Professional Apostille Services for Georgia & All 50 States
Apostille or Embassy Legalization?
An apostille and embassy legalization are both methods used to authenticate documents for international use, but they differ in their processes and requirements. An apostille is a certificate issued by the designated authority which verifies the authenticity of the attached notarized and/or certified document by the county clerk, State Registrar, Secretary of State or other approved government official. These documents are for use in countries that are a signatory to the Hague Convention.
On the other hand, embassy legalization involves all of the above steps and submitting the document to the United States Department of State followed by the embassy or consulate of the destination country for authentication, which is a more complex and time-consuming process.
Understanding these differences and ensuring proper certifications is crucial for ensuring your documents are properly recognized and accepted abroad.
Understanding the Document Authentication and Apostille Process:
A Complete Guide
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is an official certificate that verifies the authenticity of a document so it can legally be accepted or recognized in another country. The United States and most nations worldwide are members of the 1961 Hague Convention which created the apostille system as an internationally accepted form of document authentication.
If your document is going to a Hague Convention member country it needs an apostille.
What is a Great Seal Authentication or Embassy Legalization?
If your documents are going to a non-Hague country they will require Embassy Legalization.
In Georgia the process entails a Great Seal Authentication followed by US Department of State Certification as well as Embassy Legalization from the Embassy or Consulate of the destination country.
Not every document qualifies for an apostille and not every document follows the same path to get one. Understanding what kind of document you have is the first and most important step because it determines exactly what steps must be taken to ensure your documents are ready to be apostilled or properly authenticated for non-Hague countries.
The Two Categories of Documents
Category 1: Public Documents
A Public document is any document that has been issued or certified by government official acting in their official capacity these documents already carry the full authority of the government entity that issued them.
This is a critical distinction because public documents are already certified by a government authority. They cannot and should not be notarized. The notary public has no authority over a public document. Notarizing a birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, court record order would be improper and would invalidate the document. Most public documents go directly into the apostille process depending on which state the document originates.
Why choose Lisa's Mobile Apostille & Notary LLC?
Multi Award Winning:
Lisa's Mobile Apostille & Notary LLC is an award-winning notary and apostille provider serving clients across the US and around the world.
Between 2022 and 2025, we've been named Best of Georgia by the Georgia Business Journal, Best of Gwinnett and Best of North Atlanta by Appen Media — earning both top honors and runner-up recognition across multiple years.
Over 165 5 Star Reviews on Google:
Our work has also earned us more than 165 five-star reviews on Google.
Experience that gets it right the first time:
We've apostilled thousands of documents from all over the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. We know how to do it correctly — avoiding the errors and rejections that cause costly delays.
Everything you need in one place:
Many apostille requests require more than a stamp. We provide certified translations when your destination country requires the document in its official language. We are equipped and prepared to handle specific page size requirements. We have the embossed seal and standard ink notary stamps. We request certified copies of corporate documents that need to be apostilled on your behalf. We provide fingerprinting services for FBI Background Checks that need to be apostilled for use abroad — so the entire process is handled start to finish, without sending you to multiple vendors.
Witness Services:
Many countries — including India and the Philippines — require witnesses on documents like powers of attorney before they can be notarized and apostilled. We can provide qualified witnesses upon request for an additional fee, a service many notaries don't offer, so your document is apostilled correctly the first time and ready for the destination country.
Out-of-state and federal connections:
Through established contacts, we can offer expedited apostille services for California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. documents. We can ensure your documents are apostilled in these states faster than most providers. We can expedite the apostille process for federal documents, which typically are completed in ten to fourteen days, versus the standard six to eight weeks.
For Georgia documents, apostilles are typically completed within two to three days. We'll always give you a clear timeline up front so you know exactly what to expect.
We are mobile and travel to you:
We come to you. As a true mobile service, we travel throughout the greater Atlanta metro area — we collect your documents, prepare all the necessary paperwork, and submit everything to the proper authorities, saving you the trips, the waiting, and the guesswork.
Short list of items that may require to be Apostilled
Birth Certificate | Marriage Certificate | Death Certificate | Divorce Decree | Single Status Affidavit | Prenuptial Agreements | Passports | Bank Statements | Bank Account Ownership Statement | IRS documents | Utility Bills | Diplomas | Transcripts | Minor Travel Consent | Powers of Attorney | Contracts | Articles of Incorporation | Statement of Conversions | Domesticating to Foreign Business | Statement of Merger | Certificates of Correction | Certificate of Compliance | Entity Address Change | Notification of Consolidation | Foreign Corporate Name Registration | Trademarks/Patents | Service Marks | Certification Marks | Collective Marks | Background Checks....
Lisa's Mobile Apostille & Notary LLC Voted #1 In North Atlanta
