Apostille prices and how our service works

Apostille prices for every service level

We offer five service levels. Economy and Express cover state documents, the FBI report service covers FBI background checks through the U.S. Department of State, same-day rush covers Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents, and embassy legalization covers countries outside the Hague Convention. The table shows each price, turnaround and return method.

Prices are per document. Each includes the government fee, the free document review, filing, follow-up with the office and online tracking.

Economy, $149.95

Economy takes 1 to 3 weeks and returns your document by first-class mail. Choose it when your appointment or filing date is a few weeks away, which is often the case for a citizenship application or a residency file that is still being put together.

Express, $199.95

Express takes 1 to 5 business days in most states and returns your document by priority mail. Choose it when a consulate appointment, a property closing or a flight is close. Some state offices run long mail queues, and when yours is one of them, we tell you the realistic date in the free review, before you pay.

FBI report apostille, $199.95

An FBI background check is a federal record, so only the U.S. Department of State can apostille it, and its $20 fee is included in the price. The service is fully remote: you request the check from the FBI, email us the electronic result, and we file it and send the apostilled result back by priority mail, anywhere in the world. It takes 2 to 6 weeks. See how to get an FBI background check and our FBI report apostille page.

Other federal records, such as a naturalization certificate, a DD-214, an IRS or Social Security letter or a USCIS notice, take the same federal route, and we confirm their price in the free review. A notarized copy of any of these records, or of an FBI check, cannot be apostilled.

Same-day rush, $385.95

Same-day rush is for documents issued or notarized in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, going to a Hague Convention country and ready to file when they reach us. The turnaround is guaranteed at 24 hours. The clock starts when the document reaches our Tewksbury office by that day's cutoff on a business day, and it stops when the apostilled document is ready for pickup or handed to your courier. Call (978) 424-4629 before you send it, so we can confirm the cutoff. The details are on our same-day apostille page.

Embassy legalization, quoted per country

Countries outside the Hague Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt, need legalization instead of an apostille. A state document gets a certificate from the state, the U.S. Department of State usually authenticates it for $20 per document, and the destination's embassy or consulate legalizes it. Each embassy sets its own fees and timing, so we quote the full chain for your country before you pay. Read our guide to apostilles for non-Hague countries.

What is included in every price

Every package price covers the government fee, a free review of your document before you pay, filing with the right office, follow-up until the certificate is issued, return shipping by the method in your package and online tracking. A real person answers your questions Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern.

• The government fee. The state fee for a state document, or the U.S. Department of State's $20 for a federal record. State fees are modest: as published in mid-2026, Massachusetts charged $6 per document, New York $10, California $20 and Connecticut $40. Our apostille by state directory lists every office.
• A free document review. We check the version, the signer, the route and the destination before you pay. The section below explains what we look at.
• Filing with the right office. The Secretary of State of the issuing state, the Lieutenant Governor in Alaska, Hawaii and Utah, the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia, or the U.S. Department of State for federal records. Our guide to the Secretary of State apostille explains the split.
• Follow-up. We track the filing with the office until the apostille is issued, so you are not the one calling a state counter.
• Return shipping. First-class mail on Economy, priority mail on Express and FBI report orders.
• Online tracking. You can follow each stage in your online order tracker.
• A real person to talk to. Call (978) 424-4629, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern, with any question about your order.

We have handled apostilles from our Tewksbury, Massachusetts office since 2012, for more than 2,200 clients and documents sent to more than 120 countries. We are licensed and insured, with a 4.9 average rating from our Google reviews.

Optional add-ons: translation, notary and courier upgrades

Three add-ons can join any order: certified translation in more than 100 languages, notary service at our Tewksbury office and courier upgrades for a faster or international return. You choose them only when your document or destination needs them, and each one is priced before you pay.

Certified translation

If the office abroad wants your document in its own language, we provide certified translation in more than 100 languages and attach it to the same order. Offices differ on who may translate and on whether the translation comes before or after the apostille, and some want a sworn translator in their own country instead. We confirm the format with you before we start.

Notary service at our office

Documents you sign yourself, such as a power of attorney, an affidavit or a single status statement, need a notarized signature before a state will apostille them. Our founder, Hanson Webb, is a commissioned Massachusetts notary public, and our notary service is available when you visit the office. A document notarized here is apostilled by Massachusetts. Massachusetts does not authenticate notarized copies of government-issued documents, so for a passport copy we tell you which state's notary to use.

Courier upgrades

Economy returns by first-class mail and Express by priority mail. A courier upgrade sends the finished document back by the courier you choose, to any address in the world, which helps when the date is close or the document is going straight to a lawyer or consulate abroad.

