How to Apostille a Copy of Your Passport
Banks, embassies and registries abroad often ask for an apostilled copy of your U.S. passport to confirm your identity. You cannot apostille the passport itself, but you can apostille a certified or notarized copy. Here is exactly how.
An apostilled passport copy, explained
A U.S. passport is the gold standard for proving identity, so foreign banks, immigration offices and companies frequently ask for an authenticated copy. The request usually reads 'apostilled copy of passport,' and it trips people up because you obviously cannot mail your only passport away to be stamped.
The solution is to apostille a copy of the passport rather than the passport itself. A notary makes a certified copy, or notarizes your sworn statement that the copy is true, and that notarized copy is what the state authenticates with an apostille. The result is an official, internationally recognized copy of your passport.
This guide explains why you need it, the one rule that makes it work, how to prepare it, where it is filed, and how long it takes. If you already have a notarized copy, you can start your order now.
Why you need an apostilled passport copy
The most common reason is opening a bank account abroad. Foreign banks must verify your identity under know-your-customer rules, and an apostilled passport copy satisfies that requirement for a non-resident. The same request appears when you set up a company overseas, sign for property, or grant a power of attorney to a representative abroad.
Immigration and residency files also ask for it. A Golden Visa, a residency permit, or a long-stay visa application may require an authenticated passport copy alongside an FBI background check and vital records. Whenever a foreign office needs proof of identity it can trust, the apostilled copy is the answer.
You apostille the copy, never the passport
Here is the rule that makes the whole thing work: the apostille goes on a notarized copy, not on the passport book. A U.S. passport is a federal travel document, and you do not surrender it for stamping. Instead, a notary either certifies a photocopy or notarizes your signed statement attesting that the attached copy is a true copy of your passport.
That notarization is the public act the state can authenticate. Once the notary has handled the copy, it becomes apostille-eligible exactly like any other notarized document. The foreign office then accepts the apostilled copy as a verified stand-in for the original.
How to apostille a passport copy
First, make a clear, full-page color copy of your passport's photo page. Second, take it to a notary, who will either certify the copy directly, where state law allows, or notarize a short affidavit in which you swear the copy is true and complete. Third, the notarized copy is filed with the Secretary of State for the apostille that authenticates the notary.
If your destination is not English-speaking, add a certified translation after the apostille. We handle each step, confirm your notarization is done correctly, and route the copy to the right office. Not sure how to get it notarized? Send us a photo and we will guide you.
Where a passport copy is apostilled
Because the document is a notarized copy, it is apostilled by the Secretary of State in the state where it was notarized, not by the federal government. A copy notarized in Massachusetts is apostilled by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth; a copy notarized in Texas, by Texas. The state of notarization controls.
This is different from a true federal document like an FBI report, which only the U.S. Department of State can apostille. If your file mixes a passport copy with a federal background check, the two go to different offices, and we keep them straight. See our state guides for Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and more.
How long an apostilled passport copy takes
Because a passport copy is a state document, it moves on the faster track. Through our service, that is one to three weeks on Economy and one to five business days on Express, plus the time to notarize and ship. For apostille-ready documents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, our same-day service can turn the filing around in 24 hours.
Plan for any translation, which runs after the apostille, and for international return shipping. See how long an apostille takes for a full breakdown, and tell us your deadline so we can recommend the right speed.
Mistakes that delay a passport copy apostille
The biggest mistake is trying to apostille the passport book itself, which no office will do. The second is an unclear or partial copy; the photo page must be fully legible. The third is an incomplete notarization, which the apostille office will reject.
A quick review prevents all three. Send us your notarized copy and your destination, and we will confirm it is ready before anything is filed. Get a free review to start.
What an apostille is, in brief
If you are new to this, here is the short version. An apostille is a certificate, created by the 1961 Hague Convention, that verifies the signature and seal on a public document so another member country accepts it as genuine. More than 120 countries take part, which means one apostille replaces the old, slow chain of embassy stamps.
In the United States, a state Secretary of State apostilles state and notarized documents, while the U.S. Department of State apostilles federal documents like an FBI background check. If your destination is not a Hague member, you need authentication and embassy legalization instead. For the full distinction, see apostille vs authentication vs legalization.
Who needs a document
You are most likely to need this when life crosses a border. American expats moving abroad, couples marrying overseas, students enrolling at foreign universities, professionals taking international jobs, retirees pursuing a Golden Visa, and businesses expanding into new markets all run into this requirement.
The common thread is a foreign office, a consulate, a registry, a university, an employer or a bank, that needs to trust a U.S. document. Whenever that happens, authentication is the step that turns your paperwork into something they will accept, and doing it correctly the first time is what keeps a deadline on track.
How Apostille Depot handles your document
You do not have to navigate this alone, and you do not have to become an expert in government procedure to get it right. From the first message, we tell you exactly what your document needs, which office it goes to, and what it will cost, before you pay anything. That single conversation, our free document review, is where most problems are caught and solved.
Once you order, we take over the moving parts. We confirm any notarization is complete, file your document with the correct authority, the issuing state's Secretary of State for state records or the U.S. Department of State for federal ones, and track it the whole way. If your destination needs a certified or sworn translation, we arrange it in the right order so it covers the apostille.
Then we return your finished document by the courier you choose, anywhere in the world, and you follow every step in our online portal. It is the difference between an anonymous form and a real, accountable team. Start your order or ask a question first.
