What is an apostille?

The Apostille Convention, or the Apostille Treaty, is an international treaty drafted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law. It specifies the procedure through which a document issued in one of the signatory countries can be certified for legal purposes in all the other signatory states. A certification under the terms of the convention is called an apostille. It is an international certification comparable to a notarization in domestic law and normally supplements a local notarization of the document. If the convention applies between two countries, an apostille is sufficient to certify a document’s validity, and removes the need for double certification, by the originating country and then by the receiving country.

The State of Israel is part of this treaty and therefore requires apostille authentication on documents as part of the Aliyah process. This requirement replaces the need to notarize foreign (non-Israeli) documents in Israel.

Apostilles are issued by the state that issued the document and usually cannot be acquired outside of that state. It is typically an additional page attached to the original document to authenticate the signature of the clerk which appears on the original document.

Which documents require an apostille or authentication?

Since January 1st, 2019 authentication is required by the State of Israel on all official documents as part of the Aliyah process.

The following documents need authentication regardless of their issue date:

  • Birth Certificates (for all applicants)
  • Personal Status documentation – Marriage, Divorce or Death certificates
  • Name Change documents
  • Adoption papers
  • Criminal background checks
  • Split Aliyah declarations (first needs to be notarized)
  • Background Checks – Both US and Canadian applicants need to submit a criminal background check with an apostille attached to it. Please see Background Checks for more information.

Where and how do I get the apostille or authentication?

us_flag_pin In the United States, apostilles are issued by the state department of each state separately. (example: If your document is from California, the apostille will be issued by the California State Department in Sacramento). For a list of authentication offices in the US, click here.

Important note: Federal documents, such as US background checks, are authenticated by the US State Department in Washington DC. Please click here for more information.

can_flag_pin In Canada, as of January 11, 2024, apostilles are issued by the Government of Canada, including documents issued or notarized in specific provinces and territories. For more information and a list of authentication offices in Canada, click here.

uk_flag_pin For details and information about authenticating British documents, click here.

Cost and processing time

The cost and processing times vary greatly from one office to another. Please check directly with the relevant authentication office for this information. It is recommended to begin the authentication process as soon as possible, so it does not delay your Aliyah plans.

Resources and important notes

  1. For detailed information regarding background check apostilles please see here.
  2. For applicants with NY City birth certificates – All birth certificates issued in the Five Boroughs (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island) after August 2018, will need to have a letter of exemplification attached for county authentication. Certificates issued before that date can, in most cases, be submitted for authentication without the need for the exemplification letter.
    1. If your certificate needs a letter of exemplification, we recommend you purchase a new certificate, already containing the letter of exemplification, from the NY Bureau of Vital Statistics, located at 125 Worth St. To order a new birth certificate, click here.
    2. Once that is done, certificates with the letter of exemplification need to be authenticated by the NY County Clerk, located at 60 Center St.
    3. Now that these two steps have been completed, the Apostille can be acquired at the NY Secretary of State’s office at 123 William Street or by following the instructions listed here.
    4. The aforementioned steps (1-3) are only for certificates with a letter of exemplification.
    5. Important note: The apostille services listed below might be able to obtain your NY birth certificate apostille without the extra step of a letter of exemplification. Please be in touch with them directly for more information.
  3. You will be required to show your authenticated documents when you meet with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration in the airport upon making Aliyah or at your meeting with the Ministry of Interior if you are making Aliyah from within Israel.

Are there any services to make this easier or quicker?

There are many companies in the USA that offer apostille services. For a fee, they will acquire the apostille for you. Although such services may be costly, they are convenient when the last thing you need on your mind throughout the Aliyah process is the hassle of authenticating your documents.

** The following are some companies with which Nefesh B’Nefesh Olim have have had good experiences. These companies offer a discount to Nefesh B’Nefesh Olim, so make sure to mention this when you inquire about pricing.

EZ-TR International Notary & Apostille Services 

– TheUPSStore

– TheApostilleCo 

**Please note that while Nefesh B’Nefesh is happy to facilitate making connections between Olim and companies providing these services, Nefesh B’Nefesh does not specifically endorse or recommend any company providing these services, nor can Nefesh B’Nefesh be responsible for your engagement of any company. Any such engagement is between you and the company and is your responsibility.

* Last updated on February 8, 2024 *

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