Delaware Apostillé Services
Certified Corporate Documents & Good Standing

An Apostille issued by the Delaware Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, certifies the authenticity of public documents so they can be recognized abroad in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.

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Processing Time & Expedited Options: Delaware offers highly flexible processing times, including guaranteed expedited services for an additional fee:

• Standard Processing (Mailed Orders): Typically takes 3–14 business days plus mailing time.

• Expedited Processing: The Delaware Secretary of State DOES provide expedited processing for an additional fee.Options range from Same Day ($50 extra) up to One-Hour Service ($1,000 extra).

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Corporate Records: Corporate Records (Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Certificate of Status) must be certified by the Delaware Secretary of State. No additional County Clerk step is needed.

• Key Requirement: Whenever an apostille is requested for corporate documents filed with the Secretary of State, each document must be certified separately. Documents submitted under a one-cover certification are not acceptable for the issuance of the apostille.

• Other Corporate Documents (minutes of meetings, bylaws, corporate resolutions, etc.) must be notarized prior to its apostillization.

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Real Property Deed or Records: real property deeds or records must be certified. For real property located in Delaware, records may be obtained in the county where the property is located and must be certified by the appropriate County official (e.g., Recorder of Deeds) to be accepted by the DOS.

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Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, Death Certificates, Divorce Decrees): to obtain an apostille of a Delaware vital record, the document must bear the signature of the correct official to be accepted directly by the Delaware Department of State (DOS):

• Birth and Death Certificates: Submit a document issued by the Delaware Bureau of Vital Statistics or a County Health Department, provided it is signed by the State Registrar.

• Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Certificates: Submit a document from the Delaware Bureau of Vital Statistics signed by the State Registrar or the Clerk of the County Courts.

• The Delaware DOS will confirm the validity of the relevant official's signature for processing the Apostille. Note that any fees for obtaining the vital record from the Bureau or County Health Department are separate from the Apostille fees.

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Academic / Notarized Documents (Diplomas, Transcripts): for academic documents (diplomas, transcripts) and other private records to be eligible for Apostille by the Delaware Department of State (DOS), they must be properly notarized by a Delaware Notary Public:

• Notary Requirement: The State of Delaware will not accept documents that are notarized remotely or electronically for apostille. Notarizations must be completed in-person.

• Delaware Public or Private School/University: Submit the transcript after it has been notarized. The transcript must be signed by the School Registrar or an issuing official, and the notarization must include the full notarial statement.

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Power of Attorney, Affidavits, and Translations: in order to obtain an apostille, the power of attorney or affidavit has to be notarized by a Delaware notary public.

• Notary Certification: The notary must complete the notarial certification (not just a stamp) to make the document eligible for further authentications. Delaware does not set forth requirements of additional county clerk authentication of the notary signature.

• Foreign Language Documents: Any document that is in a foreign language must provide an English translation attached to it. Both the foreign language document and the English translation must be notarized.

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Official Signatures & Certification Type: the country of destination determines the type of verification required:

• Apostille: Affixed to documents intended for countries that are members of the Hague Convention. This requires no further diplomatic or consular legalization.

• Certificate of Authentication: Affixed to documents intended for countries that are not party to the Hague Convention. These documents must first be processed by the U.S. Department of State before being sent to the destination country.

Delaware Apostille Certificate