Corporate Documents Apostille
Get your corporate documents authenticated for use abroad without the rejection risk. We review, submit, and return - start to finish.
What You Need to Know
Who issues it: the Secretary of State or state business division where the company is incorporated or registered, depending on the document type.
Notarization: Depends on the document. Certificates of Good Standing and Certificates of Formation/Articles of Incorporation are issued directly by the Secretary of State and do not require prior notarization - they are authenticated as official state-issued records. Corporate Resolutions, Incumbency Certificates, and similar company-prepared documents are private records and must be notarized before the Secretary of State will Apostille them.
Destination country: For Hague Convention countries - which includes most of Europe, Latin America, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and many others - a state Apostille is the correct authentication for U.S. corporate documents. For non-Hague countries (including the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and others), embassy or consulate legalization is required instead. We coordinate both paths. Foreign banks, registries, and legal counterparties frequently require corporate documents issued within a specific window - typically 30 to 90 days. We confirm the freshness requirements for your destination before submission and advise when a new Certificate of Good Standing is needed.
Top reasons a corporate documents Apostille gets rejected:
- Submitting a company-prepared document (Resolution, Incumbency Certificate) without prior notarization
- Using a photocopy of the original filing instead of a certified copy from the Secretary of State
- Submitting to the wrong state (Apostille must come from the state of incorporation or the state where notarization occurred)
- Certificate of Good Standing is expired - many foreign banks and registries require one issued within 30-90 days
- Missing the destination country name on the submission cover sheet
- Corporate name on the document does not exactly match the registered name with the Secretary of State
Three Steps, Fully Managed
Document Classification
We identify whether each document in your corporate set is a state-issued record (Certificate of Good Standing, Articles of Incorporation) or a company-prepared document (Resolution, Incumbency Certificate). Each type follows a different authentication path.
Notarization and Submission
Company-prepared documents that require notarization are handled first. State-issued records go directly to the Secretary of State. We route each document through the correct authority for the state of incorporation.
Authenticated & Returned
Your complete Apostilled corporate document set ships via overnight carrier with full tracking, ready for foreign bank account opening, branch registration, or international contract execution.
Where Was Your Corporate Documents Issued?
The authenticating authority depends on the issuing state. Pick yours or call and we'll route it correctly.
What We Check Before Submission
The right document depends on what the foreign counterparty actually needs
Foreign banks and business registries use different terminology. A Certificate of Good Standing may be called a Certificate of Existence, Certificate of Status, or Letter of Good Standing depending on the state. A foreign counterparty asking for "proof of authority" typically needs a notarized Corporate Resolution or Incumbency Certificate. We confirm exactly what is needed before anything is ordered or prepared.
Delaware companies are a special case
A large number of U.S. businesses are incorporated in Delaware but operate elsewhere. Delaware issues its own Certificates of Good Standing and can apostille its own state-issued records. If your company is a Delaware corporation but you are operating in California, you may need documents from both states depending on what the foreign authority requires. We sort out which state's documents are relevant for your specific use case.
Freshness requirements can catch you off guard
A Certificate of Good Standing issued six months ago is stale for most international bank account openings and many business registration processes. Foreign institutions commonly require the certificate to be issued within 30 to 90 days of submission. We check this before submission and advise when a fresh certificate needs to be ordered - which we can also obtain on your behalf for California.
When This Document Usually Comes Up
Opening a foreign bank account
Most international banks require an Apostilled Certificate of Good Standing and certified organizational documents before they will open an account for a U.S. entity. The freshness requirement is typically 30-60 days.
Registering a branch or subsidiary abroad
Registering a foreign branch or subsidiary usually requires Apostilled Articles of Incorporation, a Certificate of Good Standing, and a notarized Corporate Resolution authorizing the foreign registration.
Executing international contracts
Some foreign counterparties require Apostilled proof of authority - typically a notarized Corporate Resolution - before signing a contract with a U.S. entity. This confirms that the signatory is actually authorized to bind the company.
Corporate Documents Apostille - FAQ
No. A Certificate of Good Standing is issued directly by the Secretary of State and is authenticated as an official state record without prior notarization. Corporate Resolutions and Incumbency Certificates are different - those are company-prepared documents and must be notarized before the Secretary of State will apostille them.
It depends on the document. State-issued records (Certificate of Good Standing, Articles of Incorporation) are apostilled by the state that issued them - Delaware records go through Delaware. Notarized documents (Resolutions, Incumbency Certificates) are apostilled by the state where the notarization took place - typically California if the signing happened here. We sort out the correct path for each document in your set.
Most foreign banks require the certificate to be issued within 30-90 days of submission. Some require 30 days or fewer. We confirm the receiving institution's requirements before submission so you do not go through the process with a certificate that will be rejected as stale.
$200 all-in for the first California document, including the state filing fee. Each additional document filed at the same time is $100. Corporate matters often involve a set of documents - contact us for an accurate total based on your specific package.