That notarized document sitting in your folder might be completely useless outside the United States. Most people assume that once a document is notarized, it is officially recognized anywhere in the world; this is far from the truth.
International use requires an additional layer of authentication called an apostille, without it, foreign governments, courts, and institutions can reject your paperwork entirely.
The good news is, getting it right doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you have a mobile notary in your corner.
How your Document is Notarized Internationally
After your document is notarized by a licensed notary public, it goes through a state certification process. At this stage, the document is sent to the secretary of state for that particular state, or its equivalent. For instance, if your marriage certificate was notarized in New Jersey, the document is sent to the New Jersey Secretary of State, who verifies the authenticity and license of the notary public.
After this is the Apostille stage. This stage is very important, and it ensures the validity of your document globally. The Apostille is backed by the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, popularly referred to as the Apostille Convention. As of 2026, 128 countries assented to the Apostille Convention.
So, once your document goes through this process, it is validly recognised by 128 countries. Once the authenticity of your notary public is verified, the same Secretary of State issues a separate certificate, serving as the apostille and evidencing the legality of the document.
How a Mobile Notary Makes it Simple
Many Americans are not aware of this three-stage process, even though it sounds straightforward on paper. Due to this, thousands of people submit notarized documents to embassies, high commissions and international governmental organizations, only to have them rejected for lack of an apostille, costing them time, effort and international opportunities.
The stakes are even higher when deadlines are involved. Visa applications, immigration filings, and foreign employment contracts operate on strict timelines, and a rejected or incomplete document can cause frustration, delay a job offer abroad, or push back a life-changing move by months.
Then, there is the challenge of meeting a notary public physically, especially if the document needs notarization outside their state of residence.
This is where services like ours come in. A mobile notary public who handles this important three-stage process for you makes it convenient and stress-free from start to finish.
A mobile notary public comes to you at the convenience of your home, office, or any other location, handles all the paperwork and gets your document notarised. An Apostille is given in addition. All you have to do is show up with your required documents and relevant information.
Having a mobile notary public who is knowledgeable in international notarization saves you time, effort, and money, so you can focus on what the document is actually for. So, how convenient do you want your next notary appointment to be? You can only find out by reaching out to us at Lookingglassrunners.com
