Virginia Apostille

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Virginia, for $10 per document (not per page). Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Virginia office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

This runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent, saved or added to the page address.

Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.

Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.

Who issues apostilles in Virginia

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Virginia come from Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth (Authentication Division). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per document (not per page). (source)
  • Great Seal (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per document (not per page), same fee as an apostille. (source)
  • each additional document signed by the same public official on the same date for the same country (the first is $10): $5 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Richmond): mail the documents, a cover letter generated in the state's online cover-letter system, the fees and a prepaid self-addressed return mailer to the Authentication Division (USPS and courier addresses differ); list yourself as both sender and recipient on courier labels (source)
  • In person (Richmond): appointment only, Monday to Thursday, booked online, up to 10 documents and two people; without an appointment use the drop box at the office (returned by mail in 5 to 7 business days); government ID required to enter (source)
  • Request form: Cover letter generated in the state's online authentications system

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Mailed packages generally take 7 to 10 business days from when you send them. (source)
  • Drop-box documents are processed and mailed back within 5 to 7 business days. (source)
  • Most appointment requests are completed the same day when the documents are correct. (source)
  • Vital records, court records, notarizations and SCC documents all must be dated within the past 12 months. (source)
  • Appointments can be booked online only on Fridays at 10:00 a.m., for the following week, with no more than 10 documents per customer or family. (source)
  • Only one appointment per family member can be scheduled each day. (source)

What Virginia needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Get a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate issued by VDH Vital Records (or a local DMV office) within the past 12 months; it cannot be notarized. (source)
  • A marriage certificate from a Circuit Court must carry a Certification of Official Record (Triple Seal). (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Get the record from the appropriate Virginia Circuit Court within the past 12 months; it cannot be notarized. (source)
  • It should carry the two-page Certification of Official Record (Triple Seal), the date, and the signature and printed name of the (deputy) clerk. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • Have it notarized by a Virginia notary within the past 12 months; no county step is named. (source)
  • The notarization must include all seven required items (county or city, date, notarial statement, notary signature, commission expiry, registration number, and a seal matching state records), and be in English. (source)

School diploma or transcript

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth does not say on its page whether this kind of document needs a step first. Ask the office before you mail an original.

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

  • A State Corporation Commission document must be issued by the SCC within the past 12 months and signed by the Clerk of the Commission; it cannot be notarized. Tell the SCC it is for international authentication when ordering. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth issues its Great Seal instead of an apostille. Then:

  • For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)

Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.

What the office will not accept or handle

  • Electronic notarizations. (source)
  • Documents notarized in another state, originals or copies. (source)
  • Out-of-state school transcripts or diplomas. (source)
  • Documents for use in the United States or its territories, including Puerto Rico. (source)
  • Federal documents, including FBI background checks, must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, not by Virginia. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth.
  • It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
  • It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
  • It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get an apostille in Virginia?

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Virginia. The fee is $10 per document (not per page). Requests can be mailed to the office in Richmond. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Virginia?

Get a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate issued by VDH Vital Records (or a local DMV office) within the past 12 months; it cannot be notarized. A marriage certificate from a Circuit Court must carry a Certification of Official Record (Triple Seal). Then send it to Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth with the $10 fee.

Does a document notarized in Virginia need a county clerk certification first?

Have it notarized by a Virginia notary within the past 12 months; no county step is named. The notarization must include all seven required items (county or city, date, notarial statement, notary signature, commission expiry, registration number, and a seal matching state records), and be in English.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth issues its great seal instead of an apostille. Send it next to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document); the destination country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.

Do I need a paid apostille service?

No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.

Sources

Virginia office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

Know someone who could use this? Share this free tool:

Share: