Federal Apostille

Federal Apostille: expedited federal apostille processing from Washington, D.C.

Federal Apostille is a U.S.-registered company based in Albuquerque, NM, with a processing team in Washington, D.C. It specializes in obtaining federal apostilles from the U.S. Department of State, the authority that authenticates documents signed by federal agencies. The company states that it has processed over 3,263 apostilles and that its output is accepted in more than 120 countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

The service is aimed at attorneys, immigration firms, businesses and families who need U.S. documents recognized abroad for visas, dual citizenship, FBI background checks and other international legalizations. The company presents itself as an alternative to the DIY mail-in route, which it says currently takes two to three months due to processing backlogs.

How the federal apostille process works

Federal Apostille structures the service in three stages. The client completes a secure checkout and uploads the document through an encrypted portal. The company reviews it within 24 hours for accuracy and completeness. Its D.C. team then prepares the submission and hand-delivers it to the U.S. Department of State, avoiding mail delays and lost packages. Upon completion, high-quality digital scans are emailed immediately, and the original apostilled document is shipped with tracking. The total turnaround is approximately 10 business days.

The company emphasizes that every submission is reviewed by a specialist against Department of State requirements before filing, because a rejection can cost weeks. It also offers live order tracking from intake through filing to shipment.

Pricing and guarantees

The flat rate is $179, which the company says includes all government fees, document preparation and return shipping. It presents this as an all-inclusive price with no hidden surcharges or surprise invoices. If Federal Apostille is unable to complete an order, it states that it will refund the service fee.

In a comparison table on its site, the company contrasts its offer with DIY mail-in and other providers. It lists a 10-business-day turnaround versus two to three months for DIY, hand-delivery in D.C. versus mailed submissions, personal review before filing, live tracking, and digital scans included. For other providers, it cites variable and often misleading turnaround, mailed submissions, rare review, inconsistent tracking, prices of $200–400 plus hidden fees, and usually extra charges for scans.

Document types handled

Federal Apostille covers a range of federal and state documents. The main categories listed are:

• FBI Background Checks (Identity History Summaries) for immigration, teaching abroad, international marriage and foreign employment. A full-service bundle includes fingerprinting, FBI check, apostille and translation for Spain, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.
• Naturalization Certificates (Form N-550/N-570) for dual citizenship, inheritance, property purchases and consular registrations.
• FDA and USDA certificates, including Certificates of Free Sale and export certificates for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical products.
• National Archives (NARA) records, such as historical immigration records, military service records and land patents.
• U.S. patents and trademarks for filing IP protections in foreign jurisdictions.
• Federal court records, including judgments, orders and certified copies for enforcing legal decisions abroad.
• SSA and VA benefit letters for residency visas, and OPM pension letters for military retirement pay or foreign residency income requirements.

The company also states that it handles state-level apostilles through the Secretary of State's office in the state where the document was issued, covering birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, death certificates, academic records and notarized documents.

Federal versus state apostilles

The site explains that the distinction depends on which official signed the document, not where the applicant lives. A federal apostille is issued by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and is the only route for documents signed by a federal agency, most often an FBI Identity History Summary but also FDA, USDA, National Archives and federal court records. A state apostille is issued by the Secretary of State of the state whose official signed the document, and covers birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, diplomas and anything notarized. Sending a federal document to a state office, or a state document to Washington, is described as the most common reason an apostille request is returned unprocessed.

The company also clarifies that a notary cannot issue an apostille; only a designated Competent Authority can, which in the United States means a state Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State. A notary creates the signature that the apostille authenticates, which is the basis of the notarized true-copy route.

Turnaround, same-day claims and acceptance abroad

Federal Apostille states that its expedited service typically delivers a federal apostille in approximately 10 business days, including review, preparation, hand-delivery to the Department of State and return shipping. It warns that the Department of State does not offer same-day processing for walk-in submissions, and advises caution with providers advertising same-day service. The company says its 10-business-day timeline reflects the actual government processing speed for expedited in-person submissions.

Apostilles issued by the U.S. Department of State are recognized in all 120+ member countries of the Hague Apostille Convention, according to the company, including virtually all of Europe, most of South America, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The site notes that the United States does not appear as a destination country because an apostille only has effect abroad.

Client feedback and support

The company directs clients to Trustpilot for reviews, stating that each review appears under the reviewer's own name with its date and that it answers each one publicly. It does not reproduce reviews on its own site. Support is described as U.S.-based and reachable by phone and email from the first question to the delivered document.