LEGAL
TIPS |
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The
requirement of an Apostille (ah-poh-steel) is an important new development
for international travelers. An
Apostille is an additional certification that will be required for all notarized
documents, including but not limited to birth certificates, death certificates,
marriage and divorce certificates.
While you may have used original, certified copies of these documents
in the past with no problem, that will not continue to be possible. What
is an Apostille? It is a "cover"
document that is issued by the Bureau of Notaries in the State where the
document was notarized. This
branch of the Secretary of State reviews the notarization, checks it against
their records, and verifies that the individual who notarized the document
was, in fact, legitimately licensed to do so. Where
did the concept of an Apostille come from?
The countries who are parties to the Hague Convention agreed many
years ago to use this vehicle for verification of identity, but the system
was never fully implemented. Since
the September 11th terrorist attacks, however, it has become more and more
important to ensure correct identification procedures are used, and the
apostille is now "in fashion".
If the country where the document was issued was a party to the Hague
Convention, you must obtain this additional certification for your documents.
The United States was a party; Canada was not. What
if I'm from Canada? You will
still need to have your documents additionally certified at a Mexican Embassy
and Consulates in Canada, but this extra certification is much easier to
obtain and is not called an "apostille". We are currently investigating
whether or not we can help with this procedure in Canada. When
should I have the apostilles done?
Now. The process will
take a minimum of two to three weeks, and is more likely to take five to
six weeks. Then your documents will be ready when you want to apply for
immigration documents, purchase property, or take other legal actions here
in Mexico or in other countries. What
is the cost? Each State has
its own fee schedule, and the average cost is $20.00 USD per document, plus
mailing or courier charges. You may take care of the matter yourself, and
if you wish to do so, contact the Office of the Secretary of State in the
state(s) where the document(s) were issued. What
if my documents are not certified or notarized? We can order certified documents from Departments of Vital
Statistics for you, and can also request certified documents such as divorce
decrees on your behalf. The
fees are similar to those for acquiring an apostille.
Then when the certified or notarized documents are received, we can
subsequently send them for apostille.
Obtaining these original documents will take an additional three
to six weeks. To
summarize: For any legal action
here in Mexico, you must have certified or notarized documents.
The most common documents needed are birth certificates, marriage
certificates, death certificates and divorce decrees. After the documents
have been certified or notarized, they must be additionally verified by
an apostille if the document is from the U.S., or by the Mexican government
if the document is from Canada. Adriana Perez Flores |