Have you ever been asked for more than you can handle on a visa application or another government form? It’s one thing to know your name, DOB, and current address without hesitation, but what should you do if all these terms keep popping up like Execution Fee and Apostille certification?
Residents of Washington don’t have to travel far to get an Apostille for any documents issued by the state – divorce certificates, article of incorporation, to name a few. Because such certification is available at every office of the Secretary of State, the only option for residents of Seattle and Spokane is to go to the capitol building in Olympia. For those in Seattle, this might simply be a minor inconvenience (depending on traffic), but for those in Spokane and out east, it becomes a whole road trip.
The good news is that Apostille certification is also available through the mail, though the processing and return time cannot be guaranteed. Shipping documents to Olympia requires waiting a few days or weeks for them to be accepted, the Secretary of State to apply the Apostille, and to be sent back to you. All this time can add up, and unless travelers have weeks or months to work with their passport renewal and visa application before their flight, this isn’t always convenient or even possible.
However, how does an Apostille work in the first place? When you need an official document issued in the US to be recognized in another country, you have to have it certified using an Apostille. This applies to the 100+ countries falling under the Hague Convention; for the others, a different kind of certification – Authentication – is available.
For US citizens in Washington, this means that state-issued documents like birth certificates and university diplomas may be given an Apostille in Olympia, while federally-issued ones like criminal background checks must be forwarded to the US Department of State offices in Washington DC for the appropriate certification. The reasons anyone may need either type of Apostille isn’t strictly limited to visa applications: US citizens living abroad may need to have a marriage certificate with an Apostille to apply for dual citizenship.
If you do need one or both types of Apostilles and are on a short timeframe before your flight, what are the options left? Mailing everything a piece at a time and hoping for the best? Most likely, you’ll be facing delays costing time, money, and possibly even a visa’s validity.
Apostille Services in Washington State
For many travelers, it all comes down to convenience. Would you rather handle your applications yourself for the first time? Even if you’ve have to apply for a passport renewal, Apostille, and visa application before, you may no longer have the free time during business hours you once had. Either way risks possible delays or even a cancellation. However, entrusting your application to a company with a proven track record of demystifying the visa and passport application process can make the difference between not having not stress before a trip or panicking over when the government will return your papers.
Travel Visa Pro should be your first choice when you learn you need an Apostille with your visa application. Making multiple stops for passport photos, traveling across Washington to reach the capitol building before 5 PM, and scheduling appointments at consulates isn’t necessary when there’s a Travel Visa Pro office nearby. You need someone knowledgeable to handle every aspect of the bureaucracy, an office with professionals just waiting to help. Travel Visa Pro’s team of travel experts have over forty years’ experience getting our clients the travel documents they need in the time they need.
Instead of sending in the applications you need one at a time, take the total solution of Travel Visa Pro. We can reduce the wait at every step by offering the services you need at our Seattle office. Even if you don’t live close to Seattle but are applying from Washington, shipping everything to us will cut down on postage and time. Our services include Apostille certification, passport photos, passport renewals, visa applications, and travel insurance, among others.