Processing times for apostille, authentication, and legalization may vary based on:
your document type
the government agencies' workload
how long you take to respond to any request or concerns
Your processing time starts the day we receive both your payment and documents. Please note that the time-frame below is a good-faith estimate based on our recent experience and is subject to change. While we make every effort to handle each case promptly and carefully, this is not a guaranteed timeframe. Once submitted, the case will be reviewed by government offices at their discretion, which is beyond our control. This page will be updated regularly to reflect any changes
Please arrange in advance and do not make decisions by the estimated processing time we provided, especially if you have a very tight and important schedule that cannot tolerate delays. The processing time is dynamic and once we submit your case to the government office, they have the final say.
In addition, please expect delays during the last three weeks of December and the first week of January (Holiday Season), the summer season, and when a government shutdown occurs.
Apostille Time Frame for US Federal Agencies
🇺🇸 The U.S. Department of State Apostille: 4 weeks (estimated)
🏛 The U.S. Department of Justice Certification: 4 months (estimated)
Apostille Time Frame for 50 States and DC
Alabama Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated) (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in AL. Why?)
Alaska Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
Arizona Apostille: 2-3 weeks (estimated)
Arkansas Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
California Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
Colorado Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
Connecticut Apostille: 4 weeks (estimated)
Delaware Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
District of Columbia Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Florida Apostille: 3-4 weeks (estimated)
Georgia Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated) (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in GA. Why?)
Hawaii Apostille: 4 weeks (estimated) or 6 weeks if it's a birth/death/marriage/divorce certificate (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in HI. Why?)
Idaho Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Illinois Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
Indiana Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Iowa Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Kansas Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Kentucky Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated) (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in KY. Why?)
Louisiana Apostille: 1-2weeks (estimated)
Maine Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
Maryland Apostille: 1 week (estimated) (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in MD. Why?)
Massachusetts Apostille: 2-3 weeks (estimated)
Michigan Apostille: 2-3 weeks (estimated)
Minnesota Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
Mississippi Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Missouri Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
Montana Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Nebraska Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Nevada Apostille: 4 weeks (estimated)
New Hampshire Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
New Jersey Apostille: 4 weeks (estimated)
New Mexico Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
New York Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated) (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in NY. Why?)
North Carolina Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
North Dakota Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Ohio Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Oklahoma Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Oregon Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
Pennsylvania Apostille: 2-3 weeks (estimated)
Rhode Island Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
South Carolina Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
South Dakota Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Tennessee Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated) (Extra time is needed if it's a notarized document in TN. Why?)
Texas Apostille: 4 weeks (estimated)
Utah Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
Vermont Apostille: 1-2 week (estimated)
Virginia Apostille: 2 weeks (estimated)
Washington Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
West Virginia Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
Wisconsin Apostille: 3 weeks (estimated)
Wyoming Apostille: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
American Samoa: 4 weeks (estimated)
Guam: 4 weeks (estimated)
Northern Mariana Islands: 4 weeks (estimated)
Puerto Rico: 4 weeks (estimated)
US Virgin Islands: 4 weeks (estimated)
Time Frame for Embassy Legalization
If you don't see the destination country of your document in the list below, it simply means that country is a Hague Apostille Country and your document does not need to get embassy legalization.
🇦🇫 Afghanistan Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇩🇿 Algeria Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇦🇴 Angola Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇧🇩 Bangladesh Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇧🇯 Benin Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇲🇲 Burma (Myanmar) Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇰🇭 Cambodia Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇨🇲 Cameroon Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇨🇩 Congo Democratic Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇨🇬 Congo Republic Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇨🇺 Cuba Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇪🇬 Egypt Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇪🇷 Eritrea Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇪🇹 Ethiopia Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇬🇭 Ghana Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇬🇳 Guinea Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇭🇹 Haiti Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇮🇷 Iran Embassy Legalization: 10-20 business days (estimated)
🇮🇶 Iraq Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire) Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇯🇲 Jamaica Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇯🇴 Jordan Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇰🇪 Kenya Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇰🇼 Kuwait Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇱🇦 Laos Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇱🇧 Lebanon Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇱🇾 Libya Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇲🇬 Madagascar Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇲🇾 Malaysia Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇲🇱 Mali Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇲🇷 Mauritania Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇲🇿 Mozambique Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇳🇵Nepal Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇳🇪 Niger Embassy Legalization: 2-7 days (estimated)
🇳🇬 Nigeria Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇵🇸 Palestine Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇶🇦 Qatar Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks(estimated)
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇸🇩 Sudan Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇹🇼 Taiwan Embassy Legalization: 3 weeks (estimated)
🇹🇿 Tanzania Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇹🇭 Thailand Embassy Legalization: 14 business days (estimated)
🇹🇬 Togo Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan Embassy Legalization: 1-2 weeks (estimated)
🇦🇪 UAE (United Arab Emirates) Embassy Legalization: 1 week (estimated)
🇺🇬 Uganda Embassy Legalization: 3 weeks (estimated)
🇻🇳 Vietnam Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇾🇪 Yemen Embassy Legalization: 7-14 days (estimated)
🇿🇲 Zambia Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe Embassy Legalization: 2 weeks (estimated)
The National US Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) Certification (or Stamp): 1-2 days (estimated)
Order Apostille Service Online
👉 For State and Local Documents or Documents signed by a notary,
if they will be used in Hague Apostille Country, the service you'll need is:
if they will be used in Non-Hague Apostille Country, the service you'll need is:
👉 For Federally-issued Documents* and documents notarized by a U.S. Consular Officer,
if they will be used in Hague Apostille Country, the service you'll need is:
if they will be used in Non-Hague Apostille Country, the service you'll need is:
⚠️ *Documents issued from US Federal Court, or District Court may need additional certification from the U.S. Department of Justice before sending them to the U.S. Department of State.
The apostille and authentication process can be complicated, time-consuming, and distracting that requires expertise and experience. So just leave it to us! Our experts can provide you with a full range of fast services that allow you to save time and focus on your own careers and key areas.
If you are not sure which kind of apostille service you should choose, please refer to this guide. Or, contact us by describing ① the type of the document, ② which state the doc is from, and ③ in which country the doc will be used, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
American Notary Service Center Inc. provides fair, fast, confidential, and professional document notarization and certification services for our clients. We also provide various assistance services to small businesses led by socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Our service helps small businesses obtain federal government contracts, gain a foothold in the market, and boost their sales. For more information, please visit our website at www.usnotarycenter.com, and contact us by calling 202-599-0777 or by email at info@usnotarycenter.com.