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About the Office of Authentications

We issue apostille certificates and authentication certificates. The country in which you will use the document determines the type of certificate you get:

  • Apostille certificates are for documents you use in countries in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty.
  • Authentication certificates are for documents you use in countries not in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty.

To request authentications service, follow these steps:

Services We Offer

Consider your travel date and our processing times when requesting services. 

  • Send your request by mail. We will process it within five weeks from the date we receive it. 

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  • Walk-in to drop off and pick up your request. You can submit one request per day with a limit of 15 documents for one customer or company. We will process the request in seven business days.

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  • You may qualify for an appointment if you need to travel to a foreign country in the next two weeks because your immediate family member outside of the United States has died, is dying, or is suffering from a life-threatening illness or injury. We will process your request on the same day as your appointment.

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Address and Hours of Operation

Mailing Address:

U.S. Department of State
Office of Authentications
44132 Mercure Cir.
PO Box 1206
Sterling, VA 20166-1206

Physical Address:

Office of Authentications
600 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

 

Hours

7:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Mondays to Fridays (closed federal holidays)

Walk-ins (drop off and pick up): 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Mondays to Thursdays 

Appointments (life-or-death emergencies only): 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays

We process requests on Fridays but do not take walk-ins or appointments on this day. 

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Last Updated: December 13, 2024