Apostille

[Hilt 1]

What is an apostille? and is it necessary for the Police Report, Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate?

Thanks in advance

[Mithmeoi 29]

An apostille is a document they attach to official copies for use in a specific country. It certifies the signature and stamp/seal on that document as official. We had to get one from the capitol in the state we married in for our wedding certificate copy so the Belgian government would accept it.

[misha_ 8]

In Hague convention: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_convention a number of countries (US, Ukraine and Russia included) agreed to mutually recognize other countries' notarized documents. US is somewhat liberal with respect to foreign document legalization, so getting apostilles for foreign documents is usually not required.

However, in Russia, and, I am guessing, in the Ukraine, a public notary is a figure of importance. As the citizens of these countries spend time and money jumping through hoops to get their documents officiated there, it seems unfair to the Russian/Ukrainian bureaucrats that people over here have it so easy. As a way to level the playing field so to speak, this apostille business is enforced. It arises when a US document needs to be presented to said bureaucrats. For example, a power of attorney (доверенность) with notarized signature.

The procedure of getting the apostille is this. You need to get an ordinary notary to notarize your document (your signature), get your county's court record clerk to verify that the notary's commission did not expire. The whole thing is then presented to the secretary of the state's office where, for a few dollars fee, they attach the apostille. This procedure is usually explained on the website of the secretary of your state (google for it).

One neat trick is that any attorney can serve as a notary and their commission does not expire so you can save a step.

Good luck. Bureaucrats of the world unite.

Edited March 15, 2013 by misha_

[vbtwo 54]

Apostille in Ukraine can be used to verify education documents (any transcripts, diplomas, etc). This is necessary if you want to get a Ukrainian degree or education verified by WES or another organization to transfer credits to a US university for example.

http://apostille.in.ua/en/about-the-apostille

Edited March 15, 2013 by vbtwo

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

What is an apostille? and is it necessary for the Police Report, Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate?

Thanks in advance

It is a government certification that the document is original and correct. It is not needed for any purpose in the visa process for a US visa.

IF you have translations done in Ukraine or Russia, the translator may insist on attaching an apostille. It is not needed for the US consulate. If they insist, let them do it...no harm, no foul.

Apostille in Ukraine can be used to verify education documents (any transcripts, diplomas, etc). This is necessary if you want to get a Ukrainian degree or education verified by WES or another organization to transfer credits to a US university for example.

http://apostille.in.ua/en/about-the-apostille

Alla's degrees were evaluated by ECE. They did not have an apostille. Alla did her own translations of them. This is specific to an Evaluator.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

An apostille is a document they attach to official copies for use in a specific country. It certifies the signature and stamp/seal on that document as official. We had to get one from the capitol in the state we married in for our wedding certificate copy so the Belgian government would accept it.

This is correct correct for Belgium to recognize US documents. In general they are not needed in the USA and definitely not needed at the US consulate for visa purposes.

is it a bad thing? NO. Is it necessary for the visa? NO.

[Hilt 1]

It is a government certification that the document is original and correct. It is not needed for any purpose in the visa process for a US visa.

IF you have translations done in Ukraine or Russia, the translator may insist on attaching an apostille. It is not needed for the US consulate. If they insist, let them do it...no harm, no foul.

Alla's degrees were evaluated by ECE. They did not have an apostille. Alla did her own translations of them. This is specific to an Evaluator.

That's all I need to hear.

Thanks

In Hague convention: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_convention a number of countries (US, Ukraine and Russia included) agreed to mutually recognize other countries' notarized documents. US is somewhat liberal with respect to foreign document legalization, so getting apostilles for foreign documents is usually not required.

However, in Russia, and, I am guessing, in the Ukraine, a public notary is a figure of importance. As the citizens of these countries spend time and money jumping through hoops to get their documents officiated there, it seems unfair to the Russian/Ukrainian bureaucrats that people over here have it so easy. As a way to level the playing field so to speak, this apostille business is enforced. It arises when a US document needs to be presented to said bureaucrats. For example, a power of attorney (доверенность) with notarized signature.

The procedure of getting the apostille is this. You need to get an ordinary notary to notarize your document (your signature), get your county's court record clerk to verify that the notary's commission did not expire. The whole thing is then presented to the secretary of the state's office where, for a few dollars fee, they attach the apostille. This procedure is usually explained on the website of the secretary of your state (google for it).

One neat trick is that any attorney can serve as a notary and their commission does not expire so you can save a step.

Good luck. Bureaucrats of the world unite.

send them to the Gulag!

[Nick_Moscow 2]

Alla's degrees were evaluated by ECE. They did not have an apostille. Alla did her own translations of them. This is specific to an Evaluator.

Gary,

How tough was it to find something for ECE to evaluate? For a time we thought about my wife continuing her education here in the states, and I read a bit about these bureaucrats - about how some schools accept only certain companies' evaluations. The funniest part about this process - which thankfully we didn't have to carry out! - was asking her university in Russia for an official transcript! They had no concept of what such a thing even could be. Don't know how it works in Ukraine, but in Russia (or in the provinces, at least) your diploma is a very official-looking bound document with another official looking supplemental sheet of paper in it listing the courses taken. And there's no such thing as a sealed, official transcript.

I wonder how the HR departments in Russia handle the concept of education verification? Is there a hands-on immediate testing of job skills during the interview? (Imagine how hairstylist interviews would go!) Or is it all cronyism and nepotism?

[eekee 182]

Nick, there is a federal office in Moscow that handle foreign educational accreditation. And for people educated in Russia they just ask to see their diploma.

[randye80 24]

How tough was it to find something for ECE to evaluate?

In my wife's case, it was exactly like getting certified transcripts here in the US.

She had to get her university in Belarus to send the transcripts directly to ECE. They have translators on staff.

[TBoneTX 45,497]

It is an official certification recognized internationally as an attestation to the originality of the foreign documents. The United States has assigned the Sectaries of States as the competent authority to issue Apostille certificate for public state documents and assigned the US Department of State in Washington DC for federally issued documents. You may expedite the authentication process by requesting the assistance of one of the private service companies.

Post above has been edited to remove links to outside companies. Two-year-old thread closed to further comments.

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