There are different ways to apostille a document in the state of Louisana; we’ll discuss the three most common ones. In this southern state, you can submit an apostille application via:
- Mail-in
- In-person
- Apostille service
Let’s check out the three different options in detail, hoping this insight will help you choose the best. First, let’s talk about the mail-in option.
Mail-In Option
This option involves collecting all the documentation needed and mailing them to the Louisiana Secretary of State in Baton Rouge. But before that, the documents in question must be notarized. If you choose this option, you will also have to pay for courier services, LA apostille application fees, among other expenses. Additionally, the waiting time could be between weeks to months!
In-Person Option
Let’s say you’ve decided to apply for apostille certification in LA in person. Here’s what happens:
First, you’ll need to plan for your trip, including all expenses involved. You will then travel to the Louisiana Secretary of State office in Baton Rouge to file your application, which is tiresome and time-consuming.
For example, if you live in Shreveport, you’ll need to drive south on Highway I-49 for more than three hours to arrive in Baton Rouge. Now here’s the worst part; in the process, if you miss any required documents, which vary depending on your reasons for traveling outside the country, you’ll have to travel back to get them.
One more thing; the Louisiana Secretary of State can only apostille documents issued by the state of Louisana. For this reason, if you live in Louisiana and wish to apostille a document issued to you by another state, you have to contact the office of their Secretary of State. Also, the Louisiana Secretary of State cannot apostille Federally issued documents.
Examples include documents issued by the:
- Federal Bureau of Investigations
- Food and Drug Administration
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Internal Revenue Service
- United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Hiring an Apostille Service in Louisiana
The third option is to let a travel document agency handle your LA apostille application. This is where TravelVisaPro comes in handy. Here’s why.
TravelVisaPro consists of professional staff who boast years of experience in the travel industry. They know the exact documents that need to be apostilled before traveling outside of the United States, including other travel-related regulations at home and abroad.
For instance, if you want to travel abroad for studies, TravelVisaPro staff will help you get your paperwork in order so you can only focus on other details of your trip. They help expedite the Louisiana apostille certification process, avoiding delays in the process.
Rather than making phone calls to the Office of the Secretary of State every day to check the status of your application, TravelVisaPro gives you the much-needed peace of mind, knowing that everything is being taken care of. Hiring a travel document agency is one of the best and surest ways to avoid last-minute disappointments as you plan your travel overseas.