Apostille or Authentication of the Federal Document:
Social Security Benefits Letter
Foreign countries require that any document issued by a U.S. Federal Agency must be Authenticated or Apostilled in order to be accepted in a foreign jurisdiction. Included in this requirement are documents signed or notarized overseas by an American Consular Officer or military public notary.
Authenticating a document verifies the document's source so foreign institutions can be assured that documents are genuine.
A Federally issued document must be Authenticated or Apostilled by the US Department of State (USDOS) in Washington, DC. It must be an original document and have the seal and authorized signature of the issuing department.
Social Security Benefit Letters
Social Security Benefit Letters are government issued documents issued by the Social Security Administration. You may need to have your Social Security Benefits Apostilled or Authenticated for many reasons such as extended visas in foreign countries or immigration reasons with foreign countries.
How to Obtain an Apostille or Authentication
Have the Right Document:
Make sure you have the original Social Security Benefits letter or a certified copy.
A certified copy must have a certificate stating it's a true copy, along with the issuing agency's seal and authorized signature.
2. Translation (if required):
If the destination country requires a translation, have a professional translator translate the certificate and have the translation notarized. Do not notarize the original document.
Need help? We offer certified document translations through our partner service: Certified Document Translation
3. Apostille or Authentication:
The final step is submitting your document to the U.S. Department of State for apostille or authentication
Although turnaround times may vary- our agents should be able to assist you with having your Social Security Benefits Letter apostilled or authenticated within 9-10 business days.
Important: Each type of federal document may require a different process, especially if it involves sensitive, personal, or agency-restricted records.
To ensure accuracy and avoid rejections, we recommend using one of our Notary Apostille Agents to handle this part of the process for you.
We always try to seek Notary Apostille Agents who have taken extensive training as Notaries and Apostille Facilitators through the following respected training companies. Please always ask any Notary Apostille Facilitator you hire to provide you with their credentials and expertise:
