If you are searching for a US apostille in the Germany, you have come to the right place. Whether you are dealing with legal, educational, personal, or commercial documents from the United States of America, understanding the apostille United States process and why one needs it from the Germany is necessary. This article explains how to obtain a valid USA Apostille either online or in person and how to make sure it is accepted in Germany.
4 Easy steps to get US Apostille on the documents
A US apostille also known as Apostille United States of America is an authentication certificate issued by designated authorities in the US as per the guidelines of the Hague Apostille Convention. Member countries of the convention accept a document with an apostille as valid legal document without further legalization from the embassy or consulate.
Germany became Hague apostille convention member in 1966 and the USA has been a Hague member since 1981. Thus, if you are submitting your US documents in Germany, an apostille is enough for legalization purposes. By certifying that the seal and sign are genuine, an apostille simplifies the cross border legal recognition of public documents.
Whenever a document issued in the USA is submitted to government authorities, employers, courts, higher education institutions, or immigration departments in the Germany or any other Hague country, getting an apostille is mandatory for the legal acceptance. Following are the situations where a US Apostille is required in Germany:
8. Similarly, if you are currently in the Germany and you want to submit your US documents to any other Hague country for similar purposes mentioned above, an apostille is needed.
As a federal nation, the United States of America has an apostille facility at state level and federal level. However, you cannot get an apostille for all documents from the federal government.
If the document is state issued such as vital records, academic documents, and court orders, you need to get the apostille certificate from the secretary of the respective state. Thus, the procedure, fee and timeline will vary depending on the state of issuance.
Federal documents such as documents issued by U.S. federal agencies, U.S. passports, or documents signed by U.S. consular officers or military notaries need to get a federal apostille. Federal apostille is provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.
| Category | Examples of Documents | Where Apostille Is Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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State Apostille – General (Notarized or State-Issued Documents) |
1. Notarized affidavits
2. Power of attorney
-3. Consent letters (e.g., parental travel consent)
4. Contracts signed and notarized
5. Academic diplomas and transcripts (notarized by school official) |
Secretary of State (of the issuing state) |
Must be notarized by a licensed notary in the same state. School documents often need registrar notarization first. |
|
State Apostille – Vital Records |
1. Birth certificates
2. Marriage certificates
3. Death certificates
4. Divorce decrees (court-issued) |
Secretary of State (state of issuance) |
Certified copies must be obtained from Vital Records Office, county clerk, or issuing court before submission. |
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State Apostille – Court & Legal Documents |
1. FBI background check
-2. Naturalization certificate
3. Certificate of Free Sale (FDA)
4. IRS tax forms (if certified by IRS)
5. Social Security Administration (SSA) verification letters |
U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications (Washington, D.C.) |
Requires submission of Form DS-4194. Only federal documents go through this office. |
|
Other Federal-Affiliated Documents |
1. Documents notarized by U.S. Military Notaries (JAG)
2. Consular reports issued by U.S. Embassies
3. USPTO (Patent/Trademark) certificates |
U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications |
Federal seal and signature verification only; state authorities cannot apostille these |
|
Corporate & Commercial Documents |
1. Certificate of Incorporation (state-issued)
2. Business licenses
3. Board resolutions
4.IRS EIN verification (if notarized) |
Secretary of State (state of business registration) |
Must be notarized or certified by the state issuing authority. |
|
Educational & Professional Credentials |
1. High school transcripts
2. College degrees
3. Professional licenses (medical, engineering, legal) |
Secretary of State (state of school or licensing authority) |
Must be notarized by registrar or licensing board official before apostille. |
Step 1: Notarize the document if required or Issue a certified copy in case of vital records
Government issued documents usually do not require a notary attestation before apostille. Documents such as affidavits, power of attorney or any other private documents require a notary from a licensed notary public. If it is a vital record issue a certified copy from the state vital record office or country registrar.
Step 2- Submission to Secretary of State for state Apostille
SLS apostille Submits the notarized document or certified vital record to the Secretary of State office in the state where it was issued. The office of the secretary verifies whether the signature of the notary or document issued officer is available in the state database of registered officials. Then, check the seal and other details of the document for authenticity. Finally, an apostille certificate will be attached to the document with seal and signature of the secretary of the state.
Step 3- Submit to U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications for Federal Apostille
If your document is a federal document (e.g., FBI background check, naturalization certificate), send it to the U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. The office will verify the document particulars similar to state level verification. Finally, the USDOS will issue an apostille certificate as an attachment to your document.
Time required to obtain a US Apostille in the Germany may vary depending on the state of issuance of documents. For example, the state of California takes slightly less time for an apostille. You can get it done within three days. However, the Texas documents may take more than a month to get an apostille. Similarly federal documents such as FBI Background checks need to get an apostille from the federal government. This will also take more than a month.
Securing a US apostille in the Germany involves obtaining an apostille from the respective US authority depending on the document type and ensuring it matches with the requirement from German authorities. Once received an apostille, your US documents can be used legally in any Hague country including Germany. With the help of authorized apostille service providers such as Secure Legalization Services, you can get Apostille United States of America fast and smoothly.
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Apostille for Alabama State issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Alaska State issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Arizona issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Arkansas issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for California issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Colorado issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Connecticut issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Delaware issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Florida issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Georgia issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Hawaii issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Idaho issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Illinois issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Indiana issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Iowa issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Kansas issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Kentucky issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Louisiana issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Maine issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Maryland issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Massachusetts issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Michigan issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Minnesota issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Mississippi issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Mississippi issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Montana issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Nebraska issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Nevada issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for New Hampshire issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for New Jersey issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for New Mexico issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for New York issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for North Carolina issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for North Dakota issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Ohio issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Oklahoma issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Oregon issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Pennsylvania issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Rhode Island issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for South Carolina issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for South Dakota issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Tennessee issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Texas issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Utah issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Vermont issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Virginia issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Washington issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for West Virginia issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Wisconsin issued Document in Germany |
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Apostille for Wyoming issued Document in Germany |
If you need a US birth certificate apostille while residing in Germany:
Obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate from the issuing state.
Submit it to the appropriate state authority in the U.S. for apostille processing.
Alternatively, use an Apostille America service provider that handles requests from Germany on your behalf such as Secure Legalization Services.
No, the US Embassy in Germany does not issue US Apostilles. The embassy can notarize signatures for certain documents but cannot provide apostille certification. The apostille must be obtained from the U.S. directly.
Yes. Many companies such as Secure Legalization Services offer online US Apostille services for Americans in Germany. You can submit scans for pre-checking, and they will handle mailing your original documents to the correct Apostille United States of America authority.
| Location | Contact Number | Email ID |
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US Apostille Service in Aachen
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US Apostille Service in Augsburg |
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US Apostille Service in Berlin |
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US Apostille Service in Bielefeld |
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US Apostille Service in Bochum |
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US Apostille Service in Bonn |
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US Apostille Service in Bremen |
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US Apostille Service in Chemnitz |
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US Apostille Service in Dortmund |
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US Apostille Service in Dresden |
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US Apostille Service in Duisburg |
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US Apostille Service in Düsseldorf |
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US Apostille Service in Erfurt |
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US Apostille Service in Essen |
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US Apostille Service in Frankfurt am Main |
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US Apostille Service in Freiburg im Breisgau |
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US Apostille Service in Hamburg |
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US Apostille Service in Hannover |
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US Apostille Service in Karlsruhe |
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US Apostille Service in Kiel |
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US Apostille Service in Cologne (Köln) |
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US Apostille Service in Leipzig |
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US Apostille Service in Mainz |
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US Apostille Service in Mannheim |
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US Apostille Service in Munich (München) |