Procedure to obtain an Apostille
General Informationen
According to Art. 9 of the Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalization of foreign public documents, this Consulate General no longer legalizes American public documents. For all these documents an apostille has to be obtained.
Documents to receive the apostille must be signed with the original signature of a notary public or another official whose term of office is on record with the Secretary of the State, the Department of State or the Department of the Treasury.
In all cases documents must be accompanied by a letter stating the country where the documents will be used and asking for the apostille according to the Hague Convention.
The following information are specifically for New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Information on apostille authorities in other US states is available here:
Information Apostille
State of New York
American public documents recorded in the counties New York City, Kings, Queens, Bronx, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Richmond first must be authenticated by the County Clerk of the respective county and then have to be sent to the Department of State in New York for obtaining the apostille.
The addresses of the County Clerk's Office for New York City and the State Department are as follows:
1. County Clerk's Office
60 Center Street, Room 141B ("Notary Desk")
New York, NY 10007
Tel.: (212) 374-8359/8589
Fee: US $ 3.00
2. Department of State
Certification Unit
123 William Street, 19th floor (between Fulton & John streets)
New York, NY 10038
Fee: US $ 10.00
Office Hours: 9.00 am to 3.30 pm
Documents recorded in one of the other counties of the State of New York after authentication by the competent County Clerk have then to be sent for obtaining of the apostille to the following address:
Secretary of State
Miscellaneous Records
41 State Street, 3rd Floor
Albany, NY 12231
Tel.: (518) 474-4770
Fee: US $ 10.00
Office Hours: 9.00 am to 3.30 pm
Website:
State of New York
State of New Jersey
Vital Records (see notice) and all other documents certified by a Notary Public should be mailed directly to the Department of the Treasury - Division of Revenue - in Trenton in order to obtain the apostille.
Department of Treasury
Division of Revenue
PO Box 452
Trenton, NJ 08625-0452
Tel.: (609) 633-8257
Fee: US $ 25.00
Website:
State of New Jersey
Notice: The vital record (birth, death or marriage certificate) has to be issued by the Department of Health in Trenton. It is not possible to obtain the apostille on a vital record which has not been issued by the Department of Health in Trenton, but by another authority.
State of Pennsylvania
All public documents can be sent directly to the following address in order to obtain the apostille:
Department of State
Bureau of Commissions
Room 210, North Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Fee: US $ 15.00
Office Hours: 8.30 am to 4.00 pm
Website:
State of Pennsylvania
State of Connecticut
All public documents can be sent directly to the following address in order to obtain the apostille:
Secretary of State
Certification Unit
30 Trinity Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Fee: US $ 20.00
Website:
State of Connecticut
