high school diplomas can also be authenticated as notarized copies. A true copy is certified by a notary (this can often be done from a scan without having to submit the original) and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Washington DC Secretary of State. Authenticated documents can also be attested by the embassies of Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
For further information, see:
University Degrees and School Records
How can I authenticate notarized documents in North Carolina for use abroad?
Documents certified by a North Carolina Notary Public, including school and university documents and Powers of Attorney, may be certified for use abroad by the North Carolina Secretary of State. Isarey can obtain Apostilles in North Carolina in 1-3 business days for use abroad. Documents which are not in English must be presented with a certified English translation.
Can North Carolina Apostilles be obtained on documents not written in English?
If the document is in a language other than English, a certified or notarized English translation must be provided.
How can I obtain an apostille in North Carolina for a Power of Attorney or Affidavit?
Powers of Attorney and Affidavits notarized by a North Carolina Notary Public can be certified with an Apostille stamp from the North Carolina Secretary of State for presentation abroad. Documents not written in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
How can I get a quote to certify my documents?
To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:
If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.
Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files and provide us with the passwords separately:
PDF,
PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)
For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)