Frequently Asked Questions:
Kentucky Apostille and Authentication Services
General Questions
- What is a Kentucky Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in Kentucky for use abroad?
- How do I legalize documents issued in Kentucky for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
- How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Kentucky?
- What documents can be certified in Kentucky with an Apostille Stamp?
- Will an apostille stamp from Kentucky be accepted abroad?
- Where can I find more information about certifying Kentucky documents?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Kentucky Attestation and Apostille Services?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
Corporate documents
Academic documents
Notarized documents
Answers
What is a Kentucky Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A Kentucky Apostille is a certificate that is affixed by the Kentucky Secretary of State to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized Kentucky public official and confirms the capacity of that official (e.g. State Registrar, notary public).
Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Kentucky document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in the United States (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the 
Hague Apostille Convention
For more information on Apostilles, see:
How can I obtain an Apostille Stamp to certify a document in Kentucky for use abroad?
Apostille Stamps to authenticate Kentucky documents can be obtained from the Secretary of State. Apostille stamps are only valid for documents that are required for submission to countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention
How do I legalize documents issued in Kentucky for submission to countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention?
Kentucky documents that need to be authenticated for non-apostille countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar) must be authenticated by the Kentucky Secretary of State with an Authentication Certificate and then attested by the recipient country's embassy in the United States. Most embassies will also require an additional authentication the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC.
How long does it take to obtain an apostille from Kentucky?
We can normally process Kentucky Apostilles in 2 - 3 business days for worldwide delivery by express courier.
What documents can be certified in Kentucky with an Apostille Stamp?
Documents signed by Kentucky officials and notaries public can be certified in Kentucky for official use outside the United States, including vital record certificates (e.g. birth, death, marriage certificates), state police background checks, educational certificates, university diplomas and notarized private documents (e.g. power of attorney).
Documents signed by Federal officials including FBI Background Checks must be submitted directly to the Authentication Division of the U.S. Department of State.
To confirm whether your Kentucky document is valid for an Apostille Stamp, please Contact us for a free document check.
Will an apostille stamp from Kentucky be accepted abroad?
If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of Kentucky will generally be recognized directly as confirming authenticity, although a certified translation may also be required if presenting to a country that does not have English as an official language.
If documents are required for presentation in a country that is not a signatory to the apostille convention (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam), then an apostille stamp is not valid. Documents will need to be authenticated at State level in Kentucky, then by the State Department Authentication Division, and finally by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the United States. A Certified Translation may also be required.
Where can I find more information about certifying Kentucky documents?
For further information about Kentucky apostilles and authentications or to obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delivery by courier, please Contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.
Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Kentucky Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
How can I obtain an apostille on a vital record certificate issued in Kentucky?
To be eligible for an Apostille in Kentucky, birth, marriage and death certificates must be signed by the current Kentucky State Registrar. Certified copies of Kentucky vital records are available from Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics
How can I get an Apostille on a Kentucky Certificate of Good Standing?
Certified copies of Kentucky corporate documents on file with the Secretary of State, including Articles Of Incorporation and Certificates of Existence (which confirm that a domestic corporation or domestic limited liability company is in existence) can be obtained here for subsequent Apostille:
Kentucky Business Entity Search
How can I authenticate Kentucky university degree certificates for use abroad?
Kentucky university and school records should be certified by the school in the presence of a notary. Then the notarized certificate needs to be certified by the Kentucky County Clerk where the notary is commissioned. Finally records can be submitted to the Kentucky Secretary of State for an Apostille or Authentication.
Kentucky university degree certificates, course transcripts and high school diplomas can also be authenticated as notarized copies. A true copy is certified by a notary (this can often be done from a scan without having to submit the original) and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Washington DC Secretary of State. Authenticated documents can also be attested by the embassies of Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
For further information, see:
University Degrees and School Records
How can I authenticate notarized documents in Kentucky for use abroad?
Documents notarized in Kentucky, such as Power of Attorney and School Certificates, must be certified by the Kentucky County Clerk in the county where the notary is commissioned and then submitted to the Secretary of State in Frankfort for an Apostille or Authentication.
How can I get a quote to certify my documents?
To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:
If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.
Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files and provide us with the passwords separately:
PDF,
PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)
For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)