When public records leave the United States, they must be verified as legally valid for official processing abroad. An apostille serves as this necessary certification, authenticating the local signatures, stamps, and seals on your paperwork.
The Alabama Secretary of State issues the apostille, but only for files originally formatted or notarized within state borders. Your specific destination dictates the next step: if the country is a member of the Hague Convention, this single state seal is all you need.
For non-Hague nations, a standard apostille is not recognized. In such cases, you must instead complete the Alabama document legalization pathway through federal channels and foreign embassies.