Most clients work with us entirely by mail and email, from anywhere in the country or the world. You never have to visit a government office, decode a state form, or stand in line. We have handled this routing thousands of times, so the small details that trip up a do-it-yourself filing, a missing seal, the wrong office, an out-of-date copy, are caught before they cost you time.
What you will need
To move quickly, here is what helps us start. If you are missing something, apply anyway and our team will follow up, or ask us first.
- The document itself, a certified copy or a notarized original where required.
- The destination country, so we confirm apostille or embassy legalization.
- Your deadline, so we recommend Economy, Express or same-day handling.
- Whether you need a translation, and into which language.
- Your return address and preferred shipping, including international.
What it costs and how long it takes
Our pricing is published and includes the government fee, with a free review and an online tracker. State documents start at $149.95 on Economy, delivered in one to three weeks, and $199.95 on Express, delivered in one to five business days. The federal apostille for an FBI report or Social Security letter is $199.95 and runs about four to six weeks.
For apostille-ready documents issued in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, our same-day apostille service turns the filing around in 24 hours. Certified translation and non-Hague embassy legalization are quoted per case. See the full breakdown on our how it works page, and tell us your deadline so we can map a realistic timeline before you commit.
A verified business, not an anonymous website
We are a licensed, insured apostille provider with a real office in the Boston suburbs, processing documents since 2012 for more than 2,200 clients across all 50 states. You can meet the team, read our independent press coverage, and browse real work in our portfolio.
Every finished apostille is checked by our quality-control team against your destination country's requirements before it ships, and the government fee is built into our published price. There are no surprise charges and no anonymous personas, just a documented process and a phone number that reaches real people at (978) 424-4629.
That track record is why clients return to us each time life requires another authenticated document, and why immigration lawyers and relocation teams refer their clients to us. When something is this important, you want a provider you can call, verify and trust, not a checkout page. Read real experiences on our testimonials page.
Related apostille guides and services
If you are working through a bigger project, these guides go deeper. By document: birth, marriage, death, FBI report, diplomas, power of attorney, Social Security letter, corporate, divorce decree and single status affidavit.
By destination and audience: country guides for Spain, Portugal, Italy, Mexico and Germany, plus guides for expats, Golden Visa applicants, couples marrying abroad, businesses and students. New to apostilles? Start with apostille vs authentication, how long it takes, and the Hague country list.
Mistakes that cause rejections
Most rejected documents fail for a small, avoidable reason. The big ones are sending a federal document to a state office, or a state document to the wrong state; skipping a required notarization or county certification; missing the translation, or doing it before the apostille instead of after; and using a document that is too old for a consulate's recency rule.
Each of these can cost weeks at the worst possible moment, in front of a consular officer with your appointment on the line. A quick check before anything is filed prevents all of them, which is exactly what our free review is for. Send us a photo of your document and your destination, and we will confirm it is ready.
The cost of a rejection is rarely just the redo fee. It is the lost weeks, the rebooked appointment, the visa or wedding date that slips. Spending a few minutes confirming the document up front is the cheapest insurance in the whole process, and it is free.
Get it right the first time
The whole job comes down to three things: the right document, apostilled by the right authority, and translated in the right order. Get those right and your document is accepted abroad; get one wrong and it is not. That is the entire reason a careful, accountable service is worth it.
Send us your document and your destination, and we will turn it into a file that works, on a timeline that fits your deadline. Start your order or request a free review.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apostille my actual passport?
No. You apostille a notarized or certified copy of the passport, not the passport book itself. The notary certifies the copy, and the state apostilles that notarized copy.
How do I get a passport copy notarized?
Make a clear color copy of the photo page and take it to any notary. The notary either certifies the copy directly, where allowed, or notarizes a sworn statement that the copy is true.
Who apostilles a passport copy?
The Secretary of State in the state where the copy was notarized. A copy notarized in Massachusetts is apostilled by Massachusetts, and so on.
Why do I need an apostilled passport copy?
Foreign banks, immigration offices and companies often require an authenticated identity document. An apostilled passport copy proves your identity in a form a foreign office can trust.
Do I need a translation?
Often yes. Many countries want a certified translation attached after the apostille. We can arrange it so the document is complete for your destination.
How long does it take?
State apostilles run one to three weeks on Economy and one to five business days on Express, plus notarization and shipping. Same-day handling is available for ready Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents.
How much does it cost?
Our service starts at $149.95 with the government fee included, plus any notarization and translation. We quote everything before you order.
Can you handle it if I am overseas?
Yes. Many clients order from abroad. You can have the copy notarized at a U.S. embassy or by a notary, and we handle the apostille and international return shipping.
Is a passport copy apostille federal or state?
State. Because it is a notarized copy, the state of notarization apostilles it. Only true federal documents like FBI reports go to the U.S. Department of State.
Ready to apostille your passport copy?
Send us your document for a free review, or start your order now. We confirm the right route, file with the correct authority, and return your apostille ready for use abroad.
Hanson Webb
Editor, Apostille Depot
Hanson edits Apostille Depot, a licensed, insured document authentication service operating since 2012. With more than ten years in apostille, notarization and certified translation, he turns complex government requirements into clear guides, helping over 2,200 clients send documents to more than 120 countries across all 50 states.
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