Ordering several documents

A citizenship file for a whole family, a company's recurring filings or records for a group of employees add up quickly. Ask us about a volume discount. Companies can also read about our apostilles for businesses.

What our prices do not include

Our prices cover the apostille or legalization step, from the free review to the return shipment. They do not cover getting the document itself, such as a new certified copy or the FBI's own fee for your check, embassy fees for legalization, optional add-ons, postage to send your document to us, or customs charges abroad.

• The document itself. The vital records office's fee for a new certified copy, the FBI's $18 fee for an Identity History Summary, and any fingerprinting or channeler fees.
• Embassy and consulate fees. For a non-Hague country these are quoted per country, on top of the U.S. steps.
• Add-ons you choose. Certified translation, notarization and courier upgrades.
• Postage to us. You send the document to our office, and we recommend a tracked, insured courier.
• Customs charges abroad. Taxes, customs charges or duties that another country applies to a delivery.
• Legal advice. We do not advise on visa eligibility, citizenship claims or how a court will treat your document.
• A decision abroad. The office receiving your document decides whether to accept it. We check the document, the route and the format before we file, and we tell you what to confirm with that office, such as how recent the document must be.

How the free document review works

Before you pay anything, send us a photo or scan of your document with the destination country and the purpose. We confirm which office has authority over it, whether you hold the right version, whether the destination takes an apostille or needs legalization, and the total price and timeline. It is free, with no obligation to order.

Most delays start before a document reaches any government office. A photocopy instead of a certified copy, an FBI report sent to a state, a notarization with a missing line or an apostille ordered for a country that needs legalization each cost weeks and often a second fee. The review is where we catch them. We check:

1. The version. A certified copy from the office that issued the record, never a photocopy or a hospital keepsake certificate. For a document you signed, the original with a complete notarization.
2. The signer and the state. Each state apostilles only its own officials and notaries, so a document goes to the state that issued it or commissioned the notary, not the state where you live now.
3. The notary block. The date, the notary's signature as commissioned, the commission expiration date and a legible seal. In New York and Maryland, a notarized document also needs a county certification first.
4. The route. Federal records, including an FBI check, a naturalization certificate, a DD-214, an IRS or Social Security letter and a USCIS notice, go only to the U.S. Department of State.
5. The destination. Whether your country is one of the 129 where the Convention is in force, according to the HCCH status table, or needs embassy legalization.
6. Your deadline. Which service fits the date, and what could slow it down.
7. How recent the document must be. An apostille does not expire, but the office receiving your file may want a recently issued document. Confirm its rule with the consulate, court or lawyer, and read do apostilles expire for the details.

To ask for a review, use our contact page or email a clear photo or scan to info@apostilledepot.com, with the destination and the reason you need it.

How to order: online, by mail or in person

Most clients order online through our application form, which takes about three minutes, then mail the document to our office in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. You can also drop documents off in person, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern. An electronic FBI report never needs mailing: you email it to us.

Online, with the application form

The apostille application form asks for your contact details, your document, the country requesting the apostille and the service you want, then takes payment at a secure checkout by card or PayPal. If you are not sure which service fits, ask for the free review first. Once you have ordered, we confirm exactly what to send before you ship anything.

By mail, from anywhere

Send the document to:

Apostille Depot
1215 Main St, Unit 115
Tewksbury, MA 01876
United States

Use a tracked, insured courier such as FedEx or UPS, because these are records you may not be able to replace quickly. Add a note with your name, phone number and the return address you want. Sending from abroad works the same way, with a tracked international courier.

In person, in Tewksbury

Drop-off and pickup are welcome at our office, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern. We look over the document with you before you pay, and a notary is available if a signature still needs notarizing. For a Massachusetts or New Hampshire document on a tight deadline, dropping it off is also the quickest start for a same-day rush. If you are weighing a trip to a state office instead, read our apostille near me guide.

FBI reports, by email

Request your Identity History Summary from the FBI, then email the electronic result to info@apostilledepot.com exactly as you received it. Nothing is mailed. If you only have the paper result the FBI mailed to you, send that to our office instead. Never send a notarized copy, because a notarized copy of an FBI check cannot be apostilled.

What happens after you order

When your order and document reach us, we check the document against the order, add any notarization or translation in the right sequence, file it with the office that has authority over it and follow up until the apostille is issued. Then we ship it back by the method you chose, and each stage shows in your online order tracker.

