Apostille

Apostille

The purpose of apostille is to ensure that documents issued in Country A can be recognized and legally enforced by relevant authorities in Country B. Documents originating from a foreign government (e.g., marriage certificates, death certificates, birth certificates, diplomas, criminal record checks) or personal legal documents (e.g., property purchase/sale authorization letters, affidavits of inheritance renunciation) cannot be used directly in Country B—they must first be apostilled.

Simplified Process Under the Hague Convention
An Apostille is a simplified certification under the Hague Convention, allowing documents to circulate among member countries without embassy legalization. Only a single certification by the issuing country’s competent authority (e.g., Secretary of State) is required. As China joined the Hague Apostille Convention on November 7, 2023, foreign-issued documents now only require Apostille certification (no Chinese embassy/consulate authentication needed) to be used in China.

For U.S. citizens or Chinese citizens residing/studying in the U.S., documents (e.g., FBI background checks, academic diplomas) must be:

  1. Notarized by a local notary public in the issuing U.S. state.

  2. Apostilled by the U.S. Secretary of State or Secretary State.

We provide Apostille certification for documents from all U.S. states.

  • FBI background checks require authentication by the U.S. Department of State.

  • If you're currently residing in China, our company has access to fingerprint collection facilities in Shanghai and provide one-stop service, including fingerprinting, obtaining an FBI non-criminal record, apostille service, and FedEx to your residence in China.

Apostille Service Workflow:

  1. Free Consultation
    Contact Capitol Travel Visa by phone (US: 202-6433-558), WeChat (CapitolTravel), or email (capitoltravel@outlook.com). We'll answer all your questions, recommend the appropriate authentication type and required documents, and provide time/cost estimates.
  2. Document Preparation
    Prepare copies of documents and complete the authentication application form based on your certification type. Submit materials to our company email or WeChat account.
  3. Free Preliminary Review
    We conduct thorough document reviews and will guide you through any necessary corrections or additions. Please note: service fees are non-refundable for rejected applications. Therefore Make sure all forms are completed accurately before mailing documents to our office.
  4. Online Payment
    Fees include: Government apostille fee, our service fee, return shipping cost
  5. Payment options:

USD: PayPal, Zelle (supports major banks including Bank of America, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, etc.), or personal/business check mailed with documents

RMB: Alipay or WeChat Pay

6. Mail Back the Certified Document 
Upon completion, we'll email scanned copies and confirm your return address before we mail the document back to you via FedEx.

Note:  Certified documents processed by government authorities must not be altered or tampered with in any way. Do not open or separate documents once they have been certified by the Secretary of State or U.S. Department of State. Never modify, mark, or make changes to the certified contents. If tampered, the document may become legally invalid and unrecognizable by authorities in the destination country.

 

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