Get an Apostille Without Sending Your Original Document
Yes. Upload a scan, we produce a notarized true copy and obtain the apostille; your original never leaves your hands.
You do not have to mail your original document to get a U.S. apostille. For most documents, we work from a notarized true copy (copia fiel) of your uploaded scan: we print the scan, a notary certifies it as a true and complete copy of what you provided, and the Secretary of State issues the apostille on that notarized copy. Your birth certificate, diploma, or FBI report stays with you the entire time.
Why People Search for This
Most people who land here have one specific fear: mailing an irreplaceable document and never getting it back. A birth certificate lost in transit can take months to replace. A foreign diploma or a deceased relative's death certificate may be impossible to reissue at all. That fear is reasonable, and it is the main reason people look for an apostille service that does not require the original.
The standard flow at most mail-in services still asks you to ship your physical originals both ways, then trust that they arrive, get processed, and come home safely. We built our process around the opposite default: you keep your documents, we work from a notarized true copy. Here is why that matters.
Your original document never enters the postal system, so it cannot be lost, delayed, or damaged in transit.
There is no replacement scramble if a package goes missing, because nothing irreplaceable was ever mailed.
You can apostille a document you physically cannot part with, such as a passport you still need to travel on or a single surviving copy of an old record.
You start the entire order from your phone or computer in minutes instead of printing forms and standing in line at the post office.
If a destination authority later asks for the apostille on the physical original instead, you still have your original in hand and ready to use.
How It Works
Three steps, no trips to the post office, and your original stays on your desk the whole time.
Upload a clear scan
Submit a color scan or PDF of your full document, all pages, through our secure portal. A phone photo works if every line is legible and the edges are not cut off.
We print and notarize a true copy
We print your scan and a notary executes a certified true copy statement, attesting under their commission that the printout is a true and complete copy of the document you provided. This notarized packet is what gets apostilled.
The apostille is issued and shipped to you
The Secretary of State (for state documents) or the U.S. Department of State (for federal documents like an FBI background check) issues the apostille on the notarized true copy. We ship the finished, apostilled packet directly to you with tracking.
The legal basis is the notary certified-copy or custodian-affidavit mechanism recognized in most U.S. states. The apostille authenticates the notary's signature and seal on the true copy certificate, which is a valid public act under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. This is why a true copy apostille is accepted for Hague Convention use in the large majority of cases.
When You DO Need to Mail the Original
We will always tell you the truth, even when it costs us the order. A notarized true copy works for the large majority of documents and destinations. There is one genuine exception.
If your destination is one of those cases, we will flag it during your free review before you pay, and you can switch to the Original Apostille path. Being upfront here is the whole point: it prevents a rejected apostille and an avoidable refund.
Mail-In Services vs Apostilles.us
The difference is not just price. It is whether your irreplaceable document ever leaves your possession.
Last verified: June 2026
Never mail your original documents
We process apostilles from a notarized true copy of your uploaded scan. Your birth certificate, diploma, or FBI report never leaves your hands, so it can never be lost in the mail.
How true copy processing worksSimple, Transparent Pricing
Our standard true copy apostille is $149 per document on the Economy Standard tier, plus a $19 government processing and handling fee per document. There is no inbound shipping to pay, because you never mail us anything; we ship the finished apostille to you with tracking.
Faster tiers are available when you have a deadline, and bulk pricing applies when you apostille several documents in one order (common for citizenship-by-descent and visa packages). Everything is priced per document with no surprise add-ons.
See full pricingFrequently Asked Questions
Correct. We work from a notarized true copy of your uploaded scan, so your original stays with you. The only exception is when your destination country or institution specifically demands the apostille on the original physical document; then we process it under Original Protocol and you mail the original. We tell you upfront during your free review if your destination is one of those cases.
Related Resources
Keep Your Original. Get Your Apostille.
Upload a scan and we handle the notarized true copy and the apostille, then ship the finished document to you. Not sure if your document qualifies? Start with a free review.
We are an independent service provider and are not affiliated with any government authority, including the U.S. Department of State or any state Secretary of State office. Acceptance of true copy apostilles depends on the requirements of the receiving country or institution. Document and processing rules change over time; we verify your specific document during the free review before you pay.