1. We confirm the order. If the free review has not already covered it, we tell you exactly which version of the document to send.
2. Your document arrives and we check it. The version, the signature, the notary block and the destination, before anything is filed.
3. We add what you ordered. A notarization or a certified translation, placed where your destination expects it in the sequence.
4. We file it. With the Secretary of State of the right state, the Lieutenant Governor in Alaska, Hawaii or Utah, the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia, or the U.S. Department of State. In New York the county clerk certifies a notarized document first, and in Maryland the Clerk of the Circuit Court does.
5. We follow up until it is issued. For a non-Hague country, the document then goes on to the U.S. Department of State, in most cases, and to the embassy or consulate.
6. It comes back, tracked. By first-class mail, priority mail or the courier upgrade you chose, or ready for pickup in Tewksbury.

If an office sends a document back

Occasionally an office refuses a document, usually because a signature is not on file or a notarization is incomplete. When that happens, we call you, explain what the office wants and arrange the fix, whether that is a new certified copy, a corrected notarization or a different route. Reviewing every document before we file is how we keep these cases rare.

How long an apostille or legalization takes

With us, Express takes 1 to 5 business days in most states, Economy 1 to 3 weeks, an FBI report apostille 2 to 6 weeks, and same-day rush 24 hours for eligible Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents. Legalization for a non-Hague country takes longer, because the state, the U.S. Department of State and the embassy each work in turn.

Our times count from when we hold the document in the right form. If a new certified copy has to be ordered or a notarization redone, that comes first, and it can take longer than the apostille itself.

How long does it take to legalize a document?

Legalization is a chain, so its time is the sum of its steps: the state certificate for a state document, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, then the embassy or consulate, which sets its own processing time. As published in September 2026, Egypt's office in Washington allowed 10 business days for mailed personal documents and Taiwan's office in Washington 7 business days, after the U.S. steps. We give you the expected timeline for your country together with the quote. See apostille vs authentication vs legalization if the terms are new to you.

U.S. Department of State processing time

As the Department published it in 2026, it processes mailed requests within five weeks of receipt, and its authentication guidance sets out what it needs. That office handles every federal record, which is why an FBI check usually sets the pace of a residency file. Our FBI report apostille takes 2 to 6 weeks. For every office's timing, read how long an apostille takes.

Plan backward from your date

Start from the day the document must be in the office abroad and count back: return shipping, the service time, any translation, and the time to get a certified copy or notarization if you do not have one yet. If the office wants a recently issued document, order it once your date is set rather than months ahead.

Shipping, returns and refunds

Economy orders come back by first-class mail, and Express and FBI report orders by priority mail. A courier upgrade sends the finished document faster or to any address in the world, and you can pick it up at our Tewksbury office instead. Fees are non-refundable once an order has been submitted to a government office.

Getting your document to us

Use a tracked, insured courier, and keep a copy of what you send. Once a document is with a courier, a postal service or a government office, it is in that third party's hands, which is why tracking matters in both directions. Our terms of agreement explain who is responsible at each stage.

Getting it back

Tell us the return address and method when you order. We ship to addresses in the United States and abroad, or you can collect the document in Tewksbury. Deliveries abroad may attract taxes, customs charges or duties in the destination country, which are not part of our price.

Cancellations and refunds

Government fees are paid to the office on your behalf, so once your order has been submitted to a government office, all fees are non-refundable, whatever the outcome. If you cancel before that, we may refund the part of our service fee for work not yet done, less government fees already paid, courier and translation costs and a processing charge. That is one more reason to use the free review before you order.

Which service should you choose?

Start from the document and the deadline. An FBI check goes on the FBI report service. A Massachusetts or New Hampshire document needed within days can go on same-day rush. Other state documents go on Express when the date is close and Economy when it is weeks away. A non-Hague country needs a legalization quote.

• Birth, marriage or death certificate, weeks ahead: Economy. See our pages on birth certificate apostilles, marriage certificate apostilles and death certificate apostilles.
• Power of attorney for a closing next week: Express, or same-day rush if it was notarized in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. See power of attorney apostilles.
• FBI background check for a visa: the FBI report service, 2 to 6 weeks, fully remote.
• Diploma or transcript for a job abroad: Economy or Express, once the registrar's signature is notarized. See diploma and transcript apostilles.
• Company documents for a bank or registry abroad: Express when a filing date is set, Economy when it is not. See corporate apostilles.
• Any document for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Egypt: a legalization quote.

Two examples

A family applying for Italian citizenship by descent often needs four vital records apostilled. On Economy that is 4 x $149.95, or $599.80, before any translations, and a volume discount is worth asking about. A retiree applying for a Portuguese residence visa typically needs an FBI report and a birth certificate: $199.95 plus $149.95, or $349.90. See our guides to apostilles for Italy, apostilles for Portugal and citizenship by descent, or browse all our apostille services.

Still unsure? Send us a photo for a free review and tell us the deadline, or start your order now. Our apostille FAQ answers the questions we hear most, and our guide to what an apostille is covers the basics.