Apostilles and Certification of Documents

Our local team handles the notarization and Apostille process for Massachusetts issued documents directly through the Secretary of State’s office in Boston, making the authentication process faster and easier for you! ​​Mobile Apostille Service also available where we come to you to notarize your documents (or obtain your vital records) and then process the documents as required.
Standard
Starting at $149
Expedited
Starting at $249
Rush
Starting at $299
Same Day
Starting at $399
2-3 weeks
​4-6 business days
1-3 Business Days
Limit of 3 documents
Rush & Same Day Service availability is limited and based on scheduling.
​Same Day service requires document to be in-hand with us by 8:30am EST. 

IMPORTANT: 

Please be advised that authentications can only be obtained for documents with an original signature of the Secretary of the Commonwealth or a valid Massachusetts:
  • Notary Public
  • Justice of the Peace
  • City/Town Clerk or assistant
  • Court clerk or assistant
  • Registrar of Vital Records (documents less than 5 years old)
For documents notarized elsewhere, please check the following prior to submitting:
  • That the Notary Public has signed his/her name exactly as he/she was commissioned.
  • That the notarial certificate has been completed.
  • That the Notary Public’s expiration date is on the document correctly, clearly and completely.
  • The Notary Public has affixed the notary seal on the document and the imprint is fully legible.

All documents submitted for Apostille service must be issued in MA. Massachusetts does not certify out-of-state documents. They must be certified by the State of origin. Federal or out-of-state documents will not be accepted by South Shore Notary. Photocopied signatures can’t be certified. It is important to identify which country will receive the records. Different countries require different types of certification. If the country is a signatory to the Hague Convention, the document will be called an Apostille. The State of Massachusetts will only Apostille Certified Copies of Passports, and not the passport itself. 

**South Shore Notary is not responsible if the Secretary of State office will not issue the Apostille Certificate due to errors in Notarization provided by others. We recommend emailing us a scanned copy of your document(s) first for a free review. This allows us to confirm that the notarization is correct and that your document qualifies for Apostille in Massachusetts.
What is an Apostille?
An Apostille is a document issued only by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth that verifies the authenticity of the signature on the document; the capacity in which the person signing the document acted; and the identity of any stamp or seal affixed to the document. The Apostille is a specific form of authentication for countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.
What is a Certification of Appointment?
A Certification of Appointment certifies that the individual who performed the notarization was appointed to a Notary Public commission at the time of notarization and is a qualified Notary Public in the State of Massachusetts.
What do I need to check before I present my documents for authentication?
  1. That the Notary Public has signed their name exactly as they were commissioned.
  2. That the notarial certificate has been completed.
  3. That the Notary Public’s expiration date is on the document correctly, clearly and completely.
  4. The Notary Public has affixed the notary seal on the document and the imprint is legible.
Where may I get a copy of my marriage certificate?
The city or town clerk where you applied and filed your marriage license will provide you with a certified copy.
Where may I get a copy of my divorce decree? 
Contact the district court clerk in the district where your divorce decree was filed and request a certified copy
Where may I get a copy of my birth certificate?
Contact the Office of Vital Records, 617-740-2600, or your local city or town clerk where the birth was recorded.
What are the ​In-state schools steps to Certifying a Transcript or Diploma?
If you need an apostille for school records you should obtain a signed and authorized copy of your diploma or transcript from the office of the school registrar. The Secretary of the Commonwealth always recommends that you verify the information needed with the officials from the country of destination. In most cases we have found that the steps below are generally accepted. We however do not guarantee they will be accepted in every situation.
  1. Have your school registrar certify to the record in the presence of a Notary.
  2. The Notary Public will then notarize the signature of the school registrar.
The notarized school transcript or diploma is then sent to the Secretary of the Commonwealth for the Apostille or Certification. ​Out-of-state school transcripts and diplomas, cannot be certified in Massachusetts. They must be certified by the state of origin.
what are Common documents that need to be apostille?
  • Birth Certificates
  • Marriage Certificates
  • Death Certificates
  • Divorce Decree
  • Single Status Affidavit
  • Background Checks (Local, State, FBI)
  • Power of Attorney
  • Copy of U.S. Passport
  • Copy of Driver License
  • Transcripts
  • Diplomas
  • Authorization Letter
  • Travel Consent Letter
  • Articles of Incorporation
  • Certificate of Good Standing
  • Certification of Free Sale
  • Certification of Origin
  • Corporate Power of Attorney
  • Commercial Invoice
what are the Hague Apostille Countries?
The Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention, is an international treaty drafted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). The Apostille Convention is intended to simplify the procedure through which a document, issued in one of the contracting states, can be certified for legal purposes in the other contracting states of the Convention. A certification under the Convention is called an apostille. An apostille is an international certification comparable to a notarization, and may supplement a local notarization of the document. If the Convention applies between two states, an apostille issued by the state of origin is sufficient to certify the document, and removes the need for further certification by the destination state.
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Canada
  • Cabo Verde
  • Chile
  • China (and Hong Kong)
  • Colombia
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Fiji
  • Eswatini
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Latvia
  • Lesotho
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Namibia
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Niger
  • Norway
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Romania
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis 
  • San Marino
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Turkey
  • United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Zambia
Can my Vital Records be Apostilled?
Vital records include birth, death, and marriage certificates as well as divorce decrees.
  • Vital records must be issued within the last five years, obtained through the office of vital records, and certified with a hand signature.
  • Birth certificates, certificates of death, or marriage don’t need to be notarized, as long as they bear the seal and the signature. 
  • If your documents are older than 5 years, we are able to obtain these on your behalf with our Vital Records Retrieval Service​. Alternatively, you may request the document(s) on your own at VitalChek and ship the documents directly to our office. 
What about Corporation Documents?
If your corporate records need Massachusetts apostille, you will have to obtain hand-signed certified (pen in hand) photocopies issued by the Massachusetts Secretary of State Corporations Division.