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 of your choice 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.
You will not need to keep track of your documents and remind us to pick them up, either from State or from the embassy. Once you send us your documents and fill out the order-form, we will take care of everything, and we'll keep you informed every step of the way, until your authenticated documents are returned to you.
The authentications office at the U.S. State Department operates Monday through Thursday only, from 7:30 to 9:00am - documents are not processed on Fridays. We will file any documents that arrive before 6pm by the next business day. If you need documents to be filed on the day we receive them, those documents must be received by 8am, we must be notified in advance of their expected arrival, and you must pay an off-hours rush service surcharge of $100.00. If those documents do not arrive on time, the off-hours surcharge will still apply.
If you are in the Washington DC area, it may be preferable for you to have a Best Messenger courier pickup and/or return your documents in person. Please contact us by email or phone with any questions, or use the order-form, below.
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)
If you would like us to forward your documents to an embassy after we pick them up from the State Department, note that many embassies require copies of the documents submitted. Please include copies of all documents submitted, to avoid extra charges.
When your documents are ready for pickup, we will use your shipping envelope or air bill to ship those documents to you or wherever you want them to go. Please provide a return air bill or envelope with your documents, or send them to us by email, using your preferred shipper's web site.
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.
Review:
Please send us:
* The documents you want us to take to the US State Department for authentication or apostille
* Your form DS-4194, (filled out by keyboard, not by pen)
* Your return shipping air bill or envelope
Best Messenger will handle all the details from this point forward. If any of these items are missing or inadequate, we will provide any necessary services, without delay, and will bill your credit card on file for the extra services provided.
Pricing | |
| 140.00 | Authenticate one document and return using your prepaid return air bill or envelope* |
| * This includes the State Department's fee of $20.00. | |
| 60.00 | Extra charge for each additional document to be authenticated or apostilled at the State Department |
| 24.00 | Fill out State Department form DS-4194 for presentation with your documents to the State Department |
| 20.00 | Or 20%, whichever is greater, to lay out funds against a credit card to purchase any items not otherwise specified on this page. This excludes any fees for sending a courier to a bank, post office, or other locations to purchase those items. |
| 30.00 | Fill out a shipping air bill on your behalf |
| 36.00 | Forward to any embassy (excluding China) as soon as they are ready for pickup from the State Department |
| 36.00 | Retrieve your documents from any embassy (excluding China) and return to you, using your prepaid return shipping air bill or envelope |
| 125.00 | Forward to the embassy of China as soon as they are ready for pickup from the State Department |
| 125.00 | Retrieve your documents from the embassy of China and return to you, using your prepaid return shipping air bill or envelope |
| 30.00 | (for the first plus $1.00 for each additional) If copies of your documents are not provided but are required by an embassy |
| 6% | DC sales tax to be added to any of the above charges, except for organizations that certify 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 | |
