Families in Midland routinely need a document from here to work somewhere else: a power of attorney for a relative to sell property in Mexico, a consent letter so a child can travel with a grandparent, a sworn statement for a foreign court, a diploma for a job overseas. A Texas notary's stamp is not recognized by itself outside the United States. The document needs an apostille, a certificate from the Texas Secretary of State that verifies the notary's commission. This is how a document goes from our desk to being accepted abroad.
Apostille or authentication
Countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention, which include Mexico, most of Latin America and Europe, accept a single certificate called an apostille. Countries that do not belong use a longer chain called authentication, where the state certificate is followed by further certification from the U.S. Department of State and then the destination country's embassy. Tell us the country first; it decides the process.
Which office issues it
- Documents notarized in Texas, such as powers of attorney, affidavits and consent letters: the Texas Secretary of State.
- Texas birth, death and marriage certificates: also the Texas Secretary of State, but only on a certified copy issued by the state vital statistics office or a county clerk, not a hospital certificate or a photocopy.
- Federal documents, such as an FBI background check or a document signed by a federal official: the U.S. Department of State.
- Documents from another state: that state's Secretary of State. A Texas apostille cannot be placed on a New Mexico birth certificate.
The steps for a notarized document
- 01Confirm with the receiving party abroad exactly what they need: the document's wording, whether they want it in Spanish, and whether they require any specific format. Foreign institutions reject documents for format reasons more than for anything else.
- 02Sign the document before the notary here. The notarial certificate must be complete and correct, because the Secretary of State examines it and rejects any with missing elements.
- 03Send the original notarized document to the Texas Secretary of State with the apostille request form and the fee. It can be mailed or delivered in Austin.
- 04The Secretary of State attaches the apostille to the document and returns it.
- 05If the destination requires a translation, have it done after the apostille, by a translator the receiving country accepts. Translating first and then apostilling the translation is a common mistake.
The apostille certifies the notary's signature and commission. It does not certify that the document's contents are true, and it does not make an incomplete or incorrectly worded document acceptable. Get the wording right before the notarization; nothing later in the chain can fix it.
Why documents get rejected
The Secretary of State returns documents when the notary's certificate is missing a date, a venue, the notary's printed name or the seal; when the document is a photocopy of a notarized original; or when the notary's commission has expired. Foreign recipients reject them when the document was signed in the wrong capacity, when a required witness is missing, or when the apostille was placed on a translation instead of the original. Each of these is avoidable with a careful look before signing.
Frequently asked questions
Can your office get the apostille for me?
We notarize the document and prepare the request so that it is ready to send. Ask us about handling the submission; what we can do depends on the document and the timeline.
How long does the Texas apostille take?
It varies with the Secretary of State's workload and the method of delivery. Expedited handling is available for a higher fee. Start early when a document is needed for a specific date abroad.
Do I need an apostille on a Mexican document to use it here?
Often, yes, from the Mexican authority that issues them, and the U.S. agency receiving it may also want a certified translation. That process starts in Mexico, not here.
Tell us where it is going
The country and the receiving institution decide everything else. Call (432) 257-7547 or come by 700 C Andrews Hwy in Midland. English and Spanish.
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