The cost of an apostille in the US can vary, especially depending on whether the document is state or federally issued, and the processing method chosen. For federal documents processed by the US Department of State, specific fees apply.
Federal Apostille Costs
Obtaining an apostille for documents issued by federal agencies, such as FBI background checks, IRS tax documents, or documents from federal courts, involves a base fee from the US Department of State. Additional service fees may be incurred based on the chosen processing speed and method.
Here's a breakdown of the typical costs for federal apostilles:
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| US Department of State Apostille (Base Fee) | $20.00 |
| Expedited Walk-In Federal Apostille Service Fee | $100.00 |
| Regular Mail-In Federal Apostille Service Fee | $35.00 |
Understanding the Fees
To calculate the total cost for a federal apostille, you generally combine the base fee with the applicable service fee:
- Base Fee ($20.00): This is the standard charge from the US Department of State for authenticating a document. It covers the official process of affixing the apostille.
- Service Fees: These additional fees are typically charged by third-party services or for specialized handling by the processing entity to facilitate the apostille process:
- Expedited Walk-In Service ($100.00): This option is for urgent requests, where a service physically takes your documents to the Department of State for quicker processing, often completed within a few business days.
- Regular Mail-In Service ($35.00): This fee applies when a service handles the submission and return of your documents through standard mail channels. This method usually takes longer but is less costly than expedited options.
Practical Examples
- For a regular mail-in federal apostille: You would pay the $20 base fee plus the $35 mail-in service fee, totaling $55.00.
- For an expedited walk-in federal apostille: You would pay the $20 base fee plus the $100 expedited service fee, totaling $120.00.
