Authentication and Apostille services at the US State Department
The fastest way to authenticate or apostille your documents at the U.S. State Department without going there yourself is to send them to Best Messenger.
Best Messenger walks your documents into the State Department immediately, with no advance notice required. We process and return them to you or forward them to the embassy if you wish, as soon as they are ready for pickup.
We can also retrieve your documents from the embassy and return them to you as soon as they are ready for pickup.
The authentications office at the U.S. State Department closes daily at 9:00am. We will file any documents that arrive before 8:00am on the same day; others will be processed by the next business day.
ATTENTION (by order of the U.S. State Department)
An original DS-4194 form will be required when requesting authentication services.
Fill out form DS-4194 (U.S. Department of State Request for Authentications Service)
Be sure to enclose your payment for the US State Department and, if applicable, the embassy. Our prices do not include the fees charged by the State Department and embassies.
The State Department charges $8.00 per document, and accepts personal checks. Embassies charge different amounts and accept different forms of payment.
Some embassies require copies of all documents submitted for processing. If we are to forward your documents to an embassy after authentication at the State Department, please include copies of all documents to be submitted, to avoid extra charges.
We are couriers, not paralegals or a visa/passport service. The customer is responsibile for determining whether the documents submitted will be accepted by the U.S. Secretary of State. For further information, check with the U.S. Secretary of State, your state government's Secretary of State or with the embassy.
Pricing | |
| 90.00 | Authenticate one document and return using your prepaid return airbill or envelope |
| 36.00 | Forward to any embassy (excluding China) |
| 125.00 | Forward to the embassy of China |
| 10.00 | Extra charge for each additional document to be authenticated at the State Department |
| 36.00 | Retrieve your documents from any embassy (excluding China) and return to you, using your overnight mail airbill |
| 125.00 | Retrieve your documents from the embassy of China and return to you using your prepaid return airbill or envelope |
| 10.00 | (plus $2.00 per document) Fill out State Department form DS-4194 for presentation with your documents to the State Department |
| 10.00 | (for the first plus $1.00 for each additional) If copies of your documents are not provided but are required by the embassy. |
| 6% | DC sales tax to be added to any of the above charges, except for organizations who certify that they are exempt from DC sales tax requirements |
| * Extra charges may apply for email scans and other additional services requested by the embassy or the customer | |