By Parviz Malakouti-Fitzgerald, Esq.
If you’re from the “keystone” state of Pennsylvania and applying for citizenship or residency abroad, you may be asked to “apostille” certain vital documents such as your birth or marriage certificate.
Article Outline:
As we explained in our explainer article on apostilles in the USA, an apostille is a form of additional authentication of official documents.
The authenticated, i.e. “apostilled” documents can then be used in other countries that are signatories to the Hague apostille convention of 1961.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania apostilles can be obtained on the same day in-person. As a citizenship lawyer, I’ve apostilled about 15-20 documents in Pennsylvania. Here’s our easy step by step guide on getting a Pennsylvania apostille ASAP.
Types of Pennsylvania Documents
That Can Be Apostilled
There are many different types of documents that can be apostilled in Pennsylvania. For people pursuing mobility assets such as residency or citizenship by descent (like Slovak, Italian or Hungarian), the most commonly Pennsylvania issued documents that need to be apostilled tend to be:
Birth Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Divorce Decrees
Death Certificates
There are also sometimes non-official documents that can be notarized first and then apostilled.
In-person Apostille Requests By Appointment
If you’re in a time crunch, you can make an appointment to request an apostille in person in Harrisburg, PA. An in-person request is the fastest way to get a Pennsylvania apostille.
For an in-person request, you’ll need:
The certified document you want apostilled
A $15 payment (via check, money order or credit card) made payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania”
The completed “Request for Legalization of Documents” form (this is also the apostille form, despite the title)
For an in-person apostille, you must first set an appointment on the Secretary of the Commonwealth website. Usually appointments are available next-day or sometimes a day or two later.
Mail-in Requests
Mail-in requests naturally take longer but are more convenient. For a mail-in request, you’ll need
An original or certified copy of the document you want to apostilled (such as a birth certificate)
A mail request apostille cover sheet for Pennsylvania found here
Payment in the form of check or money order made payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
A return addressed envelope with postage attached
Put those four items in a large 9” by 12” envelope (our preferred size at Malakouti law) and mail it to:
Pennsylvania Department of State
Bureau of Notaries, Commissions & Legislation
Apostilles & Certifications
North Office Building, Room 201
401 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029
If you’ve never written six lines of address, get ready for a hand workout.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These are the most common mistakes I’ve seen or heard about people making. These are the same mistakes people make with California and other U.S. apostilles.
Mistake Number 1 - Sending an Unofficial Copy of a Document to be Apostilled
You can only apostille original documents, certified copies of documents or Pennsylvania notarized documents.
They usually have a stamp, seal, embossment or some other characteristic on the paper to show that you didn’t just download and print a PDF from your computer. If you send an unofficial copy of a document, your apostille request will be rejected!
Mistake Number 2 - Improper Payment Amount or Payee
Sometimes people write payment to the wrong payee in their check. This can result in your apostille request being rejected.
Mistake Number 3 - Not Including a Stamped Return Address Envelope
Failure to include a stamped return address envelope may also result in having your apostille rejected!
What the Final Pennsylvania Apostille Looks Like
In our experience, a mail-in request might take a few weeks to two months to be processed and arrive to you.
If you've made the request properly, you’ll receive back your original or certified document with a one page apostille stapled on top.
Sample of a real Pennsylvania apostille
Fortunately, Pennsylvania apostilles are neatly overlaid on top of the document being apostilled.
This is in contrast to apostilles from other states, such as California, which are slightly skewed off the top of the document being apostilled, which makes the apostilled document more difficult to scan, save in plastic sleeves and combine in packages.
In any case, do not separate the apostille from the certified copy underneath it. Many foreign authorities consider the apostille invalid if it has been separated from the document being apostilled. Leave it be!
Request a Consultation with Malakouti Law
Interested in pursuing second citizenship by investment or citizenship by descent?
To discuss having Malakouti Law handle the process for you, request a consultation with us here.
Each immigration and citizenship case is particular and you should consult with a qualified immigration and citizenship lawyer about your case before taking any steps. The Law Office of Parviz Malakouti does not guarantee the accuracy of information presented nor assume responsibility for actions taken in reliance of this information. The information in this page could become outdated. Attorney marketing.