Lives in this current era are connected globally in a complex way. Therefore, apostilles and notaries exist to empower businesses and individuals to carry on with their global proceedings without any delay. The situation where you may be going for an apostille vs notary may be the same; there is a thin line between both certifications that separates their values, powers, and usage.
The Notary Seal will help you become aware of their differences so that you know exactly what kind of certification you need for what purpose. This blog has a comprehensive breakdown of the characteristics, process, and importance of both notary and apostille certifications.
Apostille vs Notary
In this current era of authentication, you might have heard the terms “apostille” and “notarization” numerous times. Both of the documents have the same role of providing the legitimacy of vital documents; however, when you compare apostille vs notary, the process and purpose for both are different.
If you are also wondering what the difference between an apostille and a notary would be and want to grasp their significance, knowing what they exactly are comes first.
What Is Apostille?
An Apostille empowers any public document issued in one country to be accepted throughout the globe in any other country. An apostille ensures:
- An apostille authenticates the signature of the official public signatory.
- The capacity where the public official conducts the procedure.
- It also identifies the source of the stamp or seal on the documents.
However, the Apostille does not legitimize the contents mentioned in the document.
What Is Notary?
Notarization authenticates and empowers the document and the contents written on it; ultimately, the document is accepted and trusted globally. These documents are used for all private, govt., federal, and even international matters. The notarization process ensures:
- Document is real
- Signature is valid
- The signer has been identified
- Signed with their own will and intention
Characteristics – Apostille Vs Notary
After comparing apostille vs notary, now you know that they both serve different purposes. Hence, they have different characteristics. Here are three significant characteristics of the apostille and notary that sets them apart.
Characteristics Of An Apostille
International Recognition
An apostille is accepted and trusted in all those countries that are part of the Hague Convention,
Uniform Format
An apostille has a uniform format, which includes the country issuing the document, the date, and the seal, of course.
Legal Documents
An apostille is mainly used to authenticate legal documents in foreign countries.
Characteristics Of A Notary
Verifies The Signer’s Identity
The notary ensures the identity of the individual singing. To verify, they may check the government-provided IDs like licenses or ID cards.
Verifies the Signatures
The notary verifies that the signs on the document are original. To verify that, the official may also consider taking an oath.
Jurisdiction-Specific
Notarized documents are jurisdiction-specific and meant to be used within the country where they were notarized.
Process – Apostille Vs Notary?
If you compare apostille vs notary, you will see that their purposes are not the only thing that is different. Their processes are also different. Hence, when the time comes, one should know how to get a document apostilled or notarized.
How To Get A Document Apostilled?
Authentication fee
There is an authentication fee that you have to pay per document to get them apostilled. The fee varies from state to state.
Notarize your document
In order to get your documents apostille, you have to get them notarized and sealed first.
Submit your original document signatures and seals.
Finally, you have to submit original copies that are notarized and signed.
How To Get A Document Notary?
Draft your document
First of all, you have to hire an attorney in order to draft your document. Make sure that the attorney knows all the details of your case so that they can draft accurate documents as per your needs.
Find a notary public.
You may use traditional notarization like mobile or walk-in service, or you may also choose remote online notarization (RON). RON is way faster, more reliable, and more cost-effective than walk-in or mobile.
Confirm the signer’s identity.
Before the signatures are made, the notary public will check the signer’s identity by following methods:
- Government-issued IDs
- Credible Identifying witnesses
Confirm willingness to sign
Before the signatures are made, the notary public will also notice if the signers are singing of their own will, and they are not bound to do so.
Perform the oath and sign the document.
The notary will perform an oath before signing the document. The questions in the oath may vary from document to document. Here are some of the questions:
Acknowledgement
“Do you acknowledge that you understand this document and have signed it willingly for its stated purposes?”
Oath
“Do you swear under penalty of perjury that the information within this document is the truth, so help you God?”
Affirmation
“Do you affirm under penalty of perjury that the information within this document is the truth?”
Complete the Notarial Certificate
After the oath, the notarial process is completed, and the last thing is to fill in some specific information and place stamps. The information includes:
- Dates
- Method of identification
- State and county
- The notary’s signature
- The signer’s name
- Commission expiration date
Importance – Apostille Vs Notary
If you are planning to travel abroad or conduct any foreign business activities, you would definitely have to authenticate several documents either by apostille or notarization. Hence, it is better to explore the importance of apostille vs notary so that you would know what you need in specific situations.
Importance Of Apostille?
If you plan on studying or working in a foreign nation, you’ll require an apostille stamp for your documents. This is important in the legal and immigration aspects. Apostilles makes applying your ID much easier and less risky when traveling to another country. The point is that apostilles assist in making communication and collaboration between other nations easier.
They can be a helpful service to groups and individuals who require official documents from nations. Be attentive to the apostille process so you don’t face any difficulties.
Importance Of Notary?
It is important to remember that only some documents require the Notary Public’s signature. But some require it. For example, banks, financial institutions, and the court system generally need certain documents to have the seal of a Notary. The main reason for notarizing documents is to guarantee proper execution and avoid fraud.
There have been cases where one party denies the signature of documents during a transaction and causes damage to the opposing party. Notarization can prevent these disputes from happening. The mortgage is one of a kind, which protects the lender should a borrower fail to meet their obligation. It serves as a security until the borrower has completed the mortgage entirely.
The mortgage’s original document must be signed, filled in, sealed, and notarized to conclude the transaction. Without a Notary’s seal, the original document will then declare the mortgage null and unenforceable.
Conclusion – Apostille Vs Notary
Although the functions of notary and apostille services could appear identical. By this blog “Apostille Vs Notary” you now know that apostilles are an instrument to maintain the internationally accepted standard of verifying documents. Although the procedure for getting an apostille differs from notarization, Remote Online Notarization (RON) helps simplify the process of confirming that the documents you submit are correct, authentic, and safe to use.
We offers a secure and easy-to-use system for Remote Online Notarization that caters to the needs of all notarizations.
Contact us to learn more about how The Notary Seal can help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is apostille same as notary?
A notary examines documents to ensure the person who signs the document is identified and that their signatures are genuine. An apostille can be described as proof proving a document’s authenticity and originates from the right source.
What does an apostille do?
Apostilles can be used to verify the authenticity of a document that is official, like a birth certificate or court order, is authentic and is from a reliable source. It is accomplished by confirming both the seals and signatures of persons who were the document’s signers, including officials from government agencies and officials from other countries.
What is an apostille transcript?
If you attend a school (like high school (college, university, or trade school) within the United States and want to be a student or worker in another nation, the country may require proof that you were a student and request proof of your academic performance.
For this, the institution you attended must check your transcripts’ authenticity first. The transcripts will then need to be approved by the authorized officials in the state where the school is. This is referred to as an apostille transcript.
Can a notary do apostille?
If you require an apostille to sign the document you have signed, the notary public cannot give it to you. Therefore, you’ll need to bring your document to the office of the Secretary of State to have it stamped so the notary public can only confirm your signature’s authenticity to the paper.
What is a apostille notary?
An official’s role is to verify the identity of the person who signs an official document to ensure the signature is genuine. However, an apostille can be an official document that affirms where a document originated and also proves it is authentic. Therefore, An apostille examines the signer’s signature while a notary examines the document.
