How to prepare a copy of your passport, New York State driver license or ID for foreign use?
In order to have a copy of your passport or ID legalized by an apostille or foreign embassy, follow the following steps:
Make a copy of your document.
On the copy please write
"I, ..... [your name], hereby confirm that this is a true, correct and complete photocopy of my original .... [description of the document]" Date: ....
Sign in front of a notary public, make sure the notary follows the requirements (see below)
Submit the notarized copy of your document for an apostille along with the Order Form by mail.
Hague apostille or Embassy seal? Check what kind of legalization your document requires.NYS apostille: price, processing time, order form
New York apostille: $175
Processing time: currently 1,5-2 weeks + mail
Please complete the Order Form and mail it with your original document(s) to
If you are sending your document(s) from a foreign country, please use FedEx, DHL or TNT, and email the tracking number so that we can watch for your package.
No hidden fees.
Our guarantee: If we are unable to get your documents apostilled or legalized, we issue a 100% refund, we do not keep any service fees.
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What does a New York apostille look like?
Make sure the notary follows the requirements:
IMPORTANT! In the State of New York notaries public by law cannot attest to copies of documents. It is not correct if the notary just writes "This is a true copy of the passport", signs and affixes his or her stamp. The notary must notarize the signature of the bearer (your signature under your statement that the copy of the passport (ID) is a true and correct copy)
The signature of the notary public must be original. It must exactly match the sample signature filed with the office of the County Clerk in the county where the notary public is qualified. This is important because the notary's signature needs to be authenticated by the Office of the County Clerk in the country where the notary public is qualified. If the notary's signature on the document does not match the sample signature on file with the County Clerk's office, the document will be rejected.
The notary's stamp must indicate the notary's name, license number, the name of the county where the notary is qualified, and the expiration date of the notary's license. If the notary does not have an ink stamp, the above information must be printed or typed in black ink.
The notary must include a Certificate of acknowledgment or Jurat basically of the following form:
Acknowledgment:
State of New York )
) ss.:
County of . . . . . . . )
On the . . . . . . day of . . . . . . in the year 20 . . . . before me, the undersigned, personally appeared . . . . . ., personally known to me or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the individual(s) whose name(s) is (are) subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their capacity(ies),
_______________ [Notary stamp]
Notary Signature
[Notary's name] Date:
Notary Public, State of New York
Registration.....
Qualified in ....... County
My commission expires ...
Jurat:
State of New York )
) ss.:
County of . . . . . . . )
Subscribed and sworn to before me this ........ day of ........, 20 ......
_______________ [Notary stamp]
Notary Signature
[Notary's name] Date:
Notary Public, State of New York
Registration.....
Qualified in ....... County
My commission expires ...