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Request Authentication Services
Plan ahead: If you need to authenticate a U.S. document for legal or official purposes abroad, follow these instructions.
Travel dates and authentication services proecssing times
If your upcoming trip is in:
5 weeks or more: Send your request by mail. We will process it within 5 weeks from the day we receive it.
2-3 weeks: Walk-in to our office to drop off and pick up your request. We will process it within 7 business days.
2 weeks or less: You may qualify for an appointment if you must travel abroad because an immediate family member has a life-or-death emergency. If approved, we will process your request the same day as your appointment.
Documents and fees needed for your request
- Form DS-4194 with the country where you will use the document
- The document(s) requiring authentication services
- Check if you need an authentication certificate or an apostille certificate
- A $20 nonrefundable fee for each document
Paying your fees
- By mail: Pay by check or money order made out to the U.S. Department of State. Your name and address must be printed in the upper left corner of the check. The check number must be over 100. Do not send cash or credit card information.
- In person: Pay by credit or debit card, or a contactless form of payment such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. We do not accept cash, check, or money orders.
How to submit your request
Use USPS with tracking to mail your Form DS-4194, documents, fee(s), and self-addressed pre-paid USPS or UPS return envelope to:
Office of Authentications
U.S. Department of State
44132 Mercure Circle
PO Box 1206
Sterling, VA 20166-1206
Service reminders:
- You will get an update when your package arrives at the Sterling, VA postal office.
- Although your package tracking may say “delivered,” it takes several days for your request to be processed and ready for review at our Washington, D.C. office.
The routine drop off and pick up time is from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday. No appointment is required. You may have someone else drop off and pick up documents on your behalf. The representative's name or company name must be written on the document receipt at drop-off. A photo ID is required for pick-up. Drop off your Form DS-4194, documents, fee(s), and self-addressed pre-paid envelope at:
600 19th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
We will process requests within 7 business days.
Email [email protected] to make an appointment. Include the following documents:
- Proof of international travel within 2 weeks, like an airline ticket or itinerary.
- Proof that an immediate family member has a life-or-death emergency, like a death certificate, statement from a mortuary, or letter from a hospital signed by a doctor.
- If a document is not in English, get it translated by a professional translator and have the translated copy notarized.
Appointments are available 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, at our office.
600 19th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
We will process your request the same day as your appointment.
Check your document's status
Fill out our Contact Us form to check on your document's status. We will respond by email or phone call within 7 business days. Please do not submit another request while you are waiting for a